Page 24 of Breaking the Alpha
“So we keep location tags off.This is a critical point in your career, River.Don’t let your ex dictate your future.”
*
River was definitelystrutting when he walked into Serpent’s Tongue Thursday morning with four of Angelina’s bracelets on his wrist.Every morning before work, he swung by Wholly Yours with two cups of coffee and got his daily dose of caffeine and Angelina.They both pretended he hadn’t spent another night on the Serpent’s Tongue couch, they both feigned ignorance about the floral cloth bags of fresh baking left by the store’s door every evening, and they both acted like neither wanted anything more than friendship.
It wasn’t ideal, but it was working.
Birch and Grey were already on site.Birch was working on a new design and Grey was copying one of the older pieces onto a fresh piece of paper.
“Well, that answers that question,” Birch said with a chuckle, elbowing Grey.“He was out upholding the Baker reputation in a warm bed all night, not face-down with a bottle of moonshine.”
Spinning a chair around, he straddled it, swatted at Birch’s pencil, and played along with the story since it was better than telling Birch where he was spending his nights.“I think Jocelyn’s made you forget you were once a bed-hopper.”He flexed and kissed his bicep, earning a snort from Grey.“These guns upheld the fighter rep protecting your ass.”
“Whatever, pretty boy,” Birch scoffed, reaching over to flick at the bracelets.“Ah, shit.Grey, I told you LA was going to turn him into an organic kale-eating, hemp-loving hippie.”
He tried to hide the stupid grin on his face as his thumb grazed the black beads on his red bracelet, but Grey was too quick, knew him too well.
“Ho.Ly.Shit,” Grey breathed, leaning in close and looking him square in the eye.“Birch, I think he caught what you have.”
Birch wasn’t as fast on the ball and his brows knotted in confusion.“I’m not sick.”
“You sure the hell are,” his younger brother stated seriously.“And so is River.”He pulled his shirt up over his mouth and nose and slid his chair away from both of them.“I didn’t know it was contagious.God, I’m so young.What if I catch it?”
“Catch what?”Birch growled, and River could almost see his nerves igniting.
Jumping up so fast he knocked his chair to the ground with a thud, Grey made a cross with his fingers, his face still covered.“It’s the lovesickness, Birch.He’s caught it.It’s gotta be airborne or something.”
River rolled his eyes as Birch wadded up a piece of paper and chucked it at Grey.“You’re an idiot.Pick up that chair.”
“Just look at the poor bastard,” Grey persisted, grabbing River by the jaw and tilting his head.“Smiling like a fucking moron, wearing jewelry, out all night, not even bragging about it.”He sniffed him and feigned a coughing fit.“And he reeks of Eau de Gorgeous Woman.”
Slapping his brother’s hands off him, River grunted.“We should have eaten you when your bones were still soft.”He looked to his older brother for backup only to find him smirking at him.“What?”
“Who is she?”
He tried to pretend he had no idea what Birch was talking about, but there was a reason his acting gigs were few and far between, limited to walk-ons with no lines.“No one.There’s no one.Shit, guys, I’m in the middle of a divorce.”He gestured to Grey, who’d grabbed a bottle of air freshener and was spraying it liberally around the room.“And he’s a moron.Why didn’t you trade him for beans or something when he was still little and cute?”
Birch grinned and sprawled back in his seat.“Who.Is.She?”
His nose wrinkled with the overpowering fake smell of clean linen.“It’s not serious.Just a woman I met when I got back here.”
His older brother crossed his arms.“A woman you’ve been spending every night with and it isn’t serious?Yeah, I know you haven’t been sleeping at home, Riv.So fess up.Where have you been?”
“Here,” he grumbled under his breath.It was either admit he had been hiding in the shop or own up to his unrequited crush with a woman who had clearly friend-zoned him.“I come here at night.It’s just a lot right now, you know, with the whole divorce and the photos and being back in the house again.”
Any and all traces of levity left the shop.Grey righted his chair and sat while Birch stared him down for a minute before running his hand through his hair.“Why didn’t you say something?I mean fuck, River.If you need some time to deal with this divorce thing, I get it.Hell, I’m kind of surprised you’re holding up this well as it is, considering all the shit you told me about the online junk going down.We could’ve gotten you a hotel room or something so you could have a little space.”
He hooked his thumb in the gray bracelet, a simple weave of three shades.“It’s not a big deal.It’ll pass soon enough.”Nodding at the appointment book, he cleared his throat.“What’s my schedule today?”
Birch held his gaze a moment longer before breaking it.“All right.Discussion’s over.”He glanced at Grey.“Hear that?Over.We have a group of five coming in from Furnas County.Grey, I’m giving you whoever wants the flag design I did up last night.I’ll take the two stamps, and we’ll divide the gator tat.River, we have two nose piercings and one tongue, plus a couple ears.Good?”When Grey nodded and went to the back of the shop to wash up, he looked to River.“You and I are going to have a sit-down.Soon.Go prep.”
*
River managed toavoid Birch’s threat of a sit-down until he snuck down the stairs with his backpack slung over his shoulder at midnight Saturday night.His brother’s unexpected presence on the front porch scared the hell out of him as he eased the door closed.
“Jesus, Birch,” he growled, adrenaline shooting through his veins.“What are you doing out here?”
Looking up from his position on the top step, Birch shrugged.“Waiting to tell you I get it.”
