The Importance of Being Kept

Chapter 5. The Twindar

Wednesday, hump day, Kia stared at the calendar on her desk.

"What are you doing? Are you zoning out when you have so much work to do?" Darren suddenly appeared in her doorway.

He'd been riding her ass since she started working for them. "Darren, I don't need you to check on me every hour of the day. I'm doing just fine. God, I can't wait until Friday gets here."

"Friday? You just started working for us and already you're wishing for Friday?"

"And why do you think that is? I'm new to all of this and you pile all this work on me and then constantly breathe over my shoulder. I don't need you to micromanage my every move!"

"She's right, Darren," Bryan said appearing on the other side of the door. "Cut her some slack. You're probably making her nervous."

"I didn't know I was being so annoying to you." Darren raised his head slightly. "I only wanted to tell you, your furniture has arrived," he told her curtly and left.

"Don't worry about him, he's uptight because he lost an account. There was nothing he could do about it, the guy moved to Haiti, the only place he can't use his business," Bryan gave her an encouraging smile and walked away.

Kia stared at the empty doorway thoughtfully and wondered if Darren would always get into a pissy mood when he lost an account. Losing accounts and bringing in new ones was part of running a business but knowing Darren he'd probably see it as some kind of failure on his end. The man was too hard on himself, but she wasn't about to let him be hard on her.

Kia was excited about her new furniture. She wanted everything in glass and gold. She spent an entire hour directing the movers and setting it up exactly the way she wanted it. The twins gave her space and didn't bother her once. She was surprised and pleased they let her have complete control. Darren was completely disinterested, but Bryan would walk by casually whistling with his hands in his pocket and peep in when he thought she wasn't looking to check on the progress. She had to laugh at him, silly man. He was trying so hard to not be overbearing.

When she finally finished, she almost cried. Next to her perfectly well decorated apartment, she'd would have to say this could be her second home it was just too beautiful to leave every day. "Hey guys, come look at my new office!" She ran into theirs excitedly. "Decorated in Kia style!"

Bryan chuckled and stood up.

Darren continued to type on his computer.

They stared at him.

"Come on Darren!" Kia told him.

"I'm busy, I'll see it later," he told her without even bothering to glance at her. "Unlike some people I know, I have a lot of work to do," he said coldly.

"Ugh! You are such a tight ass!" Kia almost screamed at him. "I am trying to share a very important moment with both of you and you are ruining my good experience!" She walked away from him and went into her office.

"Darren don't...just don't, not with Kia...you can be in a bad mood on your own, but don't take it out on her," Bryan told him. "You hurt her feelings." Bryan shook his head at him and walked into Kia's office.

Darren took off his reading glasses and rubbed his eyes. Damn. Couldn't he do anything right around her? He got up and walked into Kia's office, she was basting in Bryan's praises, her beautiful face practically glowing. Perhaps she preferred his brother, Bryan always knew what to say to get her to smile. He, himself, only seemed to anger her.

Kia stared at him in surprised when she noticed he was in the office. He stood in the middle and looked around. "Rather glamorous isn't it?"

"You think? It's because of the gold, too much?" Kia asked hesitantly.