9
When the call cut through to the ‘engaged’ tone for what felt like the twentieth fucking time that morning, James slammed the phone against the receiver. If he’d been alone, he’d have smashed the receiver against the desk a few more times for good measure.
Aidan’s head popped up at the noise, and James questioned the idiocy in sharing an office with his best bud for the millionth time that week. Aidan saw so little at times, then at others, far too much. He always had.
And for the past month, James knew he’d been acting strangely.
The weird thing was, his ‘pest’ friend hadn’t commented on it. Which meant he either knew already what was happening, or he didn’t want to know.
Considering they’d barely brushed upon the huge topic that was Hailey, James had a feeling it was a bit of both. Unless Aidan had spoken to his mother and she’d told him what had gone down the night James and Hailey had spent together.
Scrubbing a hand over his face, he rocked back in his seat and tried to stare at the screen in front of him and make some sense out of the report he was reading. The numbers were a jumble. Hell, even the text was. For the first time in his life, James realized business held little interest to him. Project development, something he went whacko over, bored him. Spreadsheets that literally had dollar bills floating from them they were making so goddamn much money were a waste of his time.
Hailey.
It all led back to her.
He tried to reason with himself: it was one fuck.
While that was the case… it was the best he’d ever had. She was the best he’d never had. Because though she’d been in his arms for less than an hour, that hour might as well have never happened because ever since, she’d avoided him.
Where he was the one to usually do the avoiding, she was refusing to answer his calls, and when he’d shown up at her house the other Sunday with Aidan, she’d already been out. Almost like she knew he was coming. He’d even suspected Aidan of helping her with that, but he wasn’t altogether sure and didn’t feel like arguing over it.
“Would you stop sighing? Jesus, James, you’re driving me crazy,” Aidan huffed all from way over the other side of the office. Just because they shared a room didn’t mean the room wasn’t huge.
The size of two conference rooms, desks directly opposite one another with a large table between them for brainstorming. His side was red. His favorite color on a car. He had all kinds of models stacked on glass shelves… every one of the prototypes had been miniaturized for posterity. Aidan had a similar get up but with bits of cogs and shit that went inside their babies’ engines.
Not that those cogs didn’t interest James, but they were of less interest.
That was the politest way he could phrase it.
They’d shared a room in college for a year, then when James had finally been allowed to move off campus, Aidan had moved into his apartment. They were used to being together.
Hell, it was shame they weren’t gay. They’d have made a great couple.
His lips twitched at the thought, but he was too mad to laugh. “How the hell can you even hear me over that racket,” James complained; Aidan was playing Bach, and he hated classical music.
“Aside from the fact I should smash your face in for calling Bach a racket, I can hear you because you keep on doing it.” Aidan grimaced. “I wish you’d get over this infatuation. Jesus. I’ve never seen you like this before.”
James pounced on the word ‘infatuation’, “What the hell are you talking about?”
Aidan rolled his eyes. “You. My sister. Together. Doing the nasty. Even after I expressly asked you not to.”
Before guilt could flush through him, James demanded, “What the—”
“Don’t even bother denying it. I’d still be pissed if I hadn’t watched you moon over her these past weeks. I’d say I was pleased, but, ya know… It’s Hailey. I don’t want you to hurt her. I’ve never seen you like this before, though. It’s starting to freak me out, dammit.”
Astonishment took over guilt. Then, because he couldn’t lie to Aidan, James rocked back in his seat once more and admitted, “That’s because I’ve never felt this way before.”
Aidan pursed his lips then got to his feet. As he strolled over to James’ side of the office, he folded his arms then perched his ass on James’ desk. “Then what are you going to do about it? Because I don’t think I can stand another month of you huffing and smashing phone receivers into desks. It’s already driving me crazy, James.”
“I don’t know what to do, Aidan. Hailey’s not letting me do all that much.”
“She’s not answering your calls, I’d assume?”
“Exactly. No matter what time I call, she always ignores it.” Before James could scowl too hard over that pertinent fact, he demanded, “What’s she doing with her time, anyway? I thought she’d quit. She can’t be that busy.”
“She did.” He grimaced. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this but she’s starting her own marketing company. Getting all the information together for her small business is taking its time.”