Chapter Eight #2
“You’re a regular menace, aren’t you doll?
” Stash had snickered, jutting between the furious man and myself.
I had grimaced. Laughing and chipping me under my chin, he had spied his own bag.
“I have a feeling things are going to be exciting from now on with you around.” To that, I had strode off, along with a tailing Zane.
They had most definitely decided that someone was to watch me at all times.
Like a parent with their young. Just the impression I wanted to make.
Now, I was peering into poisonous green and hard-core grey eyes after striding up behind Stash and Ally, Zane close by, but not hovering too obviously.
All had already said their hellos – evidently, the crew had met with them previously so they already knew them – and Ally had been introduced, getting leered at covertly by the white haired man.
Now it was my turn to meet and greet. Somehow, I had an inkling it was going to be par for the course today.
“I think you have the wrong group,” green eyed lady said, her hand shooing in my direction. “This is a private party, if you don’t mind?” More flicking of her wrist.
“Miranda, this is the other part of our group we were waiting for,” Brent interceded. “She’s another member of our staff we brought along with Ms. Fields.”
She laughed delicately, placing her perfectly manicured hand on Cole’s bicep while speaking to Brent.
“So sorry.” She sounded anything but. “What is it that she does for you?” Both clients were sizing me up now that they knew I was part of the entourage.
“We could have provided an assistant to run your errands during your stay. We offered that in our first proposal, if you recall.”
I blinked real slow-like. What a snatch.
Brent smiled sweet as pie. “No, no. We already discussed an assistant with Mr. Fresby. One wasn’t needed.” He brushed back his curls, turning on the charm. “She’s here to blend in and aid in analyzing your staff. Finding the bad seeds, and all. She’s very good at what she does.”
Oh, Lord. Did he still find my horrible “talent” interesting? Brent, Ally, and I had played some mean tricks on people in the past with my “talent”. I honestly couldn’t stand it. Sometimes I purposely zoned out just to not know.
“Really?” White haired man drug out that one word, making it at least four syllables long. Although, I did detect something I wouldn’t have guessed before. “And how do you help them find the bad seeds, may I ask?”
Without moving my head from him, I turned my eyes back to Brent who was trying to hide a grin. He was actually containing himself fairly well. Ally on the other hand was bouncing on the balls of her feet, making her chest bounce in her excitement. White haired guy noticed.
“Go on and show them. I’m sure they won’t mind being your guinea pigs,” Brent stated quickly before I could say anything.
I smiled, my jaw clenched. “I really don’t think that’s a great idea.”
“Oh, come now. Don’t be shy. We would love to see what you can do,” green eyed girl purred, letting me know she was enjoying my discomfort.
She had taken her hand back, but stepped even closer to Cole.
He didn’t move away, seeming comfortable with her that close. Like she had been there before. Hmm.
My smile outshined Brent’s from moments ago.
“Well, now. All right.” I pointed a finger, swinging it at both of them.
“But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I snapped my finger.
“Also, it might not be completely accurate since I just met you. If I’d had a little more time it would be a whole lot better. ”
I stepped back from the group and really took in the two in front of me, finding my zone.
From the way they styled their hair, the set of their shoulders, their breathing, to their nails, to any wrinkles they had in their clothes, and the wear of their shoes.
Everything. I had been watching them since I had bumped that poor man back at the luggage claim, so I had a decent enough idea.
I spoke to Green Eyes. “First, what’s your full name?”
She raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow, much like Cole had done to me a few times. Her hands properly in front of her where she held them. “Miranda Josephine Tinley.”
“And yours?” I asked Whitey.
“Mark Ashlyn Fresby,” he answered swiftly, his gaze never wavering from mine.
I blinked. Oh. Now, if that wasn’t perfect. Everyone was staring at me, so I didn’t have time to dwell on that disaster waiting to happen. I bucked up and did as Brent needed.
“Okay, here goes,” I murmured, then stared Miranda straight in the eye, stepping in close to hear and see her reactions better.
“I’ve two ideas for you. If I would have had another ten minutes I probably would have decided which one, but that’s neither here nor there.
” She already looked irritated. I was pretty sure I had her pegged correctly.
“You come from money. Not new money, but old money. Your families from the northeast. Here’s where I’m not a hundred percent positive.
You either grew up a single child with a workaholic father and a mother who liked to groom you to perfection, but was never around for the important parts of your life.
Or…you were the younger sibling, probably with an older sister, not a brother.
Same circumstance with your dad, but your mother was very busy with your sister’s life for reasons I’m unsure of yet.
“You’ve never been married and your parents are pestering you to do it quickly and with one of their friends kids that come from the same stock as you.
You don’t like children. In fact, you never plan to have them in you can manage it.
You feel like you are getting old and are beginning to think your parents are right.
Ivy League college, strove hard to get where you are without people thinking you were sleeping with the boss.
But, underneath it all, you are trying to go your own way instead of the life that was laid out for you.
And you have a cat. Probably two.” I waited, and then said.
“Nope, I decided. You have an older sibling. The second scenario fits better.”
Her jaw was hanging open by now. Brent had his elbow resting on a crossed arm, covering his grin with a hand like he was rubbing his jaw.
She sputtered and I ignored her, turning to Mr. Fresby. “Now, you might not like what I have to say. Sure you can handle it?”
He chuckled deep in his throat, nodding. I think the ice was starting to break on him. Maybe, he was starting to thaw. I was betting it would be a long time coming.
“Well, you asked for it.” I shrugged. “You’ve been around.
And when I say around, I mean around. Many women have entered and exited your life.
