Clipped Page 3

  We hold each other’s stare, me waiting on edge to hear what he has to say. Unexpectedly he walks backward, and my eyes start their descent all over again.

  “Rule number one,” he repeats. “None of your rules apply when you look at me like you want to fuck me.”

  My body is still riddled with anger from Wes’ stunt earlier. I can’t believe I let my walls fall that fast. I’m never going to hear the end of it, from him or from Lucy. Who walked in at just the right time, singing Nelly’s It’s getting Hot in Here at the top of her lungs.

  “Are you thinking about him again?” Lucy asks me. “Your cheeks are burning up. You’re definitely thinking about him again.”

  “Can you just shut up and stop bringing him up.”

  “What? Why won’t you admit he’s attractive?” She takes a sip of her coffee while looking at me expectantly.

  “Why won’t you admit he’s attractive,” I say, trying to turn the tables back at her.

  “Don’t try and make this about me. There is no Wes and I.” she says with a sigh, and I wonder if there’s more. I’m going to get to the bottom of this, even if that means I have to do the unthinkable; and speak to Wes.

  6

  Wes

  “If this phone rings one more fucking time, I’m going to lose my goddamn mind,” I bark to myself, as I drive to my next job site. The crew is already on hand and work has begun, but I like to check in and make sure it’s all going smoothly. Some call it micro managing; I call it keeping the customers happy. They like to know the owner of the company cares and if they see me stop by once or twice then it shows that I do.

  After taking three more calls in a ten minute period, I’m ready to pull my hair out by the time I pull up at the job site. Scrolling through my phone, I search for Avery’s name, but I can’t find it. Fuck. My swears turn to chuckles when I realize I listed her under Anal.

  I hold my breath as I wait for her to pick up.

  “Hello,” she answers in a husky morning voice sending a punch of desire to my gut.

  “Hey, do you have plans today?”

  “Who is this?”

  “The sexiest motherfucker you know.”

  “Magnus Andersen?” she questions.

  “Fuck no, it’s Wes and you knew that. How could you confuse me with Magnus? That’s insulting.”

  “I don’t see how confusing you with the National Lumberjack Champion is an insult.”

  “He only beat me by five points. He better enjoy that trophy because he’s not fucking winning it this year,” I grit out, annoyed that she even mentioned Magnus. There’s nothing I hate more than losing...except losing to Magnus. His tree removal company is our biggest competitor and he’s got a way with the ladies. He’s a thorn in my side all around.

  She laughs in my ear. “Well a win’s a win,” she says, inciting my anger even more.

  I clench my teeth together, holding in my reply. Saying anything else about Magnus will only make me look as bitter as I fucking am. But Avery doesn’t need to know this.

  “I follow him on IG.”

  “Who?”

  “Magnus Andersen.”

  “What the fuck is IG?” I question, my eyebrows drawing together so hard I’m getting a headache.

  “Instagram. Are you messing with me, right now?”

  “No, I promise you, I’m not.”

  “Don’t you have an Instagram account for your business?” she asks, surprise in her tone.

  “No and I don’t Twitter either.”

  She giggles. “It’s tweet, not twitter.”

  “I thought it’s called Twitter?” I pinch the bridge of my nose, sorry I ever dialed her number.

  She laughs loudly until she snorts. “It is called Twitter, but when you post something it’s called tweeting. You really should have accounts on all those platforms for your business.”

  “You know how to...tweet?” I ask with a grimace. What genius decided to call it that?

  “Yes, I do.”

  “I’m actually calling you to see if you can help me out by coming into the office and setting up some appointments for me. My phone hasn’t stopped and I’m falling behind.”

  Silence…

  “Avery?”

  “Ah, yeah, I’m here.” She sighs. “I…”

  “Please, Avery,” I interrupt. “I could really use your help and I’ll make it worth your while.”

  “Okay.”

  “This is your office,” I say, gesturing Avery inside.

  “My office? I’m just here for the day, remember?”

