Page 39 of Mister Cowboy
Some thought it was a good idea, others didn’t, but they were all there because they knew if they could pull it off, it meant a great deal of money in future contracts for everyone involved. However, deciding the details of how that impacted their current companies, employees, and their own positions was a bit trickier. One man suggested a total buyout where they would completely wash their hands of their current businesses, but he was in the minority. Most everyone wanted to hold on to a piece of what they’d built, Brecken included.
Honestly, he wasn’t sure what he wanted or why he was there. He didn’t need to merge. He had everything he’d ever set out to achieve, but something about changing and starting a new challenge intrigued him. Also, there was no denying that being part of the agricultural world was a part of who he was, or at least who he’d been. He was good at it because he knew the business.
“Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.” Dan loosened his tie and slouched back in his chair. The exhaustion on his face was a dead giveaway that he wanted this more than anyone. His company needed it. “Let’s meet back tomorrow, same time and place.”
After shaking hands and making his polite departure spiel over and over, Brecken found himself outside walking toward the hotel. It was several blocks away, but getting into another small space with anyone after an entire day crammed in a conference room with ten people was out of the question. He needed time to himself to think and to breathe without anyone expecting him to say or do anything.
His mind should have been on the prospect of merging his company and deciding if it was a good move for him, not on Henry and their meeting next week. A meeting. Ha! He could remember back to when they were kids and held meetings in their fort. Those had mostly consisted of figuring out what pranks they were going to pull for the day or how they were going to talk their parents into letting them go into town by themselves.
It’d been years since Brecken had seen Henry. He did the math in his head quickly, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk when he realized it’d been nearly two decades since he’d been in the same room as his childhood best friend. God, it felt like yesterday in some ways. He refused to admit it aloud, but it also felt like a lifetime.
Brecken had spent the first five years after leaving home holding steady in his hate for Henry and his father. Pride and stubbornness ruled him. He’d focused on school and had done his best to forget everything he’d ever known that felt like home. Except his mom. Thank goodness. He’d never have forgiven himself if he’d wasted time punishing her. As it was, he hadn’t had enough time with her before she got sick.
By the time he reached his hotel, he wanted nothing more than to shower and then lay in bed and watch television until sleep saved him from his memories. Almost as soon as the door to his room clicked shut, his shoes were off and he was peeling off his suit jacket, shirt, and tie. He undid his pants and let them fall to the floor, stepped out of them, and met his reflection in the mirror. He watched his own face transform from a pitiful, angry glower to a ridiculous smile as he checked himself out in his zebra print underwear. They reminded him of January’s reaction to the leopard print, and his dick was twitching as he remembered that day. Had it really only been a few days since then? A little over a week since he’d met her?
Feeling playful, he snapped a quick pic and sent it to her before he jumped in the shower. By some small miracle, the woman seemed to be his own personal happy place, elevating his mood without even being in the same room.
20
January
Twirlingthe straw slowly around the mixed drink, she sat at the bar with one elbow propping her up.
“You’re scaring off all my customers with this bored or depressed aura you’re putting off tonight.” Michael slid a fresh drink in front of her.
“I’m exhausted. Did you know that place has four bathrooms? Four!” She held up four fingers and took a long drink. “I’m starting to think I got myself in over my head with this job. I’ve been working for two weeks, and I’m not even halfway through the house.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’ll get it done.” Michael looked toward the door as the entrance bell rang and his eyes went wide. Shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other, he cursed under his breath as January turned to see what was going on.
“January, I didn’t know you’d be here tonight.”
Carrie’s overly cheery voice was a far cry from her usual laid-back tone and demeanor. Shooting Michael a confused look, January patted Carrie’s back as the woman wrapped her arms around her and squeezed hard.
“What are you doing here?”
As far as January knew, Carrie had never stepped foot in Michael’s bar before.
Carrie honed in on Michael’s face as she responded. “Michael told me he owned the place, and I thought I would stop in and see what all the fuss was about.”
A guilty look crossed Michael’s face, which told January everything she needed to know about why Carrie was actually there. Standing, drink in hand, January motioned for Carrie to sit. “Here, sit down. I need to talk to Michael for a minute. What can we get you to drink?”
She looked put out, but January didn’t care. She needed to talk to Michael.
“Oh, okay. Just a Sprite.”
January smiled sweetly while she waited for Michael to pour Carrie’s drink and set it in front of her. She followed behind him as he headed to the small kitchen area of the bar, his head hanging down.
When they were as far away from Carrie as they could get, she stepped in front of him and whispered angrily. “Oh my God, Michael, tell me you didn’t sleep with her!”
Rubbing a hand over his five o’clock shadow, he kept his mouth closed.
“Oh. My. God.” She punched him in the arm, and he stepped back with his arms raised.
“Okay, okay. You’re pissed. I should have told you, but I thought she understood it was a one night thing.”
“Not. Making. It. Any. Better.” January glared. “I have a total of like five friends. You couldn’t sleep with one of the other five hundred thousand people in this city? Just tell her I’ll talk to her later. I’m gonna go home.”
He nodded and disappeared as her phone vibrated in the back pocket of her jeans. Opening the message, she slapped a hand over her mouth. The man had sent her a picture of his ass. Well, his ass covered by more animal print underwear. It was the most ridiculous sext she’d ever received. The man couldn’t send a selfie of his face or a mirror picture of his shirtless upper body like every other guy. Nope, he’d sent a picture of his ass.
