Page 24 of Bridesmaid By Chance
Chapter Four
HUDSON
Not looking forward to today.
Not only do I have to find a solution to being short a bridesmaid and an assistant, but I have to tell Jude that I fired his sister.
Not ideal.
To make matters worse, I didn’t get a lick of sleep last night because all I could think of was what Sloane told me, that she wanted to ease my tension in a way that—I hate to admit—I’ve thought about several times.
Hell, I thought about it yesterday when I caught a glimpse of her in that skirt.
How easy it would be to slip off her underwear, bring her to the couch, and have her hover above me.
I pinch my brow.
What a fucking nightmare.
The elevator dings, and I head down the hall, nodding and putting on a smile for some of the early risers in the building. Since we began the co-op, we’ve been able to bring on fifteen employees, which is huge considering we just started a few months ago. The Cane brothers have assisted with the hiring and even moved some of their employees in Los Angeles up here to help train. I know for a fact that if it wasn’t for the assistance of Cane Enterprises, we wouldn’t even be close to where we are right now with our business. We would probably still be investing in a single idea and that’s it. But now…hell, we have our hands in everything.
Hardy is in charge of our agricultural department, focusing on our almond farms and expanding distribution.
Maggie and Haisley are working closely together on the event and wedding business: Maggie with planning, Haisley with vacation rentals that are geared more toward bachelorette weekends.
Jude is heading up construction and engineering with the Canes.
And now we’re moving into expanding the low-income housing projects that Cane Enterprises started here in San Francisco.
Not to mention Brody, Maggie’s boyfriend, is opening pop-up shops in old storefronts around the city, giving another life to worn-down spaces.
It feels…fuck, it feels good to know that we have made meaningful and significant changes and so quickly. So why does it feel like such a nightmare walking into my office this morning?
I should be proud of everything we’ve accomplished and the plans we have in the works. But yesterday…yesterday felt like a giant leap backward, leaving me to schedule an awkward conversation with my brother-in-law/friend/business partner who, in all honesty, kind of scares me.
Jude is built different. Hardy and I are tall, muscular—in a swimmer’s body kind of way—and we could hold our own if we needed to, but Jude…he’s…he’s as if J. J. Watt and Gaston fromBeauty and the Beasthad a baby together. Massive. Intimidating. But also has a real heart, which makes him extremely protective of the ones that he loves. Which I appreciate, since he’s married to my sister, but something I don’t appreciate when I have to tell him I fired his little sister.
Huffing out my frustration, I walk down the hall, making a note to DoorDash my green drink—which apparently has a lot of sugar—and when I reach my office, I open the door only to be greeted by Sloane, holding my green drink and smiling as if nothing happened yesterday.
“Jesus fuck,” I say, startling back. “What…what the hell are you doing in here?”
She glances at her watch and then back at me. “You’re later than usual. That’s okay, sometimes we need that extra sleep.”
Umm, what?
“Good thing I waited until the last minute to get your green drink, or else it would be warm.” She hands me the drink, and I stare at her as if I’m in some sort of twilight zone.
I…I fired her, right?
I did that yesterday?
That was real…wasn’t it?
“I already warmed up your computer for you and checked your schedule. It seems as though you don’t have any meetings today, which is surprising, given what a busy bee you usually are.” She nudges me toward my desk, and because I’m so fucking confused, I follow her direction.
“But not having meetings is a good thing because I saw your inbox, and you have a lot of emails you need to sift through.” She pulls out my desk chair for me, and I take a seat, right before she pushes me into my desk.
What the hell is going on?
