Chapter 12
I woke up to a voice mail from my general manager. She told me I had to come into work for a bit today to help with some things. I called her back and joked with her about how she wasn’t supposed to see me for a few more days, but it sounded like something was off. I furrowed my brow, asking if she was all right, and she told me to come straight to her office when I got there. I hung up the phone and flipped over to my text messages, saying good morning to the guys and letting them know I had to head into work for a bit this morning. I didn’t hear from most of them until later, but the Jameson brothers were the first to message back.
You aren’t good at this vacation thing, are you? Kyle asked.
Get off her case. She’s passionate about what she does. I like that in a woman, Kevin said.
My general manager told me to come in and go straight to her office. I have no idea what that means, but I hope to fuck I’m not losing my job. That’s the last thing I need, I said.
Where do you work? Kevin asked.
Seriously? The hotel where we had the party, doofus, Kyle said.
Well, maybe this hardworking woman has two jobs. You don’t know her life, Kevin said.
I’d like to get to know it over dinner tonight. Looking forward to seeing you again, Lexi, Kevin said.
I’m looking forward to it as well. I’ll let you guys know when I’m back at my apartment. Gotta run.
I got up and showered before I rushed myself out the door. I had no idea what my boss could possibly want at this point, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I prepared a speech in my head, defending my job and position. I’d let her know that the only one capable of unprofessionalism was Jeremy and that I deserved to keep my job. I’d fight for it with all my might. By the time I pulled up to work, I knew exactly what I was going to say. I strolled on in through the swivel doors with my head held high and my shoulders rolled back, and I marched right into her office behind the front desk.
But I didn’t walk into the scenario I expected.
“Come in and shut the door,” she said.
I shut it behind me and took a seat in front of her. She had an HR report on her desk, and for a split second I began to panic again.
“Look, if this is about my job—”
“The police came by again this morning looking for Jeremy. They provided us with all the evidence, and I’m pushing through his paperwork for termination. Jeremy Newberry no longer works here,” she said.
“Holy fu—I mean, oh my gosh. That-that’s great news. But why did I need to come down here for that?” I asked.
“Because with me confirming his termination today, there are some things with the Christmas season events that still aren’t tied up as well as you or I would like. If I pay you overtime, will you work today to get it taken care of? After that, your vacation begins, and I’ll even extend it a day to make up for this one.”
“I don’t have a problem with it at all, ma’am.”
“Lexi, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry we couldn’t do anything until this point. Hiring and firing is logistical, not personal. Even though we all believed you, he was still doing his job. We had no grounds to fire him until the police had gathered some evidence,” she said.
“It’s not a problem. I really do get it. This might be an odd time to bring it up, but—”
“When we go to rehire for the position, I’ll expect to see your resume,” she said, winking.
“Thanks.”
“The event files are already stacked for you on the front desk. If you want, you can just use my office, as I’ve got some errands to run, but if you haven’t eaten, feel free to take them into the kitchen and grab yourself something. Honestly, Lexi, you are looking a little pale,” she said.
“Will do.”
“Uh, Lexi?” the front desk attendant asked.
“Yeah?” I asked.
“There are a couple of hunks in glasses here looking for you.”
I furrowed my brow as I got up from my seat. I walked out into the main lobby, and, sure enough, the Jameson brothers were standing there. Kyle had the thick black-rimmed glasses while Kevin had what seemed to be invisible rims on his, and they both smiled at me before they waved.
“Hello, Lexi,” they said.
“On second thought, take your files and go sit at one of the tables. I’ll have the chef whip up some brunch for the three of you,” my boss said.
“Oh, that’s not—”
“Go,” she said, sounding stern.
I grabbed the stack of files as well as some sticky notes and a pen. After sliding out from behind the desk, I walked over to the twins, who were all smiles as their eyes crinkled in happiness. They both stood just shy of six feet tall, and their bodies were clad in nice trousers and knitted polo shirts.
