Chapter 3
Jennifer
“Did you see this file?”
I looked up as Daisy walked over, her hair piled on the top of her head and dark circles under her eyes.
She’d had a long night on a job, the client insisting they work overtime.
They’d paid accordingly, but I wasn’t sure how Daisy was here this morning.
She must be exhausted. But she was the boss, and she didn’t listen to anyone but herself when it came to her hours.
“I did. What’s wrong, other than the normal?
” I asked as I gestured toward the seat in front of me.
She gave me a look but gingerly sat, favoring her leg again.
She had been hurt in an explosion and kept saying she was fine, but we both knew she wasn’t.
And while Daisy was my friend, and I enjoyed spending time with her, she was also my boss, which meant I didn’t get to kick her in the ass when she didn’t take care of herself.
Thankfully, she worked with her cousins, and they kicked her ass for me.
“There’s a note here about the number of people they want on their detail. Isn’t that up to us to decide?” she asked, her voice dry.
I cleared my throat as I looked over at Kate, our new admin. “Hey, Kate, can you repeat what the client said over the phone?”
Kate sighed. She was a recent hire and doing really well. She was about my age, with dark hair, bright eyes, and a strong work ethic. She also didn’t take shit from anyone.
“Well, the client started off with certain demands, and while they sounded fine at first, they turned into insane requirements. Like no women were allowed to be part of the team. Then they wanted all women. And then they decided they wanted a mix and wanted to tell us exactly where we would be standing during certain events.”
I looked over at Daisy, who hadn’t been in the room for that phone call while Kate took notes, explained that wasn’t how we worked, and then pulled her phone away from her ear so we could hear the screaming on the other end of the line.
“I’ll handle it. And, Kate, the next time someone yells at you like that or has outrageous and sexist demands? You say the bosses will call them back and hang up. You are not paid to be emotionally abused by these fucking assholes. You got me?”
Kate nodded.
“Seriously, Kate. Our job is to find security threats for new buildings, install hardware and software, and be the point people for events. It’s not to be yelled at because some egotistical asshole decides they know better.”
“See?” Daisy said as she gestured toward me. “She understands.”
Kate cleared her throat. “Oh, I understand. I just don’t know if I’m allowed to yell back.”
I laughed. “If they’re in your face, do that sweet, casual, stern-talking you do.”
I laughed at that, shaking my head. “Whenever I do that to one of our clients, they look at me like I’ve grown a second head. Because, apparently, I’m not allowed to string two words together without bending over so they can see my cleavage.”
“People are such assholes,” Daisy grumbled.
“Who are assholes now?” Kane walked in with a scowl and slid his phone into his pocket.
“Men,” I said, fluttering my eyelashes. Kane rolled his eyes.
“Okay, now who’s being sexist?”
“In this case, the clients,” Daisy grumbled as she explained the phone call.
“I knew that client would be an issue, but Kingston thought we could handle it.”
“I’m sure the guy was sweet and affable to you, one of the bros. But as soon as he heard that Daisy and I would be on the team and Kate’s voice? Of course, he changed his tune. Because how could a little-bitty woman keep him safe?” I asked, pitching my voice slightly higher.
Kane held up both hands. “Do not bring me into that, but I can handle it.”
“No, I will,” Daisy said with a smile that scared me a bit. “Please, let me handle it.”
Kane grinned. “Yes. Please, handle it. And record it so I can see the man crying.”
“We don’t make men cry,” I put in. “Often.”
“You know, I really like working here.” Kate leaned her hand on the desk and smiled. “Seriously. You guys are like a big family and take care of each other. Much better than my old job.”
“Much better than mine, too. And the bosses are okay.” I winked at Daisy, who just grinned.
“I try my best not to be a jerk. Seriously, though, if people give you trouble, let us know. Most of our clients are nice. They’re not assholes who think women should be in the kitchen.”
“Damn straight. We both know you can’t cook, Daisy,” Kane said as he ducked the pen flying at him.
“What did I say about throwing things at work?” Noah asked.
Soon, everybody was there and it was a full house. I lifted my chin at Gus as he came to sit in his chair.
It had been two months since we’d slept together. And the fact that it had been the best sex of my life just meant I really needed to get out more. But we were still friends.
Because hot chemistry did not equal forever. And neither of us wanted that anyway.
It was better this way. We worked together, we still flirted, but the heat had died down. Just like we wanted. If it had been anything more, there would still be a connection between us. But we were just friends. And that was better for everyone.
I ignored the little kick in my gut.
“So, what’d we miss?” Gus asked before sipping his coffee. The guys had just come back from the bakery and coffee shop next door that Noah and Ford’s woman owned. I was a little jealous that no one had brought me coffee, but I could walk over and get it myself later.
“Client X,” Kate answered.
Gus winced. “Please, tell me I’m not on that detail. I mean, I cannot handle that guy.”
“What did he do to you?” I asked.
Gus shook his head. “He’s a leech. He’s cheating on his wife and putting up cameras so he can make sure she’s always on the other side of the house when he has his mistress over. That’s going to get him caught.”
“Excuse me?” I asked, rage sliding through me.
Gus held up his hands. “I’m not the one cheating. He is. And I feel like we’re helping him.”
Daisy stomped forward, the intense rage on her face apparent. “You know that for a fact? How did we miss it?” she asked Noah, who scowled at his computer.
“Because we weren’t there for the install. It was Gus. Why the fuck didn’t you tell us?”
“I was going to tell you today since it was just yesterday. And I didn’t really want to say it over in the coffee shop.
” He looked at me. “By the way, Greer’s working on a drink for you, but they had to fix one of the grinders.
I didn’t want the foam to die down by the time I got it to you. They’ll bring it over in a minute.”
