Page 16 of Fusion (Gravity #2)

Beau/Dash

Beau

Chicago, 2014

Late Summer

“I’m regretful that I couldn’t find time to spend with you before you leave,” Dash said, expertly handling his pan fried pork dumplings like a chopstick pro. Years ago, we dedicated several days, maybe even weeks, to mastering the art of chopstick use. Today, his skills were on full display for his entire firm to see, thanks to the glass walls enclosing his office. If he were to mishandle his choice of utensils and drop food on his crisp new business suit, he’d undoubtedly face relentless teasing for the rest of his tenure with the firm—his words.

“I understand.” I swallowed my lie down with a pretty decent-sized bite of the cheeseburger I’d brought for me. Technically, today marked the first day of my two-week vacation. We’d planned for Dash to accompany me on the trip. When that fell apart, he wanted us to have lunch then he’d drive me to the airport. Last night, that turned into me bringing lunch to his office, then driving myself to the airport and parking my truck in long-term parking for fourteen days due to another case Lon assigned him.

With great effort, I avoided sighing at the thought of another year, another life led alone.

Honestly, I didn’t like a lot of things these days. But, what had become our new normal, had me burying it all inside.

“I mentioned to you about the case I’m arguing. We’ve found something damning. If everything aligns like I hope, I’ll secure my client’s acquittal this afternoon. People are funny. They often believe they’re above being caught.” Dash let out a sudden bark of laughter. He quickly bent forward to ensure nothing landed on his tie or vest. That vest was part of his latest fashion trend of wearing a three-piece suit.

I glanced down at the outfit I’d thrown on for traveling, which I thought was completely normal attire for this time of year, early fall. A flannel button-up layered over a dark tee, a pair of well-loved jeans featuring holes in the knees, made naturally, and a comfortable pair of work boots. Of course, the firm had a strict dress code for everyone inside these offices, including myself. Today, I stood out in the crowd of designer suits and crisp jackets. The same style clothing Dash had laid out for me this morning. I’d been asked by Dash repeatedly to adhere to the firm’s silly rules. My frustration and loneliness had pushed me here to have lunch with Dash before I left but fuck the dress code.

Maybe whatever trouble he landed in for my appearance today might help him remember to abide by his promises next time. I’m not sure when I’d become that petty, but I couldn’t help myself either. Those broken promises had included more than the ride to the airport. There were also all the rescheduled dinners every night for the last two months, and the missed pledges of blow jobs he’d given to make amends for his breaking our plans.

Yeah. My resentment was coming in hard. I couldn’t see where this would change in the future.

“Do you have the girls’ gifts?” Dash asked.

“Yeah. The Taylor Swift gear. It was genius.” Though I was even more shocked that he’d found the time to think of anyone but himself, and second, that he’d actually ordered the gifts and not farmed it out to Penny.

“Penny came up with it. She steered me to the right things,” Dash said, grinning out the glass to where Penny sat. His smile was my favorite one, but it didn’t hit me the same way. Hmm . I took another hearty bite of my burger.

“Hey, Beau.” Time stood still as the recognizable refined voice sent stunned shockwaves through my system. My mind short-circuited. The microscopic particles in the air became vivid details slowly floating by. Turning my head, I saw Chandler, Dash’s longtime friend with whom I shared an unfavorable past. He looked immaculate and stylish, blending seamlessly into the surroundings, holding a document of some sort.

I inhaled suddenly, taking the bite and lodging it in my throat. As I choked and coughed, the world sling-shotted back in place. How in the fuck had Chandler gotten hired here?

“Dasham,” Chandler continued as if I hadn’t just suffered a major medical emergency at his arrival. “Here are the photos printed for court.” He came fully into the office without an invitation, interrupting our lunch. Dash popped forward in his chair, getting to his feet. His entire demeanor changed. A calculated, devious joy lit his face. Chandler handed him several eight by ten photos. He sifted through them, his gaze quickly scanned each one.

“Excellent job, Chandler. I knew you’d be a valuable hire.” Dash lifted his gaze, sharing a private moment with Chandler. I didn’t fucking like it at all. “His wife should have taken the settlement offer. Now, she’ll likely have nothing. The prenup will hold. Excellent work.”

