CHAPTER THREE - DUNCAN
Now there’s a sexy ass I wouldn’t mind snuggling up with.
I held the door open for a gorgeous blonde as I headed up to see Harris Connor. I wasn’t too thrilled to see the man again, but at least he had the promise of a decent job, or so my sister thought. She’s gotten together with the joker about six months after our mother passed and since we didn’t have our father in our lives either, it was my job to bust his balls.
How this prissy son of a bitch was with my sister was beyond me. Shauna could have any man she wanted, though I guess none would ever be good enough for her in my book. I shook my head. I watched the blonde as she walked away and tucked her number into my pocket. It had only taken six floors to score that one, and as I landed on the ninth where Harris Connor’s office was and saw his secretary, a smoking hot brunette, I wondered if I should try to score another one. She stood up and walked to the front as I approached her.
“You’re Mr. Kelley? Mr. Connor is expecting you.” She walked to the door after I gave her a nod and then that gleaming diamond on her ring finger gave out its warning as she opened the door. I wouldn’t be scoring a second number, but maybe this job would make up for it.
The door swung wide as she stepped aside and I entered finding Harris sitting behind his desk. He stood and came around to shake my hand.
“How’s the brother of the love of my life doing today?” He gave me a cheery smile and a pat on the back. If he was intimidated by me, he sure didn’t show it. At least until I shook his hand and gave him the death grip on his loose little paw.
“I’m good. Shauna tells me that you’ve got an opportunity for me. I hope it doesn’t involve kids of any nature.” I had my mind made up about that after the last occasion involved me chaperoning rich kids at a petting zoo, dodging elephant shit.
He pulled his hand away and wiggled his fingers. “No, no. Your sister warned me about that, something about you hating glitter?” He straightened his tie and let loose a quiet, nervous chuckle and walked around behind his desk offering me a seat with a gesture.
I took one of the chairs in front of his desk and forced a smile at his humor. “Yeah, that was a nightmare, though I do appreciate you considering me.”
“Well, this one is a bit different. You’ll be working as set security on the production of Star Summers’ latest video. She’s got her own personal security, but it’s nice to have someone on the production side to work as a mediator of sorts. You will mostly be on set, but there might be a time that you have to escort the pop princess back to her hotel or keep an eye out for her when she goes to lunch. Nothing too personal and the hours will be varied. You’ll need to coordinate with the set producer as well since you’ll be starting well before the final production is under way.”
I’d never heard of Star Summers, but by the way his expression had changed, it indicated that she was a big deal. I gave two shits about celebrities’ other than the size of the checks they came with. A job was a job.
I narrowed my eyes. “You’re saying the set designers need security too?”
He nodded his head and opened up his planner. “They’ll be the first team arriving Thursday in the back-lot location, and yes, these pop stars’ crazy fans try to sneak in on early production. As soon as they get wind of a project, they’re all over it. I always set up security early.”
“Sounds good.” I’d wanted something with a nice change of pace, and this was just the thing. I’d make a lot of money and have an easy time dealing with whatever little punks and screaming fans came out of the woodwork for this Star Summers person. I’d Google her later to know what I was dealing with.
“I’m glad you’re pleased. I did hope you’d agree to take this one. I want someone good on it. The director and producer is Brock Reed. Have you heard of him?” I shrugged and mentally added another name onto my list of Google searches. The name sounded about as familiar as Star Summers. Who came up with these prissy ass names?
“Anyway, he’s pretty hot right now, and I was hoping things would go smoothly, and I’d get a full contract with him, so this is pretty important. I’m pulling out all my best connections.”
The guy gave me the crinkled forehead look that almost said, ‘don’t screw this up for me’, but then he fidgeted with his collar and tie again and cleared his throat.
“Sounds like a cut and dry kind of job. I don’t see why there would be any problems.”
He shifted his eyes a bit and I had a feeling his nervousness was a bit more than him being intimidated by me. But then he met me square in the eye and played it off like he agreed with my statement.
I then promised to meet the set producer on Thursday, and then left. I hadn’t made it all the way out of the building when my sister called me.
“Did you take the job?”
“Hello to you, too, sister dearest, and yes, I took the job. I appreciate the hook-up.” I reached into my pocket and slipped the woman from the elevator’s card into my wallet.
“You were nice to Harris too, weren’t you?” she asked with a hopeful tone.
“Yes, I let him live. For now.” I chuckled. I loved tormenting her with the hard-ass older brother role, but she knew the depths of my love for her.
The two of us had been orphaned two years earlier when our mother had died, and I’d decided then not to reenlist. It had been a hard decision leaving the Special Forces, but I’d seen enough, done enough, and regretted enough. Besides, my little sis needed me.
“You like him, don’t you?” Her voice was taking on a serious tone.
“Do you love him, Shauna?”
“I do, Duncan. I really do. But I want you to like him.”
The guy wasn’t much of a man’s man as, but he was okay. I could tell my approval meant a lot to her, and probably more especially now.
“Then I like him too. He’s a good guy. I just wish the two of you would get married already. It would make my job as your protector that much easier.”
“You’ll always be that, big bro. Promise you’ll always love me?”
There was that sly tone again. I’d been trained to be observant. Trained as a killer to notice every little detail.
“Did you do something that I’m not going to like?” I asked darkly.
Her hesitation was followed by a nervous giggle.
“No. Of course not. What could I do that you wouldn’t like?” She was protesting too much, but I didn’t let her know I noticed. I was also trained in knowing when to show your hand and when not to. “Call me when you get done on Thursday.”
I didn’t ask her what she and Harris were up to, but for her to know the job started on Thursday, they’d most definitely discussed things. “Will do. Take care, sis.”
I hung up the phone and headed out to my Mustang which I’d buffed to a high shine after Katherine left on Sunday. Round two with her over breakfast had been even better than the night before, but I still didn’t see her being anything steady. A repeat, maybe, but with the blonde’s card burning a hole in my pocket, I had a feeling I’d have other plans for the weekend.
This was my routine. One night stand after one night stand. Meaningless relationships, that provided distraction to the fucking emptiness inside.
In the military, I’d been infamous among my brothers for breaking hearts, but there was only one I deeply regretted breaking. I had my reasons, but I’d been a worthless fucking coward in how I’d done it.