For some reason, that felt weird to me. He hadn’t even asked, yet made sure that the coffee I liked was on its way to me.
What the heck was wrong with me? This should be easy. We were friends. This is what we wanted.
And here he was, being helpful and getting me coffee without asking.
But that’s what friends did. Right?
“Oh. Thanks. I was about to kick your ass for not bringing me anything.” I winked as I said it, and Gus rolled his eyes.
“I know better than to stand between you and caffeine. They also had to open a new hazelnut flavoring pack since they had problems with inventory. You’ll get your latte soon.”
“What about me?” Daisy asked.
“I asked if you wanted coffee, and you said no,” Noah said, scowling at his computer. “Let me deal with this client. We’re going to bump him.”
“I’ve got it,” Daisy replied. As they bickered, I tried my best not to look at Gus.
Why was it so difficult? It shouldn’t be this hard.
When Greer walked in, a four-pack of coffees in one hand and a bag of baked goods in the other, both Noah and Ford stopped arguing with Daisy and immediately brightened up, walking to their woman.
They kissed as if they were in private, slowly but with a little heat.
Greer staggered back, blushing, while the guys took the baked goods and coffees from her. I did my best not to feel jealous.
Greer was an amazing person. She had been through a lot recently, as well as during her childhood, so the fact that she was so happy right now meant the world. She deserved it. She deserved two men who would do anything for her. Who looked at her like she was the center of their universe.
Once again, I did my best not to look over at Gus. That would be ridiculous.
“I just saw you like ten minutes ago.” Greer shook her head with a smile. “But I brought coffee.”
“Thank you so much,” I said, walking over to take my latte from Ford. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“It gave me an excuse to take a walk since I don’t do it enough.”
“How many steps do you get in a day working at the coffee place?” Noah asked with a frown. “How can you not walk enough?”
“I was in the office all day yesterday, so I felt like I needed the workout.”
“Oh, we could get a workout in,” Ford said, and everybody groaned.
“I really don’t need to hear these things,” Daisy said from the other side of the office.
“Seriously. This is your workplace. You’re the boss. Act like it,” Kane said, though he was grinning from ear to ear.
I looked at Kate, who smiled at me and rolled her eyes, and I knew she’d fit right in.
We’d had a few admins over the past year, and none of them worked.
Either they didn’t want to do their job, or they thought it was a stepping stone to ours.
And while we were always open to using more contract workers, we needed someone who excelled at organizing us.
Because Noah couldn’t do it all, especially when he had a life outside this place.
I liked that as Kate learned the ropes, she ensured we were always where we needed to be. I felt safer because of it. Our jobs weren’t always dangerous, but they sometimes were, and that meant I needed to trust everyone on my team.
I took my coffee and pastry back to my desk as everyone grabbed theirs, then returned to work, studying my next assignment. I did mainly installations these days, but I was also on bodyguard duty.
It wasn’t always for celebrities. Sometimes, it was just for a CEO at an event. Other times, it was for a person who’d been threatened. You couldn’t help when danger came at you. It was our job to protect them.
We all settled down. Noah and Ford left to meet with new clients. Another client came in, and Kane and Kingston took him to a more private area. I had a few certifications coming up and a couple of additional classes I wanted to take, which meant busy days. But I liked my work.
I liked the people I worked with.
And I liked Gus.
When everyone returned from lunch, I realized I hadn’t taken my break and cursed at myself.
I was starving, and the pastry was long gone, so when I stood up quickly, it shouldn’t have been a surprise that I got lightheaded.
I needed to eat, especially because of my workouts.
It was important for me to keep my calorie intake up.
I shook my head, trying to will the dizziness away.
“Jen?” Gus asked as he came over. I held out my hand.
“I stood up too fast and didn’t eat lunch. I’m going to go take care of that at the café. Do you want anything?”
He studied my face. I wasn’t sure what he saw. I also wasn’t sure I liked that he could read me so well.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. Promise. Actually, since it’s so late in the day, I might go pick up my food and head to my class for the afternoon.” I turned to Daisy. “Is that all right?”
“I was going to suggest that since I noticed you skipped lunch. Don’t do that again, missy.”
My lips twitched, but I nodded before grabbing my things and heading out. I didn’t have an install or a client today, but I did have a few classes.
I picked up my lunch, a little dizzy and still slightly woozy. Even the thought of my sandwich didn’t sit well.
So weird. I didn’t get sick like this. I had an iron stomach, at least according to my family.
I started on my way home. My head hurt, and I realized I was going to throw up. I quickly pulled into the parking lot of a grocery store, opened the door, and emptied my stomach. Shaky, my palms damp, I reached for the water I always had with me and chugged it.
“What the hell?”
I didn’t think it was anything I’d eaten. But still, this wasn’t normal. I thought about what I had in my house and realized I needed to get some things for my stomach at the grocery store. I made my way inside, grabbed a few antacids, and then paused, doing the math.
No, it totally isn’t that. It can’t be that. No.
As I made my way down the next aisle, I grabbed a pregnancy test, just in case. It never hurt to be safe. Except that we had been safe. Very safe.
I was on birth control, and we’d used a condom. It was probably just a stomach bug.
I checked out and drove home, doing the math, worries whirling in my brain. I needed to head to my class. I didn’t have time for my overactive imagination.
However, instead of taking the antacids, I shakily made my way to my restroom and took a test I knew would come out negative. I would fail it—or pass it, whatever lingo worked best for that. And I would move on.
I paced my tiny bathroom, pretending to look at social media on my phone as I waited.
I turned toward the bathroom sink, the test stick on the edge of the counter, and set down my phone.
Pregnant.
Vivid dark words on a white display.
Pregnant.
Well, then.
I leaned over the toilet and threw up.