Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Of course it hadn’t been an impulse. The only impulse decision was him asking them to stay the night. Dylan certainly wasn’t telling Dayne about the plan he and Ford came up with. It was none of his brother’s business, just like it wasn’t any of Dylan’s business who Dayne had hooked up with tonight. As long as there weren’t any guest complaints, it didn’t matter.
The resort was meant to be judgement free. Dylan also wanted the guests to be as open about their sexual desires, or their kinks and fetishes, as they were comfortable. He didn’t care what they did with their partners or other guests as long as everyone consented.
The goal was to have everyone feel safe with their individual choices. That should also apply to him and his siblings.
“We were simply going over some… things,” Dylan explained to his brother.
Of course, Dayne immediately looked at Erin, now sitting next to Dylan. “Did you get hired on here at the ranch without me knowing?”
When her mouth opened to answer, Dylan grabbed her knee under the table and squeezed to stop her from answering. “She is a customer service rep.”
Dayne’s eyebrows shot up. “Okay? So, you three had a late-night meeting about our customer service?”
“It wasn’t late night,” Dylan mumbled. Was he only digging the hole deeper by making excuses?
“They must’ve had their meeting, then decided to work out afterward,” Dani explained.
“I still don’t understand why you’d have a business meeting in your residence instead of in our offices and not invite others. You know, like the other people who have a stake in it. Instead, you do it with your ex-high school sweetheart and our current facilities manager?”
Both of his siblings stared at him, waiting for his explanation.
One they knew wasn’t coming and if it did, wouldn’t be truthful.
Dayne stared at Erin across the table. “Or did you hire Erin as our newest employee?”
Her mouth gaped as she turned to Dylan for the answer. They hadn’t really had an opportunity to discuss her job. They hadn’t really had a chance to discuss her life in general.
Dylan still didn’t know how Hart died, leaving her a widow. Ford never talked about it and it wasn’t like they’d been sitting down, sharing a beer and having heart-to-hearts.
Obviously, he knew Ford and her had a connection. Dylan had been also trying to reestablish a connection with her. Up to now, he hadn’t been in a rush to know everything. He’d been simply fighting for the opportunity to discover it. He figured once that occurred by establishing the threesome, all those blank gaps would eventually be filled in, along with the chance to dig even deeper.
However, that wouldn’t be happening in the early hours of the morning sitting around a table with his family sharing reheated chicken piccata.
“She was only giving suggestions on what we could implement in the future. Having good customer service will help our guest retention rate. To make this resort a success, we need to strive for a high return rate and also for word-of-mouth recommendations.” That actually sounded pretty damn good, if he said so himself.
“What you say is true but also complete bullshit.” Dayne locked gazes with him. “You don’t need to lie to us unless you’re embarrassed. Are you?”
Dylan’s eyes flicked from his twin to Erin, then to Ford. He couldn’t speak for himself and not have it affect the other two. Would Ford have a problem letting the world know he was bisexual? Would Erin have an issue with the locals knowing she had sex with two men at the same time?
It wasn’t Dylan’s decision whether to publicly out them. Nor was it theirs to do the same to him.
But the two people sitting at the table with him wouldn’t be judgmental, otherwise they wouldn’t have joined him building and running the resort. However, they could be complete pains in the ass, as some siblings could.
Dayne loved to break balls, especially Dylan’s. Danica wasn’t some shy, wilting flower, either. She had plenty of opinions she had no problem sharing. Loudly.
“I’m not embarrassed. It’s just nobody’s?—”
Dayne cut him off. “The burning question is, are you het or bi?”
Dylan’s heart thumped heavily in his chest. “Why do you care?”
“Because you’ve always had that stick up your ass and now I’m wondering if you’ve replaced it with something else.”
“At least my head isn’t up my ass like yours is.”
Dayne chuckled and sat back in his chair like the cat who ate the canary.
“Why do you care?” Dylan asked again.
Dayne’s head twisted toward Ford. “How about you?”
