As an only child, they are the brothers I never had, and I wouldn’t recognize my life without them.
“Yes, but that works for me. Really well.”
“And it doesn’t for me?”
Cap laughs right in my face, the bastard. “You’re painfully monogamous, Turn. And if you’re going to insist on fucking one woman, I’m going to do my part to make sure it’s a good one. Flexible. Acrobatic. A true joy to be around.”
“So, according to your description, I’m supposed to date a gymnast or a bendy straw,” I retort with a smirk, and Quince laughs.
But Cap, well, he keeps rolling with his outrageous and nonexistent point. “Both sound like better options than your usual.”
“Just so I’m clear on your suggestions…” I pause and lift up a paper clip from my desk. “It bends. Hell, it’s even shiny. Should I fuck this, too?”
Cap grins. “Some action is better than no action, Turn.”
“You’re off your fucking rocker, you know that?”
“That might be true, but…” His grin only gets wider. “My dick is a happy and entertained lad every-fucking-day of the week.”
“Your dick is one bad hookup away from shriveling up and falling off.”
“Meh.” He shrugs. “At least he’d go down with a smile.”
Quince sighs. “It’d be great if we could have one conversation where your dick isn’t discussed like it’s an actual person.”
“Aw, don’t worry, Quince,” Cap retorts. “I’m sure your dick is a real nice guy. A little boring, far too predictable, but there’s a real sweetheart inside that barely average-sized core of his.”
“Barely average-sized?” Quince scoffs. “You—”
“Hey, I’ve got an idea,” I chime in before they start getting out rulers and measuring shafts. “How about someone lets me know if we should sign the contract with Essence Skin Care? Hell, if Cap’s dick is well-versed in legalese, that’ll work at this point.”
“It’s all good in the hood, baby.” Cap winks. “I have a few recommendations for the contracts that I’ll send your way, but it’s all pretty minor shit.”
I look toward Quince, who is now smiling.
“The report from product research came back with no areas of concern related to liability.”
“Great.” The line goes silent for the briefest of moments, and I can’t stop myself from veering the conversation back to the ridiculous. “Oh, hey, Quince. Guess who Cap saw the other day?”
Goddamn, I’m just as bad as they are.
The instant the question leaves my lips, Cap glares and Quince tilts his head to the side.
“Who did you see, Cap?”
“He saw Sophia Moran.” I kindly offer up the information on a silver platter.
“No shit?” Quince responds. “How is she doing?”
“Uh…good.” Cap clears his throat. “She’s doing real good.”
Doing real good? Yeah. Nice one, Cap.
I have to bite my lip to hold back my laughter. And, fuck, this is too entertaining not to continue. So, I do. “What did you guys talk about?”
“Well…” Cap pauses and flashes me another glare before moving his eyes across the screen to Quince. “We didn’t get a lot of talking in…”
Realization in…
5
4
3
2
1
“Are you kidding me?” Quince snaps when he connects the dots of Cap’s passive innuendos. “You slept with my ex-girlfriend?”
“Dude.” The big bastard raises both hands in the air. “I promise you we didn’t sleep at all.”
Quince looks at me and then back at Cap before an annoyed laugh escapes his throat. “You’re a real asshole, you know that?”
“I do, actually.” Cap nods, and his eyes turn apologetic. “Honestly, Quince, I didn’t know. I mean, she looked kind of familiar. Her name sounded familiar, but I had no idea she was your ex.”
“I think your dick is stealing your brain cells,” Quince retorts, and I laugh.
“Yeah. That, right there, is a likely scenario.”
Cap just shrugs. “He does have a mind of his own.”
“Trent,” my dad says after peeking his head in my office without knocking. “I’ve got someone for you to meet.”
“Gotta go,” I say and hit end on the conference call without giving Quince or Cap time to interject.
But they’ve been around long enough to know about the tense, tumultuous relationship between my father and me. They know he can be a demanding, controlling bastard and that I spend most of my time trying to keep the fucking peace between us. They also know I’m not completely above hiding one of their bodies if they ever decide to ride my ass about it.
Without another word, my father steps back out of my office with the expectation that I’ll follow.
And, of course, I do.
Always the fucking peace-keeper.
I shove back in my chair, grab my suit jacket from the rack I keep behind my desk, and head out the door.
I would have loved to have a minute to prepare to meet the group of people I’m going to be spending all of my days and many a long night with over the next nine months, but Trent Turner Senior waits for no one, least of all his son.