Chandler’s playful, flirty smile raised my hackles. “All in a night’s work. It took me staying at the hotel bar from two in the afternoon to two this morning to capture her in a compromising position. Along with the man who compromised her,” he teased, laughing at his joke. When Dash gave Chandler an exaggerated wink, steam blew from the top of my head. “Dasham’s so fucking clever,” Chandler refocused on me for the moment. “I don’t think anyone works as many hours as he does. I’m thankful to be his apprentice.”

With the napkin at my mouth, I gave a final clear of my throat. “When did you start working here?”

Chandler slapped a hand against Dash’s upper arm. Dash, who’d been so lost in the pictures, hadn’t been paying attention to our conversation. “You didn’t tell him about me?” Chandler asked incredulously. That was the first time I agreed with the son of a bitch, which pissed me off that much more. “I feel like that’s a relationship foul.”

Dash barely glanced at me before lowering his gaze again to the photos. “Beau knows I’ve been searching for an associate. We’ve been burning it at opposite ends for the last few months. We haven’t had time for anything more than the important things.”

“You and I need to start over,” Chandler said. Out of obligation and that was only due to the manners my mother had instilled in me, I rose from my seat and took his extended hand. I didn’t want to touch him at all. My gut said the pleasant expression on his dumb face wasn’t real and neither was the handshake. I hoped my silence told him I didn’t believe his bullshit. And fucking Dash should have told me. If he kept this secret, then what else wasn’t he sharing?

Now that Dash had “outstanding support” at his side, why was he spending more time away from home than ever before? Jealousy slashed a painful gash into my heart. The fact that Dash wasn’t picking up on any of my tension spoke volumes too.

Dash pivoted around, straightening the photos as he went to his doorway. “Penny, will you take Chandler to Lon’s office and let him explain these photos? I’ll be finished in a few minutes and join you.” He handed the pictures over to his assistant, not Chandler.

“Well, come on, Chandler. It’s time to meet the other partners,” she said cheekily, twirling around on her high heels. Like everyone employed here, she exuded confidence, strutting away as if she were on a runway. Chandler waggled his eyebrows at me, whatever that meant, and jogged the few steps by her side. Dash shut the door behind him, giving us privacy.

“I can explain,” he stated with an air of superiority. That tone made everything worse.

“Don’t bother. I got it,” I bit out through a clenched jaw. The mix of Dash’s elitist tone and seeing Chandler’s radiant smile, along with his overall charm, had truly gotten under my skin. My words mirrored my irritation. I dismissed Dash, taking another bite of my burger that tasted like sawdust in my mouth.

“This is the reason I chose not to share this in our texts. I wanted to be in front of you to explain my reasoning.”

Then he should have come home and told me not to sneak around, ignoring my feelings. Fuck this. What had I done so wrong to have this be my life these days? “I don’t want to hear it,” I said, pulling my meal together to dump in the trash can. “We barely talk anymore. You’re never home. I’m living my life alone…”

Dash barked out a harsh condescending laugh. “You work from early in the morning until dark. Then pick up extra shifts on top of that. And let’s not forget the twenty plus hours a week that you train to climb. When I’m at home, you’re never there.”

“It’s my fault that I found other things to do rather than waiting for you to find time for me? I’m not staying here for this.” I rammed the remainder of my burger and fries back into the paper bag, so hard that the bottom gave out, everything inside dropped to the floor. “Goddammit.”

“Beau,” Dash said with exaggerated patience and carefully pulled up his slacks before bending at the knee to help me gather the trash.

“ No. Stop,” I said, pushing his hands aside. Out of necessity, I had learned to live my life on my own. I refused to be manipulated for a single second more. My feelings and emotions were valid, especially where Chandler was concerned. “If you had ever mentioned you were going to be home, I would’ve gone straight there. I’ve only found other things to occupy my time because I’m tired of being in that over-the-top house by myself. I love you, I do, but this place…” My hand gestured about the room then splayed further to include the outside of his office. “Owns you. There’s not a single instance where you’d drop what you were doing here to be with me. Now you’ve brought Chandler here. It feels like you’re doing this on purpose.”

