Page 40 of It's Going to Be a Chrome Christmas
When Jeff came knocking on her office door a few minutes after eight, Cayden was helping her button-up her coveralls. She winced at the sound. “I owe them an apology too.”
“We do,” he corrected. He’d also been a bear these past couple of days.
“What do you want me to tell them?”
She was wrinkling her nose in worry, so he kissed it. “Well, we can leave out the non-existent marriage proposal detail, but we can tell them the rest.”
“Everything?”
He nodded. “I’m not ashamed of us, and I have no desire to lie about my past. You trust me, and that’s enough for me.”
She bit her lip. “Peggy told me what happened at your other jobs. I don’t want that to happen here.”
“Well, here, I am doing something that I didn’t do at my other jobs.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m sleeping with my boss.”
She laughed. “Hell yeah, you are.”
He took her hand. “Ready?”
She nodded. “Let’s do this.”
They walked down the stairs together. Despite that they were coming out as a couple, neither had any desire to rub it in the employees’ faces. So, before opening the door to the first floor, Cayden kissed the back of the hand he held and then let it fall.
Cayden could immediately feel the difference in the atmosphere today versus Monday’s and Tuesday’s meetings. Maybe it was just him, but the air didn’t feel as tense.
Unlike every other meeting before this that he’d attended, Cayden followed Trixie to the front of the room. She didn’t take a seat on the table like she usually did either. Instead, they stood side by side to face her employees.
She held up a fifty-dollar bill and put it in the collection jar.
“I owe everyone an apology,” she started out saying as soon as everyone was settled. “I have treated everyone unfairly the past week. To answer the obvious question, yes, Cayden and I are romantically involved, and yes, it was the source of my, uh, aggravation this week.” At some of the looks shot Cayden’s way, Trixie quickly added, “It wasn’t his doing and I won’t have anyone blame him. There were circumstances outside of his control and I reacted to it badly.”
Cayden wanted to touch her but refrained from doing so in front of everyone. They needed to show that they could keep their personal and professional lives separate.
“What happened last week with the cops?” Trinity in sales asked.
“As some of you are aware, last Thursday, a former acquaintance of Cayden’s brought a stolen vehicle to our bay door. This forced us to call the police. The situation was handled appropriately and was of no fault of our own.”
Drew in marketing asked, “Was Cayden arrested?”
“No,” Trixie said quickly. When she looked over at him questioningly, he nodded, giving her permission to continue. “Cayden started working here through a work program under the terms of his parole.” Cayden stood tall and met the accusatory looks head-on. He was not ashamed of his past. “I was aware of his circumstances at the time of his hire. I felt it was not something that needed to be shared?—”
“He’s a convict!”
“Is he dangerous?”
“We had a right to know!”
“Enough!” Trixie called over the protests. “You didn’t have a right to know, nor is there a rule that states you do. I choose who works here and I chose Cayden. Has he not helped out every one of you in some way? Has he not upgraded our security? Has he not worked just as hard as any of you?” She paused, meeting everyone’s eyes before she continued. “My personal relationship with him aside, he is as valued an employee as the rest of you.”
Seeing the fight still on many of their faces, Cayden stepped forward. “I was arrested for car theft. I was sentenced three years but only served thirty months and was released on good behavior. I am serving the remainder of my sentence on parole. I asked Trixie not to tell anyone my history when she hired me. This is my fourth job since my release. I am sorry for any personal grief I have caused you. I hope you won’t hold my past against me as I want nothing more than to move forward and be a better man.” He shot Trixie a look over his shoulder. “A worthy man.” Turning back to the rest of them, he added, “I’m a gearhead at heart, just like the rest of you.”
The first Saturday of August, Cayden and Trixie found themselves lying lazily in her bathtub surrounded by mountains of bubbles. They were each in their own thoughts, which was fine with Trixie. She was loving the feel of him lounging behind her. Cayden had already unexpectedly washed her hair. It surprised her how intimate the act was, and yet so simple. No one had washed her hair for her since she was a little girl. It shouldn’thave been arousing or erotic, but it had been. And sensual and sweet.
There was no doubt in her mind that she was in love with Cayden Russo, her Cocky Biker.