  “Yeah, yeah. I know. That’s what I meant,” I pacify her, knowing damn well that’s not what I meant at all. I need an office manager and she’s perfect for the job - long brown hair, dark green eyes, mouthwatering rack, hips my fingers long to grip onto and an ass that won’t quit. Yep. She matches my criteria perfectly.

  She sits behind the desk, rolling the chair forward. Wiggling the mouse, she studies the computer screen.

  “Make yourself comfortable and familiarize yourself with everything.” I lean over her back, bracing my weight with one hand on the desk beside her. She goes still as a statue. Placing my other hand over hers, I move the cursor to the Good Wood appointment schedule icon. Trying not to notice how soft her skin is under my palm, I continue. “Answer the phone and book whatever they need.” Clicking on the icon, I wait while it opens and remind myself not think about what her smooth skin would feel like on my cock. “If you have any questions about how much time a service takes, just ask me. If I’m not here, you can also look back at previously booked things and gage by that.”

  Leaning down, I let my chest press against her upper back as I lean forward, placing my lips against her ear. “Thanks, Avery. You’re a lifesaver, today.”

  She shivers in response and I smile. Straightening up, I let both hands come to rest on her shoulders. Gently squeezing, I begin to give her a massage. Digging the pads of my fingertips into the curve where her shoulder and neck meet, I work on loosening the tension in her muscles. She moans and lets her head fall forward in surrender. My dick twitches at the breathy tone she emits. “Is this your idea of making it worth my while?” she asks.

  “No. For that you have to be naked and my face has to be buried in your pussy.”

  She gasps and I chuckle. “What? You know you want to know if my beard’s as soft as it looks.”

  She pulls away and then slaps at my hands. “Okay, that’s enough of the sexual harassment portion of the work day. Why don’t you go find something to do or I might have to leave.” She raises an eyebrow. “You did say you were ‘too busy,’ to answer the phone,” she says making air quotes.

  I smile. “I’ll leave you to get to it then. If you need me just call me. I’ll answer for you.”

  7

  Avery

  It just hit five o’clock, and it’s the first time I haven’t heard the blaring ring of the phones in my ears. Wes wasn’t kidding when he said he was busy. I don’t know what I thought he did or what his business actually entails, but being run off my feet, and him being this successful wasn’t it. Not that I would ever say it to his face, but I’m impressed and I surprisingly feel a little guilty for underestimating him. It’s obvious he’s worked hard to get to where he is. It's great to see when someone follows their dreams and turns them into a reality.

  My cell rings, and Wes’ name flashes across the screen. I’m shocked he never called and checked in on me earlier.

  “Hello.”

  “Ave?” He responds, his greeting sounding more like a question.

  “It’s Avery.” I correct. “And why do you sound unsure? who else did you think it would be?”

  “It’s the end of the day and I didn’t know if you’d decided to make your own way home once the phones died down. I know how eager you are to leave,” he explains.

  “Well, I planned on making my way to the hospital after this, anyway. Luce is going to pick me up on her way.”

  “I'll
call you back,” he says, hurrying off the phone.

  Hanging up, I pay no mind to his hasty dismissal and continue writing out the Good Wood social media marketing strategy. I’ve got some ideas that I think Wes will love. It’s all user friendly, even a monkey could run this daily. Even though this isn’t how I expected my day to go, I’ve enjoyed trying to keep busy and avoid worrying about mom. Utilizing my skills has always given me a sense of satisfaction that rivals anything else, knowing the day didn’t turn out to be a complete bust is the icing on the cake.

  As I type in last minute details to the online schedule, the office door swings open and an exhausted looking Wes barges in. With a sheen of sawdust covering every inch of his body, and random wood chippings embedded in his clothes, he looks deliciously filthy. I consciously turn my eyes back to the computer screen. There’s no way I’m getting pulled into the vortex that is Wes’ body and having him call me out on it again.

  A sudden waft of chinese food hits my nose and my stomach instantly grumbles.

