“Carson.” She crossed to him, hands out to take his, then rose to kiss both of his cheeks before stepping back to smile up at him. Her hands still clasped in his. “How lovely to see you again.”
Brandt gave her a onceover, then smiled down at her. I heard his greet her in return, but I couldn’t pull my eyes off of their damn hands.
“I’m redecorating Brock’s offices,” Victoria was explaining, to what I assume was Brandt question as to why she was here.
“You did this?” Brandt asked, his eyes surveying the room. He turned back to her, astonished.
“I did,” Victoria replied, obviously proud of what she’d accomplished. I felt a warmth hit me, then something curdled in my stomach, as I noticed the appreciative gleam in Brandt’s eyes.
“You look different,” he was saying. “Happier, more relaxed. Interior decorating looks good on you. I’m so glad to see you’re doing well. Maybe we could get together sometime. Have a drink?”
My eyes narrowed on him, but when I saw Victoria smile gently at him, then disengage so she could cross the room and put her hand through the crook of my arm, the green monster in me subsided.
“I’m sorry, Carson, but my card is full,” Victoria said sweetly. “I do appreciate the offer though.”
Brandt nodded and smiled wryly,” Got it.” Then he held out his hand once more to shake mine and said, “Can’t blame a man for trying.”
“Not the first time,” I said with a laugh, my warning clear, yet teasing. I didn’t want to piss him off, since I wanted the job, but I had to let my claim be known.
Brandt laughed at that, then gave me a nod and replied, “I look forward to working with you, Brock.” Then he let himself out.
Victoria squeezed my bicep, causing me to look down at her. “Everything alright?”
“Other than the most eligible bachelor in town making a play for my girl?” I countered with a grin. “Perfect.”
Victoria smiled, pleased that I’d called her my girl, then tip toed up to brush her lips against mine.
“You almost ready to go? I don’t want to be late to dinner.”
We were heading to her parents’ house for dinner that night. I was surprised when she’d brought it up, but was pleased at the direction in which we were heading. I had to laugh when I thought back to our first few meetings, when I’d warned her that I wasn’t the kind of man her father wanted for her. And although I hoped, for her sake, that things went well, gaining their approval didn’t mean shit to me.
So I was doing this for my girl, just like she’d endured a dinner with my brothers for me. I was happy with the way our relationship was progressing, even though I’d never seen it coming.
She made me happy, and brought out the need in me to protect and nurture. Now that my brothers were on their own, I hadn’t realized that I had a hole in me needing to be filled, until Victoria had filled it. We gave each other what we needed, and I was becoming dependent on that.
“Yeah, let me just lock up, then we can hit it,” I replied.
As we drove to her parents’ house on the other side of town, I thought about the week, and the few times I’d stopped by to check the progress of the office.
“It looked like Gwen was working out. I hope I didn’t place more burden on you by offering her a job.”
“Not at all, she’s been great. She’s a really sweet girl, and very hard-working. She worships the ground you walk on.”
I’d been worried about that, and tried my best to be gentle with her. She was a good kid, and I knew she’d go far in life.
“Did you know that she’s a photographer?” Victoria asked, her tone excited. “She showed me her portfolio, and she’s really good. I could tell that she’s shy about it, and a little unsure, but she’s signed up for some classes at school, and I know she’ll learn to hone her craft and gain confidence.”
“There were a couple times that Gaby and I took her out, and she always had a camera with her, but I didn’t know she wanted to pursue it. I thought it was just a hobby,” I replied, my memory flashing back to Gwen. Her long blonde hair spilling over her shoulders, a camera held up to her face, her lens focused on me and Gaby as chatted over coffee in a diner we’d all gone to.
“Well, she’s really good,” Victoria said. “And she was a great help in getting things accomplished this week. I’m sure she’ll have your paperwork organized in no time.” She paused for a moment, then turned her eyes to me. “I do think there’s something going on with her and Craig though. She’d seemed upset when she found out that he was working for you too, and had done her best to avoid him every time she seems him, much to his chagrin.”
“Hmmmm, well, I’m sure whatever it is, they’ll work it out. They’ve been friends forever,” I replied, not really wanted to get into a discussion of teenage drama. Luckily, we had arrived. “Ready?”
Victoria took a deep breath, released it, then turned to me with a smile and a nod.
I followed her up the walkway and into the house. There was no denying, it was magnificent. Huge house, tons of fancy shit inside, all done up perfectly, just like Victoria’s apartment. It was obvious that she’d been raised to appreciate the finer things in life. As we walked through the house, I had to admit that even if I had the kind of cash that these people had, I wouldn’t choose to live like this. I loved my parents’ Spanish-style home, and the fact that it was just that … a home. I wanted my kids to be raised in an environment of love and comfort, not a sterilized one.
“Victoria.” The greeting was smooth, cultured, and feminine, and when we rounded the corner, I saw a beautiful, poised woman heading toward us. It was obvious that she’d been a knockout when she was younger, and the smile on her face was genuine.