Chapter Eight
The next morning, Lori woke up snuggled up in Owen’s embrace. She felt his hand had snuck under her shirt to rest on her side, and found she didn’t mind. But her throat was raw and she felt the need to get up for water. Carefully, she pulled herself away, and climbed over him before tiptoeing out of the room. She quietly closed the door behind her, and turned around to be face to face with the other twin!
She gasped with a jump. Oliver looked at her in mute amazement.
“I ...” she started. “Hi.”
His face relaxed to a more blank expression. She was sure he wasn’t happy to see her coming out of his brother’s room.
“Listen,” she started, “Nothing happened –”
“I’m glad you’re alright,” he said.
She blinked at him.
“Owen told me he was going to get you, and I was worried something awful might have happened to you. I wanted to come along and see for myself, but I thought if you saw me, you wouldn’t go with him.”
Her mouth fell open. “Oliver, I … I don’t hate you.”
“You seemed like you never wanted to see me again.”
She looked down at her bare feet. “Yeah well, I was angry. And I’d like to say I’m more level headed than that, but after last night, I’m not so sure that’s true anymore.”
“Give yourself some credit,” he said. “We weren’t exactly easy on you.”
“That’s still no excuse for how I behaved,” she said. “I’m ashamed of it. And I always will be.”
“Everyone makes mistakes,” Oliver pointed out. “I’m just glad you’re alright.”
He continued down the hall to the stairs, and Lori decided to follow him to get a drink.
One of the housekeepers had coffee already brewed, and was working on breakfast. Oliver got a cup for him and Lori as she downed a glass of water.
“I think,” Oliver said thoughtfully, “That Owen and I need to find a new pastime.” He looked up at her as though she might confirm it. “This business of messing with people under false pretenses, it’s losing its edge. And I think we’re really doing more harm than good.”
“What was your goal anyway?” she asked, trying to sound casual.
He smirked. “Well… Since we’ve already revealed ourselves to be scumbags, I guess I can tell you. I wanted to fire you right off the bat.” She gave him a look, and he quickly added, “Not because you did anything wrong. Far from it. Under normal circumstances, you made a perfect first impression.”
“So, what was it, then?”
“I told Owen that we should let you go on the first day, because I knew he would want to keep you around and continue to press your buttons. He would keep irking you in ridiculous ways solely to see how long you would take it.”
She considered this and sipped her coffee.
“It wasn’t anything personal, I want you to know that,” he said. “In fact, I was surprised he tried that with you, considering we already knew you were Marty’s daughter. But he did, and I chocked it up to the fact that he just liked you instantly.”
“What?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He gave a small laugh. “I think he was intrigued by your good looks and the professional way you presented yourself to us. I think he tried to dissuade you from liking the job so you would leave and he could find someone else to pick on. But then you stood up to him and, well…” he trailed off with a hint of a smile on his lips.
“And what?” she asked.
“That just turned him on.”
She just stared at him.
He laughed a little and nodded. “Yeah, I’m serious. You stood up for yourself, but you weren’t acting, well, bitchy about it. You were still a great employee, even though the circumstances were all working against you. Combine that spunky determination with your good looks, and I don’t blame him for being hooked. He wasn’t going to let you go so easily after that.”
Lori bit her lip and frowned as she processed all of this.
“So, if I understand correctly, he was being an impossible jackass because he was attracted to me?”
Oliver smirked at her over his mug.
“What are we, in elementary school?” she demanded.
“Don’t act so innocent,” a voice came from the hall. They both looked to see Owen giving her a sly expression. “You haven’t exactly been resisting us. From what I hear, Oliver’s already got his reward early.”
“I said I was sorry about that,” Oliver muttered.
“Wait, wait, hold it,” Lori said. “You were attracted to me too, Oliver?”
His face said that should have been obvious. “What’s not to be attracted to?”
“So… You didn’t actually want me as an employee?”
“No,” Owen answered.
“You just wanted me around to flirt with, and in your case, conquer,” she said to Owen.
He raised his eyebrows playfully and smiled at her.
“Afraid so,” said Oliver, sounding a bit less pleased with himself.
Lori let her head fall back in annoyance. “Why couldn’t you just hint at that sooner?”
Both of them looked at her in surprise.
“Seriously,” she said. “Do you know how much could have been avoided? I would’ve been a much better sport if I knew that’s what you were after.”
Owen quirked his brow and Oliver put down his cup. “What?”
“Oh, please,” she said. “You think men are the only ones who like to have a good time? And handsome twins – Hello! Who wouldn’t be into that?”
Oliver looked dazed, and glanced sidelong at his brother. Owen returned the look, but smirked as though he had an idea.
“I don’t think she realizes what she just did,” he said.
“I don’t think so either,” Oliver agreed. “Ball’s in our court now.”
“Ha-ha!” Lori said sarcastically. “Not until I say it is.”
“Oh no, Little Missy,” Owen said, striding over to her. “You’ve just handed us your arsenal.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Half the fun was getting you to break down and admit you were into us. But you just gave that away. Now, no matter what you say, we know the truth. You won’t be able to lie to us now.”
“Doesn’t mean I’ll just give in and sleep with you,” she said coyly.
“No,” Owen agreed. “But it does mean you won’t be able to resist us for long.”
“Shut up and let’s eat breakfast,” she said with a smile.
“Hold on a second,” Oliver said. “You still haven’t told us whether or not you’re quitting.”
Her smile wilted a bit. “Well, it seems like the best way to go. I don’t know if I could go on sleeping with my bosses and expect to be taken seriously in my job… But if I wasn’t working for you. No harm done.”
“So, you’re going to find another job?”
Lori shrugged.
“I have an idea,” Owen said mischievously. “Let’s play a new game. Every day that you’re able to resist us – both of us – we’ll pay you a day’s wages.”
“What?” she asked.
“Yep,” he said. “We’d basically be paying you to not have sex with us. So, you wouldn’t be a whore.”
She gave a scoffing laugh.
“But we’ll keep trying our best to change your mind. What do you think, Oliver?”
“I think that’s interesting. She’ll be supported for a while.”
Lori gave him a look. “You don’t have confidence in yourself?”
“On the contrary,” the twins said in unison.
Oliver spoke up, “We don’t need to lay it on thick right from the get go. We like to warm it up a bit.”
“It’s more fun that way,” Owen added. “But there’s a catch.”
“What’s that?”
“You can’t pleasure yourself.”
“What?” She gawked.
“Don’t act like you don’t. All women do. And even if you’re one of the few exceptions, we’ll get you to change your mind. I guarantee it.”
“Uh-huh,” she uttered.
“Also,” he added, “As long as we’re playing, you can’t sleep with anyone else. That’s cheating.”
“Not trying to insinuate anything about your character,” Oliver stated. “Those are just the rules.”
“Alright, fair enough,” Lori nodded. “So, what happens if I give in to you?”
“Then you turn in your paycheck for ecstasy,” Owen purred.
She looked between both brothers and thought it over. “Alright, deal. But don’t get jealous over one another.”
They both chuckled. “You don’t understand,” Oliver said, “We’re twins. We were brought up to share.”