  “Good thing I bought dinner then,” Wes says, as he sits down on the opposite side of the desk. I purposefully keep on typing, pretending to be a whole lot busier than I am. He pushes a takeaway container in my direction.

  “What’s in there?” I ask, cocking my head in the direction of the food.

  “For you. BBQ Pork Chow Mein.”

  “I can’t eat that, Luce will be here to pick me up soon.”

  “No she won’t,” he says bluntly.

  I narrow my eyebrows together and a look of confusion must cross my face, because he explains his comment immediately. “I spoke to her, she said we could have dinner here and I’ll drop you off at the hospital after we’re done.”

  I stop typing and push the office chair further away from the desk table, “well it’s great that you and Lucy think it’s okay to make plans on my behalf.”

  “Come on Ave,” I glare at his blatant disregard for my rules and he retracts.

  “Ave-ry. Avery.” He runs his hand over his face, sighing in defeat. “Stop being so difficult. I wanted to say thanks for today; is that a fucking crime?”

  “I just don’t want to miss visiting hours at the hospital.”

  “I’m not going to let that happen, Ave.” He reaches into the plastic bag and pulls out chopsticks and a fork. With both on offer to me I reach for the chopsticks, “I’m guessing Lucy told you what my favorite Chinese dish is?”

  “She did.”

  We eat without saying another word to each other, until Wes’ cell rings interrupting the now relaxed mood. I see Lucy’s name on the screen and wonder why she didn’t call me.

  “Hey,” he answers nonchalantly. “Yeah, we’re eating dinner.”

  I wave the chopsticks in front of his face, “what’s wrong?” I whisper.

  “Yep. I’ll let her know.” I hear Luce’s murmurings and become impatient not knowing what they’re talking about. “It’s fine, I promise, but I got to go before your sister stabs me with a chopstick.”

  He hits end and throws his phone on the desk.

  “Well?”

  “It’s nothing, Jeremiah isn’t feeling well so she asked if I can take him back home when we get there; so she can visit with you.”

  “What’s wrong with him?”

  “I didn’t get the details, but it didn’t sound too serious.”

  “Why wouldn’t she just call and tell me? What’s with you two anyway? You act like a married couple.” I fire questions from every angle. If I’m going to spend time with Wes, then I’m going to get some much needed information out of him.

  “Slow your roll. Me and Luce married?” He shakes his head, “No fucking way.”

  “Hey, what’s wrong with my sister?” He stands up and begins throwing the empty takeaway containers into a nearby bin, ignoring my question.

  “Can you finish your food so we can go see your mom? We can finish this ridiculous conversation in the car,” he says, sounding exasperated.

  I throw out the leftover food scraps and head out to the car. Setting all the alarms and making sure everything is locked up, Wes is a few minutes behind me as he closes up the office.

  Making our way to the hospital I pick up the conversation about Wes and Lucy.

  “So, how come you and Lucy aren’t a couple?” I blurt out.

  “We don’t see each other that way; we never have.”

  “Not even after a drunken weekend together?” I pry.

  “That would imply your sister actually let loose and got drunk.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Ave, I don’t know what you know about Lucy but even if there was a chance for her and I she’s not interested. Not in me, and not in anyone.”

  “Does that bother you?”

  “Does it bother you?” He asks, using my own reversal tactics against me.

  “No, why would it?”

  “I don’t know,” he shrugs. “You’re the one asking all the questions. Sounds like you’re a little jealous.”

  “You wish,” I respond dryly.

  “It’s not as complicated as you make it sound. We’re friends and we help one another out. Nothing more, nothing less.”

  “And you’ve both never hinted at anything more than friends?” I ask again to clarify. I’m feeling much more satisfied with the direction of this conversation.

  “Never.”

  “Okay.”

  “But you and I, we should definitely be more than just friends. Friends with benefits?” he asks with a chuckle.

  “Ugh. And we’ve come full circle. A civil conversation did nothing to change how annoying you are.”

