Authors: Felicite Lilly
Kellan
The last five days had flown by. I had talked to Mac at least once every day. She used the excuse that she wanted to talk about her trip out to Maryland or the business, but I knew she just wanted to talk. She had kept me up to date on what was going on in her life and at the bar. I had told her about what I’d been up to, minus all the masturbation. We had always gotten around to talking about the business at some point, but more than that she was my friend. A valued piece of my life, one I looked forward to seeing.
Mac was flying in today, my birthday, her flight had been delayed due to weather, so she’d be in around 3pm our time. Minus Lynn.
Lynn’s partner had broken her arm during a rock climbing accident. She refused to leave her side. Lynn hadn’t been into The Strip since it’d happened. I was afraid Mac would have to cancel since she was in charge while Lynn was out, but she said that Russell’s girlfriend, Kristen, would cover for her while she was gone and call her with any issues.
Mac had taken to her new position with ease. I was proud to pay her what I did. Jake was less thrilled. We had it out over the cost of our new
employee
. He thought I was paying her because I wanted in her pants. The original reason for having funded part of her salary had been less than honorable, true, but she had proven herself to be competent and intelligent. I couldn’t wait for Jake to meet her.
Lynn said that if her partner was feeling better she would fly in over the weekend. I knew it wasn’t because she wanted to see Freemont’s; she wanted to keep an eye on Mac. She was a good friend, but I was more than a little pissed that she didn’t trust me. I had done nothing but treat Mac with respect. I hadn’t pushed her to have phone sex with me, like I desperately wanted to.
I wasn’t stupid enough to believe that Mac hadn’t pulled out a vibrator over the past few years to scratch an itch. The thought of her doing that, had my dick trying to push the desk up off my lap. The damn thing had become a problem over the past week, my dick not the desk. No matter how many times I took a cold shower or took care of myself, it was never good enough.
“Mackayla Montgomery’s flight will be here in an hour. Do you want me to pick her up?”
Bren asked as she came into my office.
“No.”
I studied the papers under my hands. I had no idea what I was looking at, just trying to will my dick to soften.
“Who’s getting her then? It’s your birthday I thought you’d have plans.”
“I’m picking her up. Those are my plans.”
I could feel her disbelieving look before I saw it. Why did everyone doubt I could be a good guy? Oh, that’s right, because I normally wasn’t. I
normally
sent Bren to pick up business associates.
“Really?”
“Jesus Christ, what is so surprising!?”
Bren squeaked and danced around. I didn’t think this would warrant that kind of a reaction.
“Oh my God. You
lik
e
her. I can’t wait to meet her! Can I come with you to the airport?”
I didn’t know how she made that leap, but it’s not like she was wrong. She was the little sister I never wanted. But I didn’t deny that I liked Mac, because I did. I had a deep regard for her. Probably deeper than I wanted to admit to myself.
“No. You will stay here and help Logan with brewing. I want you to get more involved with the bar and its interworkings.”
I’d been trying to get Bren to take over most of my bar duties. I knew she would flourish managing the bar, and taking over for me would allow me the ability to do more promotion for our business.
I had graduated from college Suma Cum Lade with a marketing degree and a minor in business, and there was a reason for that. I liked having my own business, but I thrived on playing up the strengths of a company. And what better company to promote than the one I helped create, one I knew inside and out?
Bren was still standing in my office.
“Go Bren! Get in your work clothes and find Logan!”
I made her bring a change of clothes for the times she would brew so she didn’t get her
nice expensive clothes
dirty. Like I said, little sister.
“Fine! You better introduce me when you bring her in!”
Bren wagged her eyebrows suggestively. If she only knew that I hadn’t even kissed her yet. I would never hear the end of it. But that was no one’s business but Mac and my own.
I grabbed my keys and wallet out of my desk, almost running out the door to my car. I couldn’t get to the airport fast enough.
Mac
I had been antsy the entire flight. When they had announced at the airport that our flight had been delayed, I was bummed. I had been stunned to find that the feeling was genuine. Over the past few years I had been trying to learn how to react the way I
should
in certain situations. Situations involving men had been very difficult for me in the beginning. But I had worked on it and gotten better.
Kellan had brought out normal natural reactions in me that I thought had died. Turns out they had just been waiting to be uncovered by a certain hard headed businessman who respected me and treated me, well, kindly.
I had finally talked to Cam over dinner two nights ago and voiced my growing affection for Kellan and how we had struck up a long distance friendship.
“You’re trying to tell me, Cam, your girl, that you have only friendly feelings for him?”
“He is a good friend.”
“Bullshit! He told you he wants more. You’re visiting him in
Maryland
. You told him about the fucker that raped you.”
I flinched. Cam had never outright brought up me being raped. I took a deep breath. She reached across the table and grabbed my hand.
“It happened, Mackayla.
Nothin
g
is going to change that. Not talking about it, not avoiding the subject. It changed you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t overcome it. It doesn’t mean that you can’t have a relationship with a man who seems perfect for you.”
“What if I ruin it? I need this job.”
And that had been the root of my fear. It wasn’t that I didn’t want Kellan, it’s that I didn’t want to lose him or my job because I sucked at relationships and couldn’t hold one together.
“You never know what’s going to happen. But that’s part of the fun. You’re building something from nothing. It’s not fair for you to deny yourself or him of that.”
