"Three weeks? How in the hell do you know if she's the one if she's only been with you three weeks? Aren't you one of the last self-proclaimed bachelors?"
"Am I? I don't remember making that proclamation." He shrugged.
"You were drunk and it was the last football game of your senior year. I still have the footage if you'd like to revisit it."
"No, I'd rather not, to be honest."
"Is she working at the firm with you and Kent?"
"Yes. She's an intern for us this fall and next spring. She'll work her way up fast, I have no doubt."
"Is that because she's sleeping with the boss?"
"No. Of course not. She's brilliant."
"And beautiful?"
"Beyond." Damon folded the last piece of bacon on his plate and watched his old mentor to see what he was getting at.
"You know what happened to Kendal with a situation very similar to this, right?"
"Of course I do, Charles-"
"Charlie."
"Of course I do, Charlie, but this is different. We're not under the watch of the university. My father owns the company, and he's quite happy with mine and Bethany's relationship. It's just... complicated."
"Complicated, how?"
"Her mother married my father last weekend." Damon glanced down and waited for the berating that never came. He glanced up to find Charles watching him in what appeared to be stunned silence.
"Wait. So this girl is not only six years younger than you, but an intern at your firm and she's your stepsister?"
"Well, when you put it like that-"
"Put it like what?" Charles huffed and picked up his bowl of grits. "You're up shit creek without a paddle my friend. As brilliant as you are, this has to be one of the dumbest things I've ever seen you do."
"I love her. It's simple really." Damon sat back and licked at his lips. There was an expectation somewhere inside of him that anger would be his response to Charles, but it wasn't. Telling his old mentor how he really felt about Bethany felt natural. Right. Maybe he wasn't being fair with his concerns about letting the world know that she was his.
"Well, keep that shit to yourself or you'll ruin the poor girl."
"What? Why would us being in love ruin her?"
"Damon. You just touted out every fucking taboo in the book. Are you serious right now?" He reached across the table and popped Damon in the forehead with the back of his spoon. "Think with your head and not your dick, son. She's a young girl who's about to enter the world of Corporate America. She needs a good start, a clean record. You're throwing down a stripper pole and covering it in grease."
"What?" Damon chuckled, unable to help himself. The older Charles got, the less sense he made.
"You're making a mistake. Close it down and offer to be a big brother to her, or give her another mentor. You don't need a relationship with that much baggage already attached to it. For shit's sake. What does Kent say about this? He's fine with it?"
"Yes." Damon wiped his mouth and picked up his phone from the table. "I gotta get going. The flight's taking off in forty-five minutes. I just wanted to-"
"I'm sorry if I upset you, but you know I shoot straight. There are very few guys who I still invest my time in, but you're one of them."
Damon stood and nodded, forcing himself not to react with anything but gratitude. "Of course. I'm good, though I disagree with your advice this time. Bethany is the woman I'm going to spend my life with. We just have to get over these hurdles. We can do it."
Charles extended his hand, but didn't get up. "You trying to convince me, or yourself, son?"
"Only you, old friend. I have no doubt."
"Right … tell someone else that lie."
Chapter 10
Bethany
"He didn't do it on purpose." Matt wrapped an arm around Bethany's shoulders as they walked down the long terminal to the baggage claim. Somehow Matt couldn't fit everything in a carry on, so she hadn't even tried. He was being a bit of a diva, which opened the door for her to follow suit.
"No? He told me to be at his house last night at ten, and I fell asleep like I have for the last few nights, sitting on my coach, completely exhausted. I didn't even mean to not go over there." She huffed and stopped beside the turn-style as bags started to drop from the large opening at the other end.
"It's going to be fine, Sis. Stop worrying, okay?" He pressed his shoulder to hers and moved up to get their bags when they showed up.
"You're right." She popped the handle on her bag and followed behind him as a feeling of trepidation tried to pull her back down. "I need a drink."
"Well, let's get to the hotel and then we can unpack and grab something to drink while we wait for Damon."
"Sounds good." She rubbed his back as they stopped beside a stretch limo, the guy waving around a sign for McKenzie and Bryant on it. "You nervous about the showing tonight?"
"Not really. It will happen, or it won't." Matt moved to the back of the car and shook hands with the driver while Bethany glanced around. It was beautiful and the air was clean. There was something to be said about getting away from Texas humidity in late summer.
"See something you like?" Matt turned to look across the horizon.
"Just glad to get away with you." She got in and buckled up before laying back and letting out a long sigh. She pulled her phone from her purse and decided she was done being the difficult one. Texting Damon even when it was the last thing she wanted to do seemed most appropriate.
Bethany: Sad to see that you missed the flight. I hope everything is okay. I miss you something horrible.
Damon: I'm boarding now. I'll be there just before we need to leave. I had breakfast with an old mentor from college, so it wasn't a total waste. I missed you last night. To say I wasn't upset would be a fucking lie, but I assume you had a reason for standing me up.
"We never agreed." She clenched her teeth as Matt turned to face her.
"Hmm?"
"Nothing." She let out a slow sigh and let go of the rising emotion inside of her. Were all relationships so fucking intense? She couldn't remember really dating much, so not having a comparison, she had to assume they were.
Bethany: I was so tired that I fell asleep with a bowl of soup on my lap on the couch back at my apartment. It was ugly.
Damon: Ha. That's not good. You need to look at your schedule and see what's going to go. I'm not an option. You're stuck, baby.
Warmth filled her as tears blurred her vision.
Bethany: Hurry up and get to Seattle. I need you. I feel like we're being pulled apart before we even start.
Damon: We're not. We just have a lot going on. It's going to be fine. We just need to figure out how to communicate better. We'll work on it this weekend. Keep Matt in a good frame of mind and I'll come find you the minute I get into town.
Bethany: Did you get our room together?
Damon: Do you have to ask that?
Bethany: Good. I was getting worried.
Damon: Well, stop.
"Everything okay?" Matt turned his head toward her and smiled.
"I think so. We just have so much shit flying at us, and trying to keep two dominant people from killing each other is hard on a good day." She laid her phone down in the seat beside her and wiped at her eyes. "He wants me to give something up, but everything I'm doing has to stay. It's not that easy."
"Then maybe you stop working at the firm. Dad is going to support your college goals no matter what. He wouldn't deny you." Matt reached over and squeezed her hand.
"Maybe. I'll think about it." She turned her hand over and clasped his hand. "So tell me what happens tonight. Are we the only ones with the dealer?"
"Sounds so nefarious. I love it." Matt's lips lifted in a beautiful smile. Bethany had no doubt at all why Erica was in love with him. He was the complete opposite of Damon and yet still the full-package deal himself.
"You know we're having dinner with Erica tonight. Damon set it up earlier this week, I think."
"What? Fuck." Matt released her hand and pressed his hands to his face as he groaned out loud. "Call and tell her we got delayed."
"You're so ridiculous. She's perfect for you." Bethany forced herself not to laugh at how childish Matt was being.
"You don't understand. I'm childish and try hard to have fun so I don't have to face the fact that I'm... Never mind. It's TMI." He turned to look out the far window and huffed again.
"You're what? Afraid of commitment? Worried that she's too much for you? Intimidated by her?"
"I like strong women, Bethany, but only so I can break them down."
"What? That doesn't-" She studied his expression understanding all too clearly what he meant. "Oh. In the bedroom? You like to-"