  “You’ll fall in love with me soon enough,” he jokes.

  “Love? Please, I barely like you.”

  Resorting back to his cocky behaviour reminds me why I can only handle him in small doses. We finally pull up to the hospital parking lot, and I can’t jump out fast enough. Wes’ footsteps are soon right behind me. Noticing Lucy’s car a few spots down, we walk toward them as Lucy steps out of the drivers side and waits patiently for us to get closer.

  Seeing the exhaustion all over her face makes me feel like a shitty human being. Who am I to question her support system and make it about me and my stupid feelings? Who am I to judge her choice of help, when I’m not here to do it myself?

  “Are you okay?” I ask, once where all in hearing range.

  “Yeah, just a long day.”

  Wes chimes in behind me, “Is the little guy asleep?”

  She nods, and hands him the keys. He gives her his in exchange. “He didn’t want to eat, but he’s all showered and ready for bed.”

  “No worries, I’ll put him to bed and see you guys when you get home.” He says reassuringly.

  A sudden thought hits me, I didn’t tell him any of the work related things he needed to know. Shit.

  “Wait. Wes,” I say, stopping him from getting into the car. “I didn’t tell you what happened today at work or pass on any of the messages.”

  “That’s ok,” he says casually. “I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning for your second day of helping,” he says using his hands as air quotes. “We can go over everything then.”

  I stare at him in silence, as he gets into the car and prepares to drive off.

  “I feel like he just played me,” I say to Lucy.

  “Yep,” she says in agreement. “You fell right into that one.”

  8

  Wes

  I check on two job sites and then head to my business office which is located on Main Street in an old brick two story structure that was built in the early nineteen hundreds. I purchased the building last year and the small parking lot next door for a steal. All it needed was a little TLC. I’m not only good with wood, I’m great with my hands too. I redid the inside with the help of a couple of my buddies for cheap labor. I’m really pleased with the way it all turned out.

  The large windows on the storefront let in great natural light and
the Good Wood Tree Removal Inc. sign was made by another local business.

  The second floor is made up of two small one bedroom apartments I fixed up with a little paint and some new floors. I rent both out to local college students.

  As I head down the sidewalk and approach the building, I notice Avery sitting with knees up and her back against the building.

  “Hey, what are you doing sitting out here?”

  “I don’t have a key, so where else would I be?” she answers drolly, in typical Avery fashion with a question directed back at me.

  “I guess what I’m wondering is why you’re so early?”

  “You never said what time you wanted me to arrive and Lucy had to drop me off on her way to work.”

  “You should have called me. I would’ve picked you up on my way back from the job sites. There’s no reason for you to be sitting out here waiting.”

  “It was no big deal.” She waves her hand, downplaying the situation.

  “Only because I’m here now. What if I didn’t show up? Would you have called me? Or would you have sat outside all day on your stubborn ass just so you wouldn’t have to?”

  She chews on her lower lip to contain the smile that wants to break free.

  “Yeah that’s what I figured.” I shake my head. “You have a phone Avery. Be a good girl and use it.”

  She rises when I step beside her to unlock the door. The spicy scent of her perfume washes over me and I realize how fitting it is for her. Spicy is a word I’d use to describe her personality. She lulls me into thinking she’s going to be nice and then she hits me with her special brand of snark. It’s annoying and a turn on all at the same time. At any moment I’m caught between wanting to spank her tempting ass or kissing her taunting lips.

  Once I’m inside, she enters behind me as I punch in the alarm code. She stands there with her hands on her hips while her eyes scan the space like she’s seeing it for the first time. I take advantage of the moment and let my gaze trek over her. I start at the top of her long, shiny dark brown hair. I move down over her gorgeous face watching her green eyes sparkling with interest as she looks around. I skip over her neck to her tits because they’re fucking phenomenal and beat out her neck any day of the week. She’s wearing a tight fitting black t-shirt that hugs them nicely. What the fuck? Her shirt says #TeamMagnus.