Chapter 2 – Open what?

After a long deliberation and changing, we finally decided on a dress I would wear. We also called Miles to let him know I would be taking him out.

“How should I dress?”

“Wear a suit and don’t embarrass my friend,” Trisha scolds Miles, “Come on, the reservation is at seven.”

“And we have three more hours,” he grumbles, casually walking to change.

He was completely blown away when we arrived. He always wanted to visit Capelle and, because of our financial situation, we couldn’t. I loved how his face lit up the moment we arrived.

“Capelle? Really? "Thank you, babe, you are an angel,” he says happily.

That was the last of this day that I enjoyed after that, because just as we were celebrating, and this man gives a curve ball I wasn’t expecting.

“I was thinking,” he said. “Would you mind if we opened our relationship?”

“Huh?” I asked, confused, Open our relationship? “I do not understand.”

“It is you!” Before he could reply, I heard a happy shout; I looked to my left to meet him.

“Hey Elly, how have you been? It has been a while, hasn’t it?” said Kai Beckett, my boss’s little brother, beaming happily at me, after I had just heard that my boyfriend wanted to sleep around.

“Um… Mr. Beckett, how have you been,” Kai was a tall guy, slightly taller than Brian and he was adorned with tattoos that made him look so scary.

I had heard that Brian had tattoos as well, but his tattoos were so hidden, he would have to have his shirt off for you to see and each time someone saw him he always had a full suit on.

“I have been well,” he says, extending his hand to Miles, “Kai Beckett,” he introduced himself, casually.

See, unlike Brian, Kai was a casual person. He would always be the one to step out of his office just to catch some extra office gossip about having a progress meeting.

He also had a welcoming smile each time you saw him, which made many drawn to him, and thus the name “lady snatcher” was born.

“Miles, I am Eleanour’s boyfriend,” he replies, shaking his hand.

“Is that so nice meeting you,” he says, “Brian comes here, Eleanour is here.”

‘Weren’t they supposed to be at the party?’ I ask myself.

I looked at where he was waving and my boss stood there glaring at him, a common occurrence between these two. Kai would be chatting up a storm when Brain glared at him.

“Miss Marino,” he acknowledged me, “sorry about my brother, we will be on our way. Enjoy your date.”

I could not help but widen my eyes, in surprise, like I had just said, we had only just heard about Brian’s tattoos.

But I have not even had a glimpse of them. But today he wore a shirt which exposed his hands and chest slightly.

And there they were, the glorious tattoos. He was covered in them so much you would not believe that this was always a serious, stoic, Brian Beckett.

They looked like sleeves, the same as Kai, but different designs. This man had always looked serious, and he didn’t look like one who would cover his whole body with tattoos, but I guess I was wrong.

“It is a date. Or thought it was just a dinner thingy, here I was about to suggest we join you.” Kai takes me back from my imagination.

“Kai, please use your brain,” Brain says, “let’s go get our food. Mom will be angry if we are late.”

Kai’s face is wearing an amused grin while Brian is trying his best not to cuss at him. “Please have a good night, Miss Marino,” Brian says, extending his hand to grab Kai.

“That is Miles,” Kai says, finally getting Brian to acknowledge Miles.

Miles smiles brightly at this, and he extends his hand to shake Brian’s, but Brian just nods his head to acknowledge him.

“Can we go now? I really do not like it when mom is angry,” he said to his brother, and Miles put his hand down, embarrassed.

“Fine, suit yourself,” Kai says, “See you around Elly, please help this fool get some humor at work, he needs it.”

I chuckle at him as he waves at me. Brian is dragging him away like a bag of trash and he is just smiling happily. Kai Beckett was a character worth watching.

“Um……. So, what do you think about my suggestion?” Miles spoke, reminding me what had just happened. He just asked me for an open relationship.

“Huh…...”

“Open relationship? Don’t you think it would work? Like my sex life has been completely dead since you started working.”

I can feel all my airways close, this man I am really serious about this open relationship thingy.

“And you think an open relationship will help that. What do you think our relationship needs us to be sleeping around?” It almost comes out as a scream, but I am somehow calm in all this storm.

“Well, it will help us. We really need this Ellie. "You are always traveling while I am here alone,” he pleads.

“Can…... can…… let me get some air” I could help but stand up to leave.

“Babe? What about the bill?” he asks so arrogantly it makes me snort.

“I said I am getting some air. "I am going to come back to pay,” I said, annoyingly.

Walking away from the table, he didn’t even try to stop me nor did he try to go after me. I saw him call a waiter to continue and order more food.

“Huh……” I breathed out. I had decided to take my time in the open space, think for a while, and take in what I had just proposed.

I closed my eyes a little. I wanted to scream at him, telling him he was insane, but then again, we hadn’t been intimate since I started working.

And though I hate to admit it, Mr. Beckett was kind of right. This job makes it hard for me to date because of the busy schedule, the overtime, the offshore meetings.

“Miss Marino? "Are you okay?” I opened my eyes to see Brian looming over me, with a concerned look on his face.