There’s nothing wrong with a bit of arrogance. Hell, I’m probably more arrogant than Paul is, but it seems something more with him. Something’s off, and it doesn’t sit well with me.
Which brings me to Brooke. What am I going to do with her? I’ve never felt so many emotions as I did this morning when she stepped into my office. Happiness, shock, worry, and complete awe just to name a few.
After seeing her on Friday, so fragile and weak, I never would’ve thought for a second she’d end up here this morning. I don’t know what happened since then, but I barely recognised her this morning.
She was nervous, sure, but she looked like a bull ready to charge. So determined and strong. Nate would be proud. I was proud. I know she didn’t plan on coming in so soon, and I know this is probably the last place she wants to be, but she is doing it anyway, and for some reason about me wanting to leave. Did someone tell her I wanted to move on?
Where would she get that idea? Yes, the plan was always for me to support Nate and then take my own clients and go start my own firm, but only if I wanted to. It didn’t take long working with Nate before I realised I had no interest in that side of things. Sure, taking on a few clients is one thing, but running a firm this large with this amount of staff? No thanks. I don’t have the patience or social etiquette for it. Another reason I’ve put off dealing with Paul. I fucking hate dealing with staff and their issues. Now I guess I don’t have a choice.
Feeling as if I already failed Nate enough by avoiding Brooke for the past three months, telling myself I was looking after her by keeping Argo running smoothly. There’s no way I can leave her here to fend for herself. The fact of the matter is she can’t run this business without me. She has no idea about the business side of things, and I can’t give her a college degree in a few months. She majored in art, for fuck’s sake. She can’t trust the business in the hands of a stranger, and Bill will be looking at retirement soon. I’m her only option, and even though she doesn’t know it yet I don’t think it will take long for the realisation to hit that she can’t do this without me.
Working with Brooke will be a fair change of pace from working with Nate. I’m sure it will take us a little while to find our bearings and see how we’re going to work together, but at least she’ll be a prettier date for business meetings.
With her cheeky smile and sarcastic tone in Bill’s office, it was like seeing the old Brooke, the Brooke from college, young and carefree. I hope it was being here that caused it. That she feels it will be good for her here. She will be a breath of fresh air for us too, not only in the office but for the company image as well.
The clients need to be swooned; they require it, and it’s just not my specialty. Nate was the face; he had a genuine and trusting personality. Brooke has the same. Add it to her sweet-and-innocent shell, and she’ll be client dynamite for sure.
Picking up my sandwich, I throw it in the trash as I visualise Brooke bent over Bill’s table. Fucking Bill catching me staring at her ass. Fuck. I’ve never seen Brooke dressed like that before. She’s normally more subtle. I have no doubt whose sense of style is behind that outfit, because it screamed Rachel. Not that she didn’t look great, but her skirt was skin-tight and showed everything which was underneath, and what wasn’t underneath, like underwear. Either that, or a thong.
I shake my head, trying to get the picture of Brooke standing before me in a thong out of my mind. The white blouse was loose but buttoned low, and I swear I could see the hem of white lace resting over plump breasts. Brooke bending over the table like that and looking up at me from under those long lashes had all the blood rushing to one place, causing my dick to stir. Fuck.
I can’t be looking at her like that. I haven’t looked at her like that for years.
Nate and I stand in the courtyard, waiting for Logan and Jake so we can go play some basketball. Nate goes on about our schedules, scrutinising every detail, and I notice a group of girls carrying on. There’s a tall, skinny blonde with a great rack, and a girl with auburn hair rocking a tight ass, but the girl who stands out to me is the brunette. She doesn’t have any obvious features, but there’s something that draws me to her. She laughs with abandon, loud and sharp like a hyena, yet it’s so carefree, open, and truthful. I can’t look away.
“What are you staring at?” Nate asks with annoyance in his voice, knowing I wasn’t listening to him.
“See that girl over there, the brunette?” I nod in the girl’s direction.
“She’s cute.” He stands to face their way.