“Miss Althea Greene, glad you could join us today,” Mr. Austin greets her. She glides into the room. Everyone is captivated, including me, and soon everybody settles down. Tommy finally leaves me be. I watch Ms. Greene take a seat beside Mr. Austin. Where she belongs. They look like a king and a queen ruling over their subjects. How fitting. Her fiery red hair is in a bun but tendrils have escaped. It makes her look alluring. The glasses she’s wearing give off the impression that she’s here for business, the opposite of the party look she had last time. She goes on to outline new improvements that she wants the team to undertake, detailing specifications with accuracy. She knows her stuff, she’s decisive and articulate. She takes no shit from any of the guys on the team. They seem enamored with her. I don’t blame them. If I weren’t so obsessed with my boss, I would have been girl-crushing on her. Big time. She’s a badass. No wonder Mr. Austin was flirting with her. Anyone with half
Austin “Miss Althea, thanks for gracing us with your presence.” “Cut the bullshit, Austin,” she leans closer, “I’ve never seen you so distracted before, I can understand the launch party but in a business meeting?” “You have no right to lecture me, the team is in top shape and catering to all your needs.” “I’m not talking about that. I’m a friend telling you right now to get your shit together,” she glances at my assistant. I follow suit. “Why are you letting that happen?” Tommy is handing her a glass of water. “You’re not even being subtle about it anymore,” Althea said. We both watch as Tommy gives the girl some biscuits. I clench my fists and face Althea instead. “What is it to you?” I said in a menacing tone. A warning. I’m getting defensive, we both know it but I have no clue where this conversation is going and it irks me. “Your tone might work with your subordinates but it doesn’t on me,” she challenged me. “Feisty.” “Cut the crap, I’m serious. This is the only time I
It’s one of those days. “...didn’t mean to walk out on you last night, Althea. Speak soon, take care.” He rounds the corner to the kitchen. It would have been all good and fine except I heard what he said on the phone. So, he was with her last night. I knew that. With the way they were canoodling in the meeting room, of course, they were going to meet right after. Would he really miss the opportunity to be with her when she went all the way to his building? My jaw clenches. I sink my teeth into my peanut butter and jelly toast. Crumbs scatter all over the table. I’m chomping on the sandwich and I do not care. I wash it down with my cold coffee. I stand to refill my cup and dump more sugar in it. One spoon. Two spoons. A dash of milk. Mr. Austin glances at what I’m doing when he fills his cup. I don’t acknowledge him and stride over to my seat where Charlie is waiting beside me on her own chair. I give her a piece of white bread. She ignores it. She’s getting picky. “You can’t
I drag my feet across the living room. The house is deadly silent. Good. Having a fight near midnight had its advantages. Number one, fewer people saw me crying. Tears and snot in public transportation do not in any way paint a pretty picture. Number two, I’m sure my mom is used to it but I didn’t want her to see my puffy eyes and ask me further questions. Number three, if Augustus saw me, he would probably beat the crap out of me for leaving in the first place. No, he’s not worried. He just doesn’t like knowing that I have freedom. And I’m really not in the mood for another confrontation today. I don’t have much energy for anything else. I crash into my bed and like a lovesick teenager, stare into my ceiling. The molds and holes are somewhat comforting. I’ve seen them all throughout my life. The dampness of the room and the old house smell remind me of the times I’ve laid here on the same bed and promised myself so many things. Promised that I would get the hell out of here an
Austin - 20 years ago - “Please, please!” I yell through the gag in my mouth. “Aaah!!” Seb cried out. They’re hitting him with some type of wood. He’s choking on something in between screams of agony. Blood in his mouth, I realize. It must be his own blood by the sound of it. They did something to him, he kept on spitting and gurgling. Should I be grateful that my eyes were covered and that I couldn’t see how they were torturing him? But the sounds, oh my god, the sounds. The blood-curdling sounds of my big brother screaming in pain, the crack of his bones, and the worst part is his whimpering. The way that he's forcing himself not to react. But his body is giving up. I know it is. He can’t endure that much, it’s impossible. Seb has always been the tough one. Sebastian Cane is the golden boy of the family. He can do nothing wrong, he can do everything and be the best in it without much effort. He's the best person I know. Maybe it would have been better if I could see so th
It catches him off guard. I know it does even if he hides it. A minor flinch. He quickly drew his hand away. The water from his hand dripped on the kitchen floor. I take a seat on the kitchen island, facing away from him. Giving him the space he needs. I find something to do with my hands. All the vegetables are peeled and sliced. I take a few more potatoes and begin peeling. Nothing wrong with a few more potatoes. He leans bank on the kitchen sink. I can feel his gaze burning my back. He took his time before he finally answered, “Okay.” I don’t move from my spot, I just wait. Like a feral animal, I wait for him to come to me. Is this what it’s like to tame something so wild? A few more seconds pass. Then a click. Charlie barks. She hates the sound of the coffee grinding machine. I’m done with the first potato by the time he has finished with the monstrosity that he calls his beloved espresso machine. The scraping of the wooden chair on my right alerts me to his movements. S
Lunch with the girls is always the highlight of my day. The sight of their friendly and sometimes goofy faces makes my day a little bit okay. The teasing and banter are something I look forward to even if I act like I don’t like it. I consider them my first true friends. They’ve been my lifeline in the past crappy weeks in the company and I couldn’t have been more grateful. I love them, every single one of them. Except for today, I can categorically state that they’re annoying as hell. “What do you mean he’s sitting with us? Again? Wasn’t he here last time?” Rosie asked through a spoonful of what seemed to be mush. “Girl, let him sit wherever he likes,” Charlie insisted. “This isn’t high school.” “Oh, that’s nice, let the man you’re thirsting for sit here even if he’s trying to bag your friend,” Rosie responded. “It is a girls-only table,” Andrea said beside me. “Charlie’s practically more of a woman than me anyway,” she added. “Agree,” Rosie said. “So why are we letting that
Austin The door slamming makes me swivel my chair back. “Austin,” Samantha Cane said in a way of greeting. I murmur a goodbye to the head of the I.T. Department and switch my phone to silent. I don’t want distractions for this. I raise my head, that’s all she’s going to get today. “That’s no way to greet your own mother,” she said. She stands by the large windows. I don’t respond. She’s baiting me. Why else would she visit me here? “It’s a little cramped in here, no proper ventilation,” she said. Inspecting the room further. “Didn’t you hire Elaine? She’s the best interior designer in town.” I remain passive, looking almost bored. But I know her every move is calculated, precise, and deliberate. She makes herself comfortable on the leather sofa by the window. She purposely disregarded the chair in front of my desk. A power move. Of course, wouldn’t want to seem like a subordinate in any way. “Oh, my… those are just atrocious,” she commented on the antiques on top of my table