After hours

Chapter Thirty-Seven

                Daniel and I had to have been the most awkward ‘friends’ I had ever seen. We were the kind of friends who avoided each other, refused to talk about anything remotely personal, and death glared one another’s romantic partner.

                Somehow we made it work though. That is, we made it work for a full two month before hitting out first snag.

                “Business trip?” I gasped.

                Everyone at the table turned to look at me and my cheeks reddened. There were nine of us in the meeting including myself. Sixteen eyes were staring at me, one particular pair looking more intrigued than the rest.

                “Yes Ryan. A business trip.” Daniel said again.

                I had heard him the first time, I just wasn’t prepared to deal with this. I hadn’t traveled to meet with a client since before my pregnancy. My heart ached just at the thought of it. When was the last time I had visited Laura? Daniel and I had actually taken a day and planted a tree for her. It sounded incredibly lame, but we didn’t get to give her a burial through my own fault and Daniel thought it would help my recovery. He had been right. We’d planted a tree for her at the park and had gotten her name engraved into one of the stupid park benches there. Her bench wasn’t stupid of course, but the rest were.

                I wasn’t sure I could handle traveling with Daniel. That hadn’t worked out so well for us the last time.

                “We’re going to work in teams. This is sort of a unique situation, and I’m sure they are just trying to test us, so let’s given them our A game.” Most times before closing a deal where we were co-funding a company we would have several meetings before finalizing. In our first meeting the brother company would come to us, in sort of a pre-interview, as they were the ones requesting our help in this project. They would present their project to us. Next, should we decide to accept the client we would have a meeting in which we would bring our A game, show them what we could bring to this project, what our plans and expectations were. Should they decide to accept up details and plans would be hashed out, often over skype or email if the brother company was not close by. Following this both companies would travel to the projected construction site. And finally, we would travel to their head quarters in order to sign the final contract.

                This particular company wanted all of these meetings to occur at once. The pre-interview had of course been completed, but now they wanted to be here there and the other place all at once. Meaning we would be splitting up.

                “Ryan, Frank and myself will be at the construction site as that’s where Alex is going to be.” Alex being the cut throat shark of an owner of the company who was interested in splitting the proceeds with us. She didn’t mess around and she didn’t play games. Not unless they were her games that is.

                “It hardly makes sense. You would think she would be there at her corp.” Linda muttered.

                “That’s the point.” Daniel agreed. “She doesn’t work on ‘so you thinks.’ She likes to push the envelope, so we need to push it right back. Her brother is going to be in San Diego running the show while she plays dress up in the hardhat with us. Linda, Mark, and Jason. You three are headed out to San Diego.” He turned finally to the last group. “You guys are to stay here. If you run into any snags call-” He hesitated before finally admitting. “Call my father if you run into any problems but I’m warning you, don’t come into any problems!”

                He dropped everything back onto the desk and everyone stood up. “We leave in three days.” He added as an afterthought. I was the only one who let out a groan.

                I was an awful person. I should have told Miguel right away about this business trip. But I waited until after dinner, and even after we shared a shower together before broaching the subject.

                Miguel was laying on his couch in nothing but his boxers holding a book in front of his face with one hand while I was towel drying my hair wearing one of his short sleeves button ups. “Miguel.” I said softly.

                He snapped the book shut and sat up. “Yes darling?” He asked and opened his legs for me. I sat between them and leaned back against him.

                “I, uh, I need to tell you something.”

                He began massaging my shoulders and it frustrated me only more so. Why did he have to be so great? “Tell me.”

                “I have a business trip in a few days.”

                “Mhm.”

                “With Daniel.”

                “Alright.”

                I sat up quickly and turned to face him. “Not just Daniel. Frank will be there too. We’ll all have our own rooms and I won’t even-”

                “Ryan, I said alright.”

                “Don’t yell at me!”

                He threw his head back and laughed a pure and sensual laugh.

                “I-” I blushed. “I’m sorry. I just, I didn’t think this conversation would go so well.”

                “You should have more faith in me.” He teased. “I have plenty in you.”

                I wasn’t used to this sort of behavior. “Well…good. Thanks.”

                “I trust you Ryan, don’t you trust yourself?”

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I know! This chapter is SUPER short. But that's okay. 

So they've at least made it a whole two months being friends, that sure says something anyway. Of course, avoiding one another and making small talk is pretty different from actually taking a trip together, spending significant time together, over night time together...

This could end badly, or maybe not?

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