****
The drive to the golf course settled me some, and the odd stares I got as I tied the Harley up next to the expensive cars that lined the parking lot were well worth the effort. Society could suck a dick for all I could care. People with money and high ideals were closed minded, and the more I hung out with my brother and his friends, the more I realized that he expected me to soon become that as well.
Never. He might have been raised high on the hog in New York from his mother's rich family, but I was a country boy stuck in a business suit. I'd learned to fit in, and would continue to, but just seeing Olivia and Dana the night before had me yearning to get back home for a visit.
"Why do you do that?" Luke rolled his eyes and held the door to the clubhouse open for me.
"Do what?" I tucked my helmet under my arm and gave him an innocent look. The smirk that tugged at my lips wasn't helping my case much though.
"You know what." He popped the top of my helmet and rolled his eyes. "You know everyone here is going to hide their wallets now. You look like a misplaced Wall Street bad boy. Hide your daughters… he’s here.”
"Then I should have worn cut-offs and boots. You’re the only bad boy in this place." I chuckled and stopped by the front to ask them to hold the helmet.
"Where are your clubs?" He tugged at the strap of his bag on his shoulder.
"I broke my nine iron last time we came out here, remember? I'm using yours today." I rolled my shoulders and tried to ignore the burning need to pepper Luke with questions about Olivia. I had to take it slow in my inquiry, or it would be obvious that I was far more interested in my brother's girl than I should be.
"Let's get a cart then. I'm not having everyone here wonder why I'm golfing with a guy that doesn't have his own clubs." He huffed and walked toward the cart rental desk.
"So your woman is quite a looker. Beautiful girl." I moved up beside him as we waited.
He smiled. "She's hot as fuck. Best looking woman in the world. You should see her naked. I swear the gods carved her themselves."
I swallowed the lump that rose up in my throat. I had seen her naked as a girl. Had my hands all over her in a million make-out sessions, but that meant nothing now. I wanted to see what she'd become and explore every inch of her. Guilt racked my insides, but I ignored it. There was no way that I'd step over the line with Olivia. Firstly, she'd not allow it, but if things changed, then I wouldn’t allow it. My brother might be a scoundrel and a half, but he was still family.
"You love her?" I reached over and picked up a mint from the bowl on the counter.
"I'm not sure I've ever loved anyone." Luke pulled out his wallet and paid for the cart. "I'll ask her to marry me next year after we figure out if she fits in with the firm."
"Why wait?" I unwrapped the mint and popped it into my mouth. A peaceful confidence exuded from my tone that I didn't feel in the slightest.
"I like the idea of making sure she's right in all areas of my life." He put his wallet up and turned to face me. "You're looking for a love affair in your life. I'm a business man. I'm looking for a partner in the office, the public, and the bedroom. I have her in two of those places willing and ready to jump when I say jump. I want to make sure she's that girl in the office. Then I'll marry her."
"How the fuck do you marry someone you don't love?"
"Easy, you just give her the ring, do the ceremony and that's it. The partnership is created." He shrugged and took the keys from the cute attendant before winking at her.
"And if you get tired of her?" I snagged the keys from him.
"Then I'll let her go." He shrugged. "Why are you wanting to talk about this shit? You getting into one of your moods?"
"What moods?" I chuckled, trying to play off the fact that I wasn't looking for a partnership, but a grand love affair that could last forever. Sadly enough, the only girl I could see playing the part beside me belonged to my fucking brother who had no clue what love was. Olivia deserved so much better, even if she'd ripped my life apart all those years ago. We were kids. There had to be a way to right those wrongs and move on.
"You know... where you want to talk about love and kids and stupid shit like that." Luke pushed the door open to the green and dropped his clubs in the back of the golf cart. "Don't drive like shit either. These people already think you're a hoodlum from your bike."
"Aye, aye, captain." I got in the driver’s seat and floored it, just to piss him off. I laughed as he popped me in the chest.
"You know we still need to talk about who's going to train Jeremy on the Parkmount account. I know you're up to your eyeballs in responsibility, but I think it would be better received coming from you seeing that it's your account to manage." Luke leaned back and turned his face from me as he closed his eyes.
"I'm keeping it. It's a good reason for me to go home and see my mom." I slowed down and parked. "When is the trip? A week or so from now?"
"About nine days, I believe. One of us needs to go down there and schmooze them. There are some new products that they should be buying from us, but you know how tight-fisted the old man is." Luke got out and grabbed a club. "You want to go first, or me?"
"You go for it. I like to see where the challenge lays." I smiled at him and walked toward the fairway as a thought popped into my head. "Hey, how about I take Olivia with me? If we're going to offer her a position at the firm, don't you think it would be nice to see her in action? If she can get the Parkmounts to buy a few more products from us, then she's as good as her resume says she is, right?"
"Have you seen her resume?" Luke glanced back at him as he got into position. "And I've already offered her the job."
"I still think it's a good idea. You're an idiot if you don't." I shrugged and crossed my arms over my chest as hope resurrected inside of me. It was the best and worst idea I'd had in a long time.
"Fine, but you move out of the spotlight while you guys are down there. If we're testing her ability, then give her the floor and don't baby her. I know how you are with people. Your desire to want them to succeed is suffocating." He hit the ball and moved back.
"By that shitty shot, I'm thinking you need some success suffocating." I snatched the club from him and laughed as he growled. "Where is she from, anyway?"
"No clue. I told you that already."
"No, you dip shit. What firm was she working for?" I got into position and let out a short breath before swinging with all my might. The ball sailed past Luke’s.
"Show off. I swear your genetics make you good at every sport." He snatched the club from me. "She's from Tangling. One of Sarah Mayberry's groupies."
"Oh, nice. She is the big shit. I'd like to see her resume."
"Why? She already has the job, dip shit." Luke chuckled and walked back to the cart.
"Maybe I want her number to steal her from your evil clutches." I shrugged and sat down next to him.
"Good luck. I have this bitch wrapped around me so tight that when I flex she comes." He laughed hard as I gave him a look. "What?"
"She's a lady. Treat her like one, you ass." I pressed the gas and tried to ignore the need to ram his side of the cart into a tree. If nothing else, I needed to help Olivia get away from my brother. He wasn't at all the man she thought he was... or maybe she knew exactly who she was dealing with. The latter thought disturbed me more than the former.