You’ve given up on finding someone to share these years with and just enjoy single moments of pleasure that you can have with a woman.
Never asking for more, never wanting more.
That stems from you finding…” I trailed off, not wanting to continue.
“Oh, do tell. Your own such a roll,” he murmured. He had stopped laughing almost immediately, grey eyes void of emotion, but still completely attentive.
I glanced at Brent. He nodded, something like pride shimmering in his eyes.
I cleared my throat. “You found your true love when you were young. Probably married her as soon as she would have you. It didn’t last as long as you wished.
She either died or left you because you worked too much.
I’m thinking she passed on, though.” I still watched him closely and nodded.
“I’m sorry for her loss. I’m sure you were two peas in a pod. ”
I rubbed my forehead and rolled my shoulders.
“You didn’t come from money. Southern. You worked hard labor growing up.
You didn’t want that to be your forever, though, or maybe your family wanted you to make something better of yourself.
Which you did. And you did it by making the right choices in business.
Fair, but ruthless when you need to be. You’ve got enough determination for ten people.
You aren’t even thinking of retiring and have no plans to quit making money now.
You watch over your business with an eagle eye and trust few.
I’m guessing two siblings that are still living. No pets.”
I stopped, rubbing my forehead again. I had gotten a headache from that. “I’m done. That’s all I’ve gotten since meetin’ ya.”
Silence.
I could practically hear crickets chirping.
I picked a piece of lint off my sweater, waiting for someone to speak.
I looked at none. I’m fairly sure, other than Brent and Ally, I had shocked all of them.
I detested how people thought of me once they figured out I didn’t miss much when I really tried.
The groom we had for the horses at home had once told me it was like sitting down for a meal with a person who was a profiler on steroids.
No one could really get comfortable around me.
“Well?” Brent asked, breaking the silence.
“Cole could have told her any of those things about me,” Miranda stated, sniffing.
“Ah, but he didn’t. He wouldn’t have mentioned you to her,” Brent stated matter of fact.
I looked at Cole. His eyes were so intense on me that I actually stepped back.
“Why wouldn’t he?” Miranda’s eyebrows pinched together, looking back and forth between Cole and Brent.
But, everyone ignored her. They were all watching me.
Brent asked, “What about you, Mr. Fresby? Was she correct?”
“Have you been digging into our past?” Mr. Fresby asked me directly, ignoring Brent’s question, but still answering it nonetheless.
“No, sir.” I shook my head.
“I’ll pay you twice as much as Lion Security, if you come and work for me,” he offered, completely serious.
“Now, wait a second…” Brent started, but I cut him off.
“But you’ll go as high as three and a half times my current pay,” I murmured, a small smile on my lips. I kinda liked this guy.
His lips twitched. “Yes.”
I shrugged and patted his arm. He didn’t seem surprised or back away. “Sorry, sir. I’m happy where I am.”
“Too bad,” he stated, almost smiling and straitening his cuffs, his voice holding sincerity.
He glanced around at the crew, and then back at me.
“Well, if I were your age and a female, I wouldn’t leave this group to come and work for me either.
” He did smile then. Humor glittering his grey eyes.
Thaw officially complete. Took long enough.
“Yeah, there not half bad to look at,” I joked. Everyone was watching us like they had been hit in the forehead with a large rock. Kinda stunned and leaning back on their heels.
“How did you know my wife had passed?” He motioned for us to go outside.
I tapped his pinky ring. It was a female’s wedding band, soldered to a man’s wedding band.
The female’s portion had an itty bitty piece of glass in it instead of a diamond, speaking of poverty.
Simple and old, but cleaned up. He must have gained some weight because it looked tight, but he still hadn’t removed it and was too busy to have it resized.
True love that had been snuffed out too early.
“Ah, yes,” he whispered as we walked through sliding door, touching it gently.
I placed a hand on arm. “She must have been something special to land a man like you.” I wanted to make him feel better. What I had said had been harsh. The truth, but still hard to hear so bluntly.
He smiled great big, a little southern coming out of him. Everyone still wore that same expression on their faces as they followed us outside. Where a limo sat. An extremely massive limo.
“I didn’t catch your name, dear,” he asked opening the door for me and taking my duffle. He handed it off to the chauffer, who grabbed it and started loading luggage into the trunk.
My mouth slammed shut. I bent down and hopped inside. Yeah, I didn’t want to tell him my name. So, I moved through the limo and sat down on a seat facing sideways. He followed sitting across from me and I suddenly found everyone entering very interesting. Watching them and avoiding him.
Cole entered first, his height making it a chore to move with the lower ceiling.
Brent entered next while Cole crossed toward me.
Brent, a few inches shorter, navigate easier and moved quickly, but his feet seemed to tangle with each other, and he bumped Cole right as he went to sit next to me.
Cole stumbled forward, having to put a quick hand on the glass partition for balance so he didn’t crash into it.
He shot Brent a heated glare as he spun around.
Brent sat down where Cole had previously chosen. His face was sincere as he stated, “Sorry about that. I tripped.”
Cole’s glare only changed when he scanned the interior. He smirked and picked up my purse from beside me, tossing it in my lap and went to sit in its now unoccupied spot. Where there was hardly any space at all. I wouldn’t even fit between me and the divider.
He was about to sit half on top of me when Brent growled and scooted over, tugging me along and making room for Cole.
Brent immediately placed his arm around the back of the long seat, behind my head.
Cole decided to widen his leg room, resting one of his legs against mine. Both turned their heads toward me.
Wait. Not me.
They were staring at one another over my head, both sets of eyes aware and warning. Words were being spoken without voice.
I glanced back and forth between them.
Cripes.