“What are the two of you doing here?” I asked.
“We’re going to keep an eye on you while you’re working,” Kyle said.
“That’s not necessary, I promise. Jeremy’s not even here,” I said.
“But you did say there was a warrant out for his arrest. We’re a bit uneasy about that, so we made other arrangements for our caseloads today,” Kevin said.
“So you’re just gonna sit at a table and watch me work,” I said.
“And sip some coffee if they have any,” Kevin said.
“We’ve got plenty!” my boss called out.
I sighed and shook my head. These two men were relentless, and I loved it. Kyle was brazen and outspoken while Kevin held back a bit but knew what he wanted. I led them toward one of the empty ballrooms and we sat at a table. Before I could even open the first file, there were cups of coffee, a steaming carafe, and anything else we could need set down in front of us on a tray.
“I promise you, Chef, this isn’t necessary.”
“Shut up and let someone do something for you for once,” he said.
“I like him,” Kevin said.
“You would,” Kyle said, rolling his eyes.
I worked for a little while and could feel their eyes on me. I was uncomfortable, but not in a bad way. This was just all so new to me. They sat there silently, asking a few questions here and there as I made notes, and suddenly I fell into a rhythm. I’d make a few notes, explain what it was I was notating and why, and then I’d hand the finished file to Kyle and Kevin would hand me another one.
“It’s like a paid little conga line,” Kyle said, grinning.
“At this rate, I’ll still have the afternoon off before our date tonight,” I said.
“Well, if it’s all the same to you, we’re still going to keep an eye on you at your place,” Kevin said.
“Sounds intimate. If you aren’t careful, we might not make it out for dinner,” I said, giggling.
“I like the sound of that,” Kyle said.
“Oh, you’re bad. Aren’t you the one who looks at vaginas all day? Figured you’d be sick of them by the time you got home,” I said.
“She remembered! People always get our specialties mixed up,” Kyle said. “And no. I could never be tired of the female form after what I do all day. I enjoy helping it before I enjoy helping myself to it.”
The chef let out a raucous laugh from the kitchen, and my cheeks flushed. I looked over at him as he bent at his waist, laughing so hard I thought he was going to fall over. It got me giggling, which set the brothers to laughing, and before we all knew it, tears were streaming down our faces.
“Oh, my stomach!” I exclaimed.
The laughing settled down and I wiped the tears from my eyes. I eyed Kyle menacingly, and he simply sat there with a smile on his face. I looked over at Kevin, whose eyes were now slowly raking up and down my form, and I couldn’t help but feel beautiful sitting at a table between the two of them.
“Well, once I finish up this last file, I’ll be good to go. Fancy anything for lunch?” I asked. “I’ve got plenty of things to make sandwiches at my apartment if you two are intent on staying.”
“I’m still stuffed from brunch, but later maybe,” Kyle said. “You’re not getting rid of us that easily.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I said. “Do you guys just wanna follow behind me? I borrowed Courtney’s car for the morning.”
“I can ride with you,” Kyle said.
“Why can’t I ride with her?” Kevin asked.
“Because you insisted on driving tonight, which means you’ll be beside her in the front seat. This way, we’ll both get that chance,” Kyle said.
“Down boys. There is plenty of me to go around,” I said.
“Oh, trust me, we’ll test that theory after dinner,” Kevin said, grinning.
I heard the chef shriek with delight, so I picked up a spoon and lobbed it his way. He ducked just in time, and I heard it clanging all over the kitchen, skipping from one stainless steel surface to the next, but all he did was stick his head up and put his hand over his mouth.
“Don’t you have work to do, Chef!?” I called out.
“Not with naughty boys like this in my presence!”
“Well, hands off. They’re mine,” I said, winking.
“If you need a fourth, let me know, sexy. I’m more than willing to offer my services. I’ve got a weak spot for redheads,” Chef said.
“I’ll try anything once,” Kevin said, shrugging.
Now it was my turn to squeal.