“Spit it out,” Wyattsays.

“I’m fucking bored,” Calebadds.

I grin at the twins. They’re both handsome guys, my age, with thick blond hair, tan skin, and light gray eyes. Actually, all of the guys in here are my age, and we all went to high school together back in theday.

This business was my idea, but I couldn’t have done it without them. Ryan’s the talented one, the best of us at actually building and fabricating things. Henry’s good at sales, and the twins know the business already since their father was in the business for a long time. I took over the administrative end of things, and for the past ten years we went from a little tiny nothing to a major player on the eastcoast.

It really happened by chance. I came home from Berlin for a month just to visit some friends and family, and ended up talking with Ryan one night. He took me to his shop and showed me his sculptures, these amazing steel things that he built himself, and from there we got talking. One thing led to another and here we are, owners of a thriving steel fabrication business, able to build anything we’recontracted.

“They doubled the order yesterday,” I say tothem.

Ryan sighs. “That’s not a badthing.”

“It is if we don’t have the guys to fill it.” Henry frowns at me. “Right?”

“Right,” Iconfirm.

Wyatt tosses his ball to Caleb. The twins don’t sayanything.

“Can we meet it?” Ryan asksme.

“I don’t think so, not without giving the guys overtime or hiring some temporaryworkers.”

“We can’t do temps,” Ryan says. “That’ll risk thequality.”

“So overtime,” Henrysays.

“Overtime,” Iagree.

“I’ll pitch in,” Ryanadds.

“We will too,” Caleb says, and Wyattnods.

I let out a sigh of relief. “Okay then. I’ll get the overtime set up, you guys add yourselves to theschedule.”

“That’s it?” Henry asks. “Shit, I was almost worried we were about to be slightly lessrich.”

The guys all laugh and the tension in the roomreleases.

“I thought James here was about to talk more about his pussy adventures,” Ryansays.

I roll my eyes. “Don’t be such a cock,” I say tohim.

“What? It’s the truth. You’re always bragging about some hot new chick you’re fucking,” hesays.

“You do,” the twins say at the sametime.

I glare at them. “Don’t becreepy.”

Wyatt grins sand throws the ball at me. I catch it and throw itback.

“There was someone earlier, though,” I say despite myself. I know how they’re going to react, but I can’t helpit.

Just as I predicted, Ryan groans. “You can’t fucking helpyourself.”

“You know, we don’t all brag about the pussy we’re getting,” Henrysays.

“This one is different.” I lean back in my chair, glaring at them. “She’s really young, forone.”