Dylan informed their employee, “You don’t have to answer.”
Ford sat back in his chair and stared at Dylan for a few seconds before his eyes turned back to Dayne. “I’m bi. Always have been bi and I’m not embarrassed to admit it. But that doesn’t mean others are as open as I am. As part owner of this resort, you should be aware that not everyone wears their sexuality on their sleeve. I don’t around town, and you know why. We also don’t share what Erin and I are to each other. Everyone simply thinks we’re close friends. And do you know why? Because it’s none of anyone’s damn business.”
“I’m family.”
“So? We all have our secrets. Even from family.”
Dayne cocked an eyebrow. “But why does he feel the need to hide it from us?”
“Why don’t you ask yourself that,” Ford suggested.
Dayne shrugged. “I’d be the last person to judge him. Tease, yes. Judge, no.”
“Maybe he doesn’t want anyone riding his ass about what he does.”
“Or who he does,” Dani added in a murmur.
“So, you’re riding his ass?” Dayne wore an asshole grin when he turned to Dylan. “I didn’t take you for a bottom, brother.”
“He’s not,” Ford responded quickly, cutting off Dylan’s answer.
“I didn’t take you for one, either.”
Ford’s chin rose and he looked squarely in Dayne’s eyes. “I’m not.”
“ Ah . Got it. You’re sharing Erin but not each other.”
“Why are you so determined to know our dynamics?” Erin’s irritation at Dayne was beginning to show.
“He only wants that info so he can needle me,” Dylan answered for his brother.
Dayne tipped his head to the side and shot him another grin. “I try to find any excuse.”
“We know,” Danica said next.
“You aren’t any better,” Dylan told his sister.
“We’re siblings. It’s what siblings do.”
Erin clapped her hands together and exclaimed, “Boy, am I starving!”
Danica laughed softly and Dayne’s grin widened.
“Anyway, I can’t wait to hear what customer service suggestions you came up with, Erin.” Dayne turned back to Dylan. “Should Dani and I expect a summary email or a face-to-face meeting?”
When the timer on the oven beeped, it took everything Dylan had not to jump out of his skin. Dani got up and headed over to check on the leftovers, saying, “Maybe we should just hire her for real. Our PR company does the marketing but doesn’t deal with that aspect.”
“I think that’s a great idea, sis,” Dayne said.
“I have a job,” Erin murmured.
“We’ll pay you better,” Dayne told her.
We will?
“You don’t know what my salary is.”
“Dani’s right,” Dylan’s twin said. “We could use someone who’s knowledgeable in that department.”
“I have a job,” Erin repeated, her eyes now burning a hole into the side of Dylan’s face.
“Do you like it?” Dayne asked.
“It’s…” She grimaced. “It’s dealing with the public, so honestly, it’s exhausting some days.”
“Worldwide?”
Erin nodded. “Yes.”
“Here you would only be dealing with our current or potential guests. You’d be smoothing things over if there are issues. Handling… Well, if you’ve been in customer service for a while, you know what you’d be handling. I don’t have to tell you.”
She asked Dayne, “Will the customer always be right even when they are very, very wrong?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Will I have to sit there and take abuse from a disgruntled guest?”
“No. We’ll ask you to smooth things over as best as possible but the second someone comes at you being abusive, language or otherwise, you’ll have every right to shut them down or pass them on to me or Dylan.”
She sat up straighter. “Hold on. Is this a serious job offer?”
“Sure.”
Funny how Dayne hadn’t cleared this with Dylan first. But then he hadn’t cared about Dylan’s opinion when he hired Ford, especially when he knew the contractor had been seeing Erin.
“What are the benefits?”
Was she seriously thinking about working for the resort? Did what Dylan thought was a joke become a serious offer? Did he even have a say in this?
“Can we discuss this tomorrow, instead?” Dylan asked his twin.
“The three main players of this ranch are all here right now,” Dayne reminded him. “Do you have a problem hiring her?”