I replayed that conversation several times. Finally ready to hear what Cam had been telling me for years. I was finally ready to try something out of the bubble I had created around myself.
I told myself the reason I was going to Maryland was because it was good business. I needed to show Kellan that I could go anywhere he needed me to, if it meant getting the job done. But the truth of the matter was, I had been lying to myself.
I wanted to go to Maryland to see Kellan. I wanted to be the person he saw in me. So I was landing in Maryland, a place I had sworn to never return to, to see a man I wanted to try having a relationship with, a
real
relationship – not just a friendship.
Now, how was I going to tell him that?
Kellan
I had made this stupid sign to be funny. This was a very serious moment in Mac’s life so, of course, I was going to make a fool of myself. I wanted to see her smile. I hadn’t told her that I’d be at the airport picking her up. I put on the black driver’s hat I had bought down the street from my apartment after I made the sign.
I stood at the bottom of the escalators where the incoming passengers would come to be picked up. I had paid the
no parking
guy (you know, the one that tells you to keep moving and you can’t park on the curb) to allow me to keep my car parked while I went in to pick up Mac. So, $300, a pink sign and black driver’s hat later – here I was picking up a woman I never thought would come to Maryland.
I watched a handful of people come down the escalator. None of them Mac. After watching another twenty people filter down, I saw her. Her shoes were the first thing I saw, then her magnificently toned legs, then her beautiful face. She was more stunning than I remembered her being. I covered my face with the sign and waited. I heard laughing in front of me.
“I hope Kellan paid you well to hold that sign.”
Mac said through her laughs. The sign said, in sparkly silver glitter,
Mac ain’t whack! I’m driving you to unpack!
It was a horrible rhyme, but one I knew would make her laugh.
I slowly lowered the sign. Mac was wearing a red pencil skirt, with a white button down top. She had her hair pulled into a bun with a red flower adorning it. Her makeup was subtle, but there. She looked amazing. I swallowed hard as I uncovered the rest of my face. Mac finally realized it was me.
“Kellan.”
She said my name on a breath, and it was like nothing I had ever felt before. Her eyes warmed and I couldn’t miss the look of shock. I dropped the sign. So she could see all of me.
She ran into my arms and I held her tightly, not missing the opportunity to feel her against me. It had felt like too long since I’d seen her. She ran her hands up my neck, into my hair and tugged a little. I pulled my head back enough to see her face and rested my forehead against hers.
“How was your flight?”
I whispered to her.
“Not as good as where I am.”
I saw no deception in her eyes. She really meant it.
Mac
I wanted to kiss him. Just by stepping foot in Maryland I had started a ball rolling that I knew would lead to something more than just a friendship. But it was too cliché to kiss him at an airport; to have our first kiss at a place without stability. I should know all about that, not having put down real roots anywhere in my life.
I broke our spell, pulling away, and grabbed my bag off the floor. I hadn’t missed the fact that Kellan had gotten a little hard while holding me, or the fact that he was now adjusting himself in the middle of an airport.
Kellan stepped next to me, putting his hand on the small of my back, and guided me out to a sleek black Jaguar.
“Is this one yours?”
“I’m partial to black.”
“Apparently Jags, too.”
“I only accept the best.” God, I hoped he could accept me then. “Your flight was good?”
I walked to the back of the Jag and threw my bag in. I shut the door and found the passenger’s door open, Kellan standing next to it. I slid in. I guess it was his turn to drive since he lived here. Kellan got in to the already running car.
“Other than the delay, it was fine. Thanks for the first class upgrade, by the way.”
“Of course.”
We pulled out of the busy airport and onto the highway. We were driving on the Key Bridge a few minutes later.
“What’s on the agenda for today?”
“I thought we could grab something to eat and then head over to the brewery.”
Before I could accept the plans, my stomach answered for me, growling loudly. I had forgotten to eat in my rush to get out of the door on time and didn’t want to spend an extravagant amount of money on airport food after I found out about the delay. I had figured Kellan and I would end up going to some expensive restaurants while I was visiting, so I had budgeted accordingly. What could I say: Once a penny pincher, always a penny pincher.
I made good money now, and had received my first check, but I still didn’t want to piss everything away. I made sure to get a nice wardrobe, at the local business thrift.
The business thrift was a place that got donations from professionals and businesses to help those who couldn’t afford the professional clothes they might need to get a job or keep one. You had to provide a check stub, which I had done with my last check at the airport. I had lied a little, yes, but that didn’t mean that I was made of money. I needed those clothes and wouldn’t be able to buy them myself until I had a little money in my bank account. I also needed to look decent being the Brew Manager for The Strip. I couldn’t let Lynn down.
After my approval to shop at discount at the professional thrift store, I found name brands and they were all very reasonably priced. I would donate back when I was in a position to do so.
“I guess that answers my question for me. Food it is. What sounds good?”
“You know this place better than I do. You tell me.”
“Is there anywhere you would like to try, that you haven’t been to before, or an old stomping ground you’d like to visit?”
There was still so much about me that Kellan didn’t know. I had worked for a little hole in the wall bar when I’d lived in Maryland. It had old wood paneling on the walls, you could smell the patrons from the night before, but it had been a safe place for me.
The owners of the bar, Terry and his wife Anna had taken me in when I’d come to Maryland and allowed me to stay with them. After I had enough money to get my own place, I had. That didn’t mean that Anna still didn’t play mother hen with me from time to time, and I had enjoyed it.