Dash stood. I followed suit, moving around him to throw my trash in the bin. Tossing out the garbage seemed symbolic to the moment.

“I’m going to brush off your insults. We both know they’re untrue,” Dash stated in the flat monotone way of speaking that annoyed me further. It was one of the lawyer voices that he used to mask his true feelings and thoughts. “The real issue is Chandler. He reached out about a month ago when he couldn’t find a job. I know him well. He’ll push boundaries to find answers, just like with those photos. I offered him a temporary position, but I’ll mentor him and see how it goes. If I can shift work over to him, that’ll leave more time to spend with you.”

“Right. You’ll spend any free time finding new clients to increase your billable hours,” I said sarcastically, doubting every word he spoke. I should have been made aware of Chandler when the asshat first contacted Dash. “So he works directly for you, spending every day with you?”

“So your sole problem’s jealousy?” Dash asked, dismissively.

“Of course, I’m jealous,” I said, throwing his words back in his face. “After everything we’ve been through, it feels like we’ve gone full circle. He spends all this time with you, and I’m left with none.” We glared at each other. Great. I’d hit the nail on the head. At least Dash didn’t try to lie his way out of the truth. “I’ve got to get to the airport.”

“Your flight doesn’t leave for hours,” Dash countered.

“Then I don’t want to be here any longer,” I stated with conviction and started for the door. “Go join Chandler and celebrate the end of the case. Train him how to celebrate wherever you go these days to party. Another place I’m no longer welcome. Whatever.”

Dash

“If you walk out of here, I won’t chase after you this time,” I said, rooting myself in place. I slipped my hands into my slacks pockets as I watched him stride across my office. “Me following you is the story of our relationship. We made a commitment to be all in to my job for ten years. Nothing has changed for me. I’m on the course that we created together. You know how I feel about you. Everything I do revolves around you.”

Beau let out a bark of laughter with his hand on the doorknob. “You’re lying,” he hissed sharply. “And you’re being used. Chandler’s here to report back to your family about how you’re doing.” He rolled his eyes so dramatically I feared they might disappear in his skull. “I’ll be back in two weeks. During that time, I want you to rethink what you just said to me, because I can assure you that we didn’t plan anything together. Our lives have always been on your terms.” In Beau’s way, he flung open the door and took long, bruting strides out of my office toward the elevators. He ignored the few acknowledgements he received on his way.

I watched him go, feeling the questioning gazes of my colleagues and staff. Once inside the elevator, he fixed his stare on me as the doors closed. I refused to take this on emotionally. Since finishing law school, I’d grown significantly and so had Beau.

Furthermore, Beau understood better than anyone the pressure I placed on myself to provide for him and challenge my father’s expectations. Of course, I knew Chandler was here for a nefarious reason. I’d been planting seeds of disinformation, waiting for Chandler to funnel the data to whomever he was working for, most likely my old man.

I finally turned away to tidy up my lunch and give myself a moment to set my resolve. Old habits took a minute to get past. I had to harden my heart against the deep urge to go after him. I discarded my food in the trash can and headed to my en suite bathroom for some solitude. The heels of my palms pressed against my eyes, shutting out everything except my racing thoughts. There was so much I’d kept from Beau, maybe I shouldn’t have.

Chandler wasn’t just a mole. Without realizing it, he also gave me information I wouldn’t otherwise have about my family. He had told me that my mother was doing everything she could to tarnish Linda’s reputation in the elite circle they all ran in. Fabricating inappropriate stories about her, and the connections they shared. My father’s focus was now on Carter and putting him out of business. If I continued to work with Carter, I was certain there would be a day that I’d go head-to-head with my father’s team of attorneys. With my firm at my back, we’d destroy the Richmond legal team.

My vendetta against my father was reaching new heights. It consumed me day and night, pushing me to be better than the day before. As I turned to stare at my reflection in the mirror, I could tell I was chipping away at my father’s meticulously crafted facade.

In the coming two weeks, I needed to find the right words to sit Beau down and buy myself time to allow Chandler to dig his own grave. The seeds I was planting ensured Chandler would suffer mightily.