12. Parker Cain
12
PARKER CAIN
“What do you mean you don’t like green?”
Joy blew another stream of raspberries and bubbles as she bounced in her chair beside me. This was her new favorite thing. Actually, her favorite thing seemed to be making noise. As much noise as possible. All the noise, all the time. She got that from both of her parents.
I needed to look it up, but there was probably a process of babies finding their voice, or maybe I was making shit up. I didn’t know. What I was sure of was that the little miss on my right was happily batting at her activity toys while randomly shouting “Ahh!” as though she’d been hit with a brilliant idea.
“I think green is a perfect color for this room. I promise it won’t resemble brussels sprouts,” I replied. That got me another round of “Pop Goes the Weasel” from the play center as she unerringly slapped her hand on a big yellow button.
It had been a couple of days since Declan had hired me to paint murals throughout his house. While a lawyer was drawing up a contract that protected both of our asses, I’d treated myself to a run to the art supply store. I’d lost everything in the fire. A lifetime of sketches, paintings, and doodles. There was some work at my parents’ house in Arizona, but they didn’t have anything I’d made after I’d finished college. While I had taken pictures of my favorites, it still hurt to know all that work was gone forever. I was trying not to think about it too much.
There was a different kind of thrill that came from new sketchbooks, brushes, paints, pencils, and all the other bits and bobs. Right now, I had just the basics. I’d get the bulk of what I needed only after the contract was signed and that down payment was in my bank account.
For now, I was making sketches and gathering up ideas. I wouldn’t dare start on a piece until I had Declan’s approval of a smaller version of it. The man might say that I had free rein to create whatever I wanted, but I wasn’t stupid. I wanted to create something he would like.
Over the past two days, I’d wandered the house, making notes about the various rooms. While Declan was back at work, I might have located the kitchen and enjoyed some sneaky chats with Franks and Chef Donovan as I sipped lattes. Both of them were excited that Joy and I were staying. The talented chef wanted to attempt to make some baby food from scratch while Franks was interested in seeing the murals I would create. It might have been suggested that I ask Declan to include the servants’ quarters in the agreement.
After making a lot of notes, I settled on a parlor near the entrance of the house as my starting place for the murals. According to Franks, it was a little-used room since Declan received few guests. It was filled with good sunlight throughout the day. The other bonus was that it contained only a few pieces of furniture and almost no decorations. A great place to work in and I wouldn’t disturb Declan regardless of what hour of the day I was painting.
But as someone rang the doorbell, I realized it might be a good idea to hang some kind of sheet to block the view of visitors as they passed through the house. There was nothing more irritating than someone peeking at a piece before I was finished.
Franks rushed through the foyer to answer the door while I kept my focus on the sketch pad in front of me. I’d picked up a set of professional-grade soft oil pastels for my sketches because they allowed me to work quickly and had the kind of brightness that I aimed for in my work. That way, I’d be able to give Declan the clearest glimpse of my vision for the mural.
The murmur of conversation became white noise as my attention shifted to my work, forgetting about everything other than my art and Joy’s amused noises as she played. It was a soft knock on the doorway that pulled me back out again.
I twisted around to find Franks standing in the open doorway, looking a bit flustered. “I’m sorry to bother you, sir, but Mr. Byron Graham has stopped by and is requesting to speak with you.”
“I don’t know any Byron Graham,” I stated in a breathy whisper, trying to sound as serious as he did, but I found it all kind of silly.
“He’s a friend of Mr. Foster, and I believe he’s dating Mr. Sebastian Courtland.”
Ohhhhh…that Byron .
I’d been temping at Courtland for a month when gossip had exploded through the company that Byron was dating his boss, CEO Sebastian Courtland, and that he’d been let go. Meanwhile, Sebastian had gotten nothing more than a slap on the wrist. I’d attempted to get the scoop on the situation from Declan, but he’d shut my questions down lightning fast. It was the one time I’d seen him genuinely pissed. Most of the time it was a fun, fiery pissed that promised to turn into great sex later. This had been icy pissed, as in “If you continue asking, I’m ending our arrangement this second.” Getting the gossip hadn’t been worth taking that risk.
But Franks had said Byron was not only a friend of Declan’s but still dating Sebastian. Well, going to the source was still the best way to get the good dirt.
