Chapter 5 #3
"Do you trust me?" It was a loaded question.
He wanted to help Brierley—genuinely wanted it, with a clarity that surprised him.
But underneath that desire was something uglier: the desperate need to prove that he could succeed where it mattered, that he could build something real and lasting.
That he was worth something. His mother had spent fifteen years showing him that nothing he did was ever quite enough, and here he was, about to attempt the impossible again.
He knew, somewhere deep down, that this might not be enough either.
That Brierley's success might not finally convince Dura—or himself—that he had value.
But he was compelled to try anyway, driven by a wound so old and so deep that he couldn't stop reaching for the unattainable.
His emotions were a mess, churning a complicated mixture that threatened to boil over.
No matter how calm and collected he may appear on the outside.
“Yes,” he heard Brierley answer. The second she answered, the vivacious smile he gave her melted away every one of her lingering reservations.
“Then, let me have the keys to the store, and I’ll do what I can to turn it around while you work on making some of those designs?” He suggested, confidence returning to his baritone words.
“What about the silver?” Brierley asked. Pulling her handbag off the floor so that she could do digging around for the store keys, she could hear them jingling in the bottom of her bag, but finding them was another matter entirely.
“I’ll get it sent to you,” he replied, having an answer for everything. “I’ll just need to make a few calls.”
As he took his phone out of his pocket, he stood up and crossed the park. A faint frown on his face as he powered the phone up again.
The cold touch of metal on her fingers had her pulling her keys from the depths of her bag.
She felt a hesitation grip her before she handed them over, but the way he was chatting enthusiastically on the phone, seeing him animated as he paced, clearly coming to some sort of business arrangement, begged her to put her trust in him.
She held the set of keys in her hands, looking over at the stocky orc.
Swinging back and forth was the keyring her Grandma brought for her all those years ago, as though encouraging her to place her trust in him. Swaying between the two of them.
When he came back towards her with all cheerful smiles, she held her hand out and dropped the keys into his larger paw. They landed with a jingle in his palm, and he put them into his suit trousers pocket.
“Would you like me to give you a lift home?” He offered, “Might even beat your delivery.”
“Wow, that’s fast!” She said, he’d only just got off the phone. “Sure!” She confirmed.
Breht led her away from the park to where his car was awaiting him.
On the way, the shouting of her name stopped them.
As they both turned to see who called out to her, he put his arm protectively around her waist. The instinct snuck up on him, as though from nowhere.
He hurriedly removed his hand, inappropriate as the gesture was.
Scrambling towards them was a tall, skinny-framed man. “I just dropped by the shop and was surprised to find you closed. So I’m glad I found you.”
It was then that the man caught sight of his glowering face, “Well, stone me! Breht!” He greeted. “It’s good to see you. And, what timing too, I’m having a little get-together tonight, it would be great if you both came. Just a small house party, reunion.”
“Yes! Tori told me the other day, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Brierley agreed instantly.
This was the second time in as many days that he’d been invited to that particular gathering.
Only this time, he was distinctly more interested in attending because the woman next to him had announced her intention to be there.
He ran his hand over his face. What the heck was he thinking?
His bed was barely cold from Rosani’s departure.
And he was already mentally filling the void with the girl he had crushed on in high school.
The very one he was meant to be working with!
Attending a party while he was meant to be on the clock wasn’t a good idea, but how often did he get to fool about in his old haunt?
“I’ll see what I can do,” he said as noncommittally as possible.
“Great! See you there,” Alluin took his uncertain answer as gospel.
Breht shook his head. It was evident in the way that the other man moved that he hadn’t changed from the energetic youngster they had known from school.
He’d never been able to keep still and was rushing from one thing to the next.
Clearly, he still had that problem, and the orc watched him go sauntering off down the street.
He turned and took his car keys from his pocket, depressing the button so that the car bleeped out, making it easier to find in the rank and file of the car park.
The lights flashed, and he headed towards his Mercedes C-Class Coupe, opening the passenger door for Brierley.
Looking suitably impressed with his choice of metallic blue car, she settled herself in.
He protectively closed the door for her as she pulled on her seatbelt, which made her seem all the more impressed.
Making his way round to the driver's seat with a confident gait to his stride, he opened his own door and settled himself in.
As the engine roared to life with a turn of the key, the dashboard lit green lines, and he looked over his shoulder to reverse out of the parking lot.
He caught sight of his passenger and offered, “No need to look so terrified.”
He shifted the gearstick and turned the wheel. The roar of the engine hummed as deep as his resonating voice as he revved forward with a deep, comforting purr. Reassuring them both that all would be well and they were in a safe pair of hands.