What the hell. Dayne was purposely putting him on the spot and Dylan would look like an asshole if he said yes.
It wasn’t that he didn’t think she’d be capable—despite having no firsthand knowledge of her skills in that respect—it was the fact he’d be having an intimate relationship with two of his own employees. Though, their employee handbook didn’t prohibit any kind of relationship.
But then, their employee handbook was pretty damn thin. Basically, the “rules” were: show up for work on time, do the work you were assigned and treat each other, as well as guests, with respect.
Besides a customer service specialist, which would most likely be Erin’s title if they went forward on this, they really should hire someone to be a human resources specialist, too, since their employee roster was growing. He and Dayne had been handling the HR stuff on their own and neither were experts. In fact, they’d been winging it. And when it came to benefits, payroll and the rest, it could be overwhelming. He didn’t want anything slipping through the cracks that might cause issues with the government. Or cause lawsuits.
Owning a business and having employees was not easy.
Neither was having two nosey siblings who were smartasses.
Dylan tracked Dani as she returned to the table wearing oven mitts and carrying the large aluminum pan. His stomach growled in response.
“You didn’t answer,” pulled Dylan’s attention back to his brother.
“I don’t have a problem with it as long as she wants the job.” That at least gave her an out if she was feeling pressured.
“Erin?” Dayne inquired.
“Depends on the benefits. I’ve been with my organization for years now. I was one of the first remote customer service reps they hired.”
“Honestly, hiring her to manage guest services would be better.” Dani removed the tray’s cover and took a seat. “She could handle that whole portion. Manage the reception employees, manage customer complaints and inquiries...”
Sometimes he actually liked his siblings. They might bust his balls, but in the end, they always looked out for each other. However, while hiring a guest services manager would be smart, would it be good to hire someone he was sleeping with? It could get awkward. His eyes swung to Ford.
He grimaced. It was bad enough he was having sex with one employee, but two? “I think the three of us should have a sit-down tomorrow. This way we can discuss this new position and all it would entail in detail when I’m not so wiped.”
One side of Dayne’s mouth hiked up. “Good idea.”
Dylan turned to Erin. “This way the managing partners can discuss salary and benefits, too, and come to you with a solid offer. Will that work?”
Erin lifted and dropped a shoulder. “Sure.”
“Okay, now that’s settled, let’s eat,” Dani said, beginning to serve the leftovers.
Dayne handed his plate to their sister to fill. “Can we get back to discussing why Ford and Erin are here in the middle of the night?”
“No,” Dylan answered.
“So, Erin…” Dayne started.
Dylan shot a glare his way.
Dayne laughed and lifted a hand. “This has nothing to do with your threesome, brother, I swear.” He turned back to Erin. “How come you had a crazy knack for telling us apart so easily?” He shoveled a piece of chicken into his mouth and chewed.
While he and Dayne might look the same on the outside, Erin could always see their differences. In some ways, they thought and acted the same, but in others, they were completely unalike.
Dayne had always been wilder. Somewhat of a loose cannon. While Dylan had always been the calmer, more responsible twin. Admittedly, he had always been more reserved, too. Still was, despite his kinky desires. Just because he had certain sexual proclivities didn’t mean he had to be loud about it. Unlike his twin.
Back in high school, his brother had tried several times to trick her into thinking that Dayne was him and failed every time.
“Just luck, I guess,” she answered, accepting a plate from Dani.
“Bullshit,” Dayne said around a mouthful of parmesan green beans.
“Fine. If you really want to know... That time you kissed me? I felt nothing. No butterflies and certainly no spark.”
Dayne jabbed his fork toward Dylan. “And you felt that with him?”
“Absolutely.” Erin shot his twin a smile, then forked some garlic mashed potatoes into her mouth. “ Mmm . This is delicious, Dani.”
“It certainly is.” Their sister rolled her lips under.
Dylan dropped his head and chuckled at his sister’s double entendre at the same time Ford burst out laughing.
He couldn’t agree more. Any day Dayne was put in his place was a good day.