That being said, I wasn’t about to put on billionaire airs. If I wasn’t in a corporate office, then you were going to get the messy, crazy artist me, which was so much more fun than office me.
“Sure, that’s fine. If you could bring him here, I’m kind of in the middle of this sketch.”
Franks nodded and disappeared down the hall. I turned to Joy and picked up a baby blanket I kept on hand to wipe up drool, snot, and other various things that seemed to come out of her during the day. I wiped Joy’s face so she’d be ready for company, earning a squealing laugh from her. This child was always so happy. Total extrovert like her mother.
I’d just finished as footsteps echoed across the tile foyer, shifting to a warmer sound as they reached the wood of the parlor. With a welcoming smile prepared, I gazed up at a slender man with a narrow face, large eyes, and blondish hair dressed in a very smart suit. Definitely the CEO, all-business type. He looked like he’d been born with a gold spoon in his mouth. Except wasn’t he Sebastian’s assistant? He couldn’t be a billionaire and an assistant, right?
Before I could say a single word, Byron dropped his head back and laughed. Franks at his side froze, his eyes wide in horror as if Byron had exploded into a million pieces. I wasn’t sure how to take this greeting.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” Byron apologized, waving one hand in front of him. “You had this expression on your face like ‘Who the hell is this asshole, and why am I even being bothered?’ ”
“Shit. I thought I hid that better,” I mumbled, which made Byron laugh harder.
“No, no. I don’t blame you. The only reason Sebastian’s friends didn’t sneak over to my apartment to give me the third degree when we started dating was because Declan knew me from the office. They could get all the inside information they wanted from him.”
I choked on a gasp. Now it was my turn to wave my hands to stop this conversation. “Whoa! Whoa! Declan and I aren’t dating.”
“Huh? Are you sure?” Byron snapped his mouth shut and gave a shudder, as if he couldn’t believe what had slipped off his tongue. “You know what? Let’s restart this entire conversation.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, still feeling dazed and very fucking confused.
Byron stuck out his hand and beamed at me. “Hi, I’m Byron Graham, a friend of Declan’s.”
I extended my hand, only to jerk it away again. I’d been playing in pastels for the past hour and a rainbow of colors covered my fingers. Holding up my hands, I wiggled my fingers at him. “Sorry. I’m a mess, but I’m also Parker Cain, and this is my daughter, Joy.”
Byron’s gaze shot over to the little girl, who shouted as if realizing that she’d become the center of attention.
“She’s adorable. You must be such a proud poppa.”
“I am. You’ve been sent as an emissary because we ran into Rome at the grocery store a few days ago.”
Byron rolled his eyes and dropped into the empty white chair across from me. A low coffee table separated us, littered with a mix of art supplies and baby supplies.
“Yes, and no. A mutual friend of Declan and Sebastian’s circle of friends has moved to the area, and Sebastian wants to have a dinner party to welcome him. They’ve been throwing the idea around for a while. However, when Rome came to our house announcing that Declan was secretly dating someone and threatened to take Rome’s head off in the middle of the store, Sebastian declared the party needed to happen now so we could officially meet you.”
I blinked at Byron because my brain could not process what I’d just heard. “I’m sorry, what?” It hadn’t been too hard to follow Byron’s explanation since it was pretty much what I had expected following Franks’s announcement of his arrival. At least, it had been until Rome had claimed that Declan made threats. “This is the first I’m hearing of it. I thought he just glared at Rome, but I guess he might have said something after I left to shop with Joy.”
“Yeah,” Byron drawled. “What you need to know about Rome is that he exaggerates. A lot. Plus, Declan doesn’t need to say anything. He’s got a threatening look that sends Rome into a panic. He claimed Declan was holding you and the baby while threatening his life.”
That…might have been true.
I hadn’t been in the best mental space when we were in the grocery store. Okay, I’d been fucking overwhelmed and on the verge of collapse, but Declan had been there to pull me together.
“Ah…gotcha.” I nodded and sorted through the facts to frame something that was true but didn’t give away too much of Declan’s personal life. If Declan wanted anyone to know that we’d been fucking for months, he would have told his friends already. “Total misunderstanding. Declan and I are friends. We met about a year ago, and recently my apartment burned down. He’s letting Joy and me crash with him for a while. Just until I get on my feet.”
