Page 32 of Enemies with my Bestie’s Brother
She’s not wrong, either, unfortunately.
“Whitney, I know that I don’t deserve for you to hear me out, but please hear me out! I’m so sorry for telling Landon that we had sex again. It wasn’t my intention to betray your trust, I was just venting my frustrations to a person I trust. Landon would never judge you for anything related to us.”
In fact, I’m pretty sure my older brother thinks I’m the biggest asshole on this planet, right now. And if he did think that, he would be right.
“I don’t care, Grayson, I don’t accept your apology. If you want to be alone so badly, then there’s nothing stopping you from doing so! Fire me, fire all the workers, and decorate your apartment by yourself!”
“Come on, Whitney, don’t be absurd! You know I wouldn’t fire you, or any of the other people. Please just try to see things from my side. I’m not used to my personal space constantly being filled with people in this way, especially when it’s my home. I shouldn’t have blamed it on you, or dragged Landon into anything. Landon offered to meet in his office but I didn’t want to have to go back and forth. It’s on me and I’m sorry.”
I’m pleading with her, and normally I would feel ashamed that I’ve stooped this low, but I am perfectly fine with it. I don’t want Whitney to be mad at me. Why though? Just a couple of hours ago, I was mad at her for leaving. Actually, now that I think about it, I’m still mad at her for that, but yelling at her isn’t going to get me the answers that I want.
“Whitney, why did you leave that morning? Was it for revenge?”
“No! I mean, maybe a little, but that wasn’t the main goal. I woke up, and you were asleep, and I realized that I seriously fucked up. Again. Actually, this time it’s even worse, because you’re not just my best friend’s brother anymore, you’re also my boss, which makes this situation ten times harder. If things go south with us, which it already looks like it has, then I’ve made two different parts of my life messy. It’s already hard enough as it is, keeping a secret like this from my absolute best friend, who has done nothing but love and support me from day one.”
I open my mouth to interrupt her but she holds her hand up and shakes her head.
“No, you’ve done enough talking. You’re going to listen to me now, Grayson. The only reason that I agreed to take this job in the first place was for Penny. Not for you, not for me, not for anyone but Penny. I didn’t even want it in the first place. I didn’t even want it before I knew it was for you! I just wanted to go back to Keene and live with my guilt in silence. But now, every day I see my best friend and I suffer, knowing that I’m lying to the sweetest person in the world.”
She wipes a tear away as she turns to go down the stairs. She continues down and I don’t chase after her as I think about what she says. I knew that it was tough on her, keeping this secret, but I never knew that she was so racked with guilt. It’s devastating to learn that, especially because she doesn’t need to be. We aren’t doing anything wrong by sleeping together, and I know for a fact that Penny wouldn’t judge her for it. Penny would probably be ecstatic to know that her best friend and favorite brother are dating. Well, I use the term “dating” loosely, because at this rate it has just been a friends-with-benefits sort of thing. Well, without a lot of the “friends” part.
I can at least understand why she’s apprehensive about sleeping with her boss. It puts her business at risk, which is something I understand, as somebody who’s been around other people’s workplace romances. But isn’t it a bit different when it’s a contractor and a client than with an actual workplace?
Or is it worse, because it could be seen as her attempting to social climb while growing her own business? Yeah, now that I think about it, she may be crucified by the upper echelons of San Francisco if that ended up being the case. No married woman would hire her, for fear that she would sleep with her husband.
I need to think. I head back upstairs to the apartment. I step inside to find that Landon has disappeared from his spot on the couch. I pick up my phone when a text lights it up, unsurprisingly from Landon. I sigh as I read the message from him, informing me that he decided to head home and he will be back tomorrow.
I stroll through the hallway until I get to my room, where I fall onto the bed face first. Where on earth did I go wrong?
Chapter Fourteen
Whitney
I’mintheguestroom, putting together a mood board for the theme of the party. I decided to go with a masquerade theme. I felt like it was the perfect combination of historical and magical. Penny loved the idea right away, and even though she barely has any time on her plate, she wanted to design our costumes for us.
I had to talk her down from that idea, though. I don’t want her to get overwhelmed again, so I told her that maybe she could commission another designer to make them. She was disappointed at first, but eventually agreed that it would be better for her to conserve her energy and not go overboard with work. It is admirable, though, how hard-working Penny is. If she didn’t have to sleep, she would attempt to take on every idea or project that came her way. She truly is a force to be reckoned with.
Pulled up on my iPad, I have pictures of the rooftop restaurant that will be hosting the party. It’s perfect for a masquerade, with string lights strung up along the black iron railings outside. The inside dining hall is bright and airy with paneled walls and hardwood floors. Once I finally get some decorations in there, it will be perfect. I’ve already ordered a hundred white silk table covers for all the tables and have been on the hunt for the perfect golden candlestick centerpieces.
Those have been a bit more difficult to find, but it has given me the perfect excuse to avoid Grayson and go galivanting around the city to every antique and vintage store around. In all honesty, I’m so nervous about seeing him. It feels like every time I’m about to run into him, my entire body starts shaking. It’s actually a little embarrassing when I think about it.
I’ve been going into this apartment to get things done when I know that he’s not there. Does he notice the small pieces of furniture or wall hangings that appear every so often? Or is he so wrapped up in himself that he doesn’t even pay attention to what’s going on in the apartment around him? It’s a question that I honestly would love to have answers to.
A knock sounds on my door, and I sit up in bed before calling out.
“Come in!” I say, yet instantly regret it. What if it’s Grayson?
Luckily, Penny comes sauntering in and smiles softly.
“Hey, girlfriend!” She laughs quietly as she looks at me. “Everything okay in here? I’m a little worried about you. You’ve been spending a lot of time in your room lately.”
She sounds like a concerned mom. I look at my best friend and realize that she is a concerned mom. She may not be my mom, but she does have a baby. Do moms develop this sudden sixth sense of knowing when something is up with someone?
“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I’ve just been trying to get everything figured out for this masquerade party. It’s taking up a lot of my time, and truthfully, I hate being on my iPad in front of people. It makes me feel rude.”
This is actually true. I always try to do my work in private. It helps keep me focused too, which is an added bonus.
“Oh, don’t apologize! I just wanted to check on my bestie. I am so excited about the masquerade, and I totally understand what you mean. When I’m designing, I need to be away from people. Speaking of designs, I need to know: Do you feel more in tune with peacocks or with butterflies?” She looks at me quizzically.