“Fu uuudge …” Byron drawled out as his eyes snapped to Joy and he caught himself. “I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No, thank you. I’m still sorting things out with the insurance company and figuring out the next steps. For now, Declan has commissioned me to paint some murals in his house.”
“You’re an artist?” Byron cringed the second those words were out of his mouth. “Really…I’m sorry.” He opened his eyes, looking so pained. “I’m not normally this awkward. Ever si nce Rome announced Declan was dating someone, Sebastian has been in a rush to meet you, but he can be…a bit much. Particularly with Declan. I volunteered to come check you out, because I usually have the ability to be more subtle. Unfortunately, I’ve convinced you that I’m a moron.”
Joy shouted and made some fussy noises. It was likely she was bored with sitting in her chair. I leaned over and pulled her out of her chair, flying her through the air above my head. Her grumpy noises turned into happy raspberries and giggles.
“I think Joy could use a snack. Want to join us for a snack?” I offered. While Byron had come to Declan’s for a nosy purpose, he seemed like a nice guy and he was a friend of Declan’s. I could at least be polite.
“That sounds great.” We stood, and Byron walked with me as we wandered through the massive house to the kitchen.
“I’ll never get used to a house this size,” Byron murmured as he strolled with me, smiling and waving at the restless baby in my arms. “I moved in with Sebastian last month, and his house is as big as this. Before that, my apartment was smaller than the master bedroom. He makes fun of me for putting sticky notes on some of the doors as reminders of what is or isn’t in a particular room.”
Well, that was interesting. So Byron came from common stock, like me.
“It is definitely bigger than my old apartment,” I agreed.
“Is your…wife…husband adjusting to this big house okay?” Byron asked, a little haltingly. I lifted an eyebrow at him, and he sighed. “Yeah, that sounded as horrible as it did in my head.”
“I’m single,” I said with a smirk. “Don’t worry. I can guess what your marching orders were. Find out who I am, if I’m dating Declan, am I taking advantage of him, and where did the baby come from?”
“Pretty much.”
When we reached the kitchen, Chef Donovan had Joy’s bottle waiting with a wide grin. Donovan was a sweet, somewhat chubby man with round cheeks that begged to be pinched and a deep barrel laugh that sounded like he was trying out to be Santa. I adored him, and not just because he made the best meals. He was relentlessly thoughtful and kind, taking such good care of us, but then so was Franks. If I’d learned anything while living with Declan, it was that his employees spoiled him.
Joy stretched her little hands out to him, seeming ready to jump right out of my arms.
“Baby girl, you’re crushing my ego here,” I complained.
“I’m sure she’ll love you again after her snack,” Byron teased.
“So true.”
“Can I get either of you anything to drink or eat?” Chef Donovan inquired as Joy drank her bottle as though I were starving the poor child. Way to make me look like a bad father, kid!
“Iced water would be great,” Byron said.
I nodded. “Same.”
“If you would like to continue your chat in the lounge, I’ll bring your waters and a light snack,” Donovan volunteered.
“Sir, would you like me to take Miss Joy?” Franks offered. It was like he swept in from some secret hiding place. “I can hold her while she finishes her snack. Afterward, I can change her. That would give you a chance to wash your hands and chat with Mr. Graham.”
I lifted an eyebrow at Franks. He’d never offered to take Joy in the past. “Are you sure? I know for a fact that babysitting is not in your job description.”
“Not part of my job, but it would be my pleasure.” Franks led the way to the lounge, which was a fancy way of describing the large living room with the enormous windows. He scooped up a willing Joy and directed me to the nearest bathroom. He had a point, though, in suggesting the swap. There were so many shades of green on my hands that I looked like I’d jacked off the Jolly Green Giant.
I washed my hands, getting most of the color from my fingers prior to joining Byron in the lounge, where our drinks and a tray of cheese, crackers, fruit, and nuts had been served.
“Does Sebastian have a chef too?” I inquired as I dropped into the black wingback chair while Byron sat on the white sofa.
“He does, and I’ve gained three pounds in the past month. But I can’t say I miss cooking. Carol is so much better at it than me.”
At least I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t say no to delicious food. I grabbed my drink and took a long, deep swallow. Leaning forward, I set my glass on the table again and remained with my elbows on my knees. Might as well jump right in with the cold, hard facts.
The entire time I’d been washing my hands, all I could think was that I couldn’t keep up the pretense that Declan and I were platonic friends, and he was just helping an old buddy. Besides, I knew Byron’s secrets because he’d had the bad luck of having them blasted across social media. It wasn’t fair that he didn’t know the truth about me.
“I think it would be best if we laid all our cards on the table; I knew who you were before you came in.”
Byron’s smooth brow furrowed. “We’ve met?”
“Not quite. I was working as a temp at Courtland from the middle of May through the middle of August. In my opinion, you got a raw fucking deal.”
For a second, Byron stared at me, his eyes wide and his pale cheeks tinted pink. “Oh. I…”
“And if it helps, Declan and I have a sort of friends with benefits things going.” I stopped and scrubbed my hand through my messy hair. Why sugarcoat it? “Eh…actually, it wasn’t much of a friends thing. Mostly, he’d come over to my apartment and fuck my brains out every weekend. That agreement on ly got hotter when I started working under him because it gave me the chance to flirt with him during the day. Get him all hot and bothered. Seriously, I was an HR nightmare, but I was also just temp help and my contract is up now, so it doesn’t matter.”
Byron still hadn’t made any new noises, or even breathed. I waited. He was either going to roll with it or clasp his pearls and storm out.
But Byron did me one better.
The man released a loud rush of air and scooted to the edge of the couch cushion, leaning closer. “I’m so jealous! I was terrified the entire time we were dating at Courtland that we’d be discovered. Sebastian would try to flirt, but I always shut him down. I wish we could have had more fun.”
“Sebastian has one of those private bathrooms in his office, right? No secret quickie in the bathroom?”
Byron shook his head. “No.”
I shrugged. “I could never talk Declan into that, either. It was mostly flirty, dirty talk on my end and a lot of glaring from him. Of course, he had no idea that I’d been hired. One of his managers brought me on to cover for two people on maternity leave. I was there to lighten the load. There was never any plan for me to join the company long term.”
“Ahhh…that makes sense. Declan was always very adamant about Sebastian moving me to another department so I wouldn’t get in trouble. Declan must not have been worried about you since he knew you weren’t staying.”
“Yep.” I stacked some cheese on a cracker and shoved it into my mouth. My eyes fell shut as I savored the creamy, smoky flavor against the hint of rosemary on the cracker. Who knew rich-people cheese could taste so damn good?
“And for the record,” Byron said as he prepped a cracker with cheese, “I’m okay with Courtland letting me go. It sucked at the time, but I’ve moved on to a far better position at Stanton Holdings. ”
“Yeah, but nothing happened to Sebastian? That’s not fair.”
Byron looked up at me with a crooked grin, and I got it. Life wasn’t fair. Only people who wore rose-colored glasses and tiny children expected life to be fair. “I lost a job, but Sebastian lost in several intangible ways. He lost some respect in the eyes of the Board of Directors, his father, and a lot of his employees. The company is going through a hard time right now. Sebastian is trying to shore up finances as well as regain the confidence of his people. Our scandal didn’t help that at all. He also has a new fear that he has set a terrible example for his many managers, and he worries employees may now suffer sexual harassment while fearing for the security of their jobs. I got fired and found a new, better job. My problems are over.”
“Okay. You’ve got a good point,” I murmured. I was also starting to like Byron, and I hadn’t set out wanting to. He was one of Declan’s nosy friends sent to check me out, but it was turning out that he was a pretty decent guy.
So decent, in fact, that we ended up talking for close to two hours about fucking life. He heard about me losing Molly, gaining a daughter, and losing an apartment. I learned about his alcoholic mother, his disabled brother, and more about America’s shitty healthcare system. It was only when Franks popped in to tell me that Joy was stirring from her afternoon nap that I even realized so much time had passed.
“Shit,” Byron swore as he pulled his phone from his pocket. “I didn’t mean to keep you so long. I lost track of time.”
“Me too.” I chuckled. “I’m sure Sebastian is eager to hear the dirt you got on me.”
Byron snorted. “He’s not hearing anything from me other than the fact that you’re a friend of Declan’s and you have an adorable daughter.” He delivered that in the haughtiest tone while I cackled beside him. “If he wants dirt, he’s going to need to talk to you himself.”
I walked Byron to the front door, where we swapped contact information. I promised to invite him over to see the mural as soon as I finished it.
After the door closed behind Byron, I stood there in the hallway, staring at it, my brain running in strange, frantic circles. I might have made a new friend.