Overtime

Chapter 5

"Tell me about your family."

"I only have one sibling and that's Danielle. I pay my parent's rent and help them out whenever possible but Danielle is more of the selfish type. She has always been the favorite child," I frown. "Don't get me wrong, my parents love me. But whenever she's around they forget about me. I guess it could be because she was their first child."

"I'm sorry," he frowns. "I shouldn't have asked."

"Don't worry about it," I shrug.

He glances around and sighs. "We should probably get going. It's late."

I nod and he puts everything back in the basket before standing. He allows me onto his back once again and carries me back to the car. Franklin gets out and opens my door as Mr. Lancaster sets me down. "Have you been here to whole time?" I ask curiously.

He shakes his head with a small smile playing on my lips. "No, ma'am."

I get into the car and he closes my door. Mr. Lancaster takes his seat beside me and I turn towards him. "Thank you... Not just for tonight but last night too."

"You're welcome," he replies.

I look straight ahead but out of the corner of my eye, I see him rubbing his hands against the tops of his thighs. "Are you okay?" I ask softly.

He takes a deep breath, curling his hands into fists. "I just have a lot on my plate right now. That escape from reality was nice but it ended too quickly."

I realize that tonight wasn't just about me - it was for him too. I can't even imagine all the things he has to deal with on a daily basis. Being in charge of an empire has to be exhausting. Without thinking, I reach over and grab his hand. I slowly uncurl his fist and place my hand gently in his, my thumb caressing his hand. His head falls back against the seat and he closes his eyes, gripping my hand a little tighter. When I look forward I notice Franklin watching us in the rearview mirror. I think he's smiling but I don't know for sure.

Franklin parks the car in front of the mansion we all call home then gets out to open my door. I slip my hand out of Mr. Lancaster's and climb out. "Goodnight Miss Smith."

"Goodnight Franklin," I reply.

"Will that be all Mr. Lancaster?" he asks.

"Yes. Thank you, Franklin."

"You're welcome."

Franklin climbs back into the SUV and heads for the garage. I follow Mr. Lancaster inside and stop at the stairs. "Goodnight Mr. Lancaster."

He groans in frustration. "Stop calling me that. My name is Jackson."

"Why does Franklin get to call you Mr. Lancaster but I can't?" I challenge.

"He's different," he shrugs.

"How?" I ask, placing a hand on my hip.

"In many ways. Quit asking all these questions."

I sigh in defeat. "Goodnight Jackson."

He smiles. "Goodnight Emery."

He slips his hands into his pockets and watches me for a moment before heading up the stairs with me. I lean down and quickly take off my heels before continuing up the stairs. We go our separate ways and lock ourselves in our rooms.

**************************

The sound of my phone ringing wakes me up and I groan. Reaching over, I answer it without checking to see who it is. "What?" I ask tiredly.

"Finally!" Liam yells through the phone, causing me to wince. "I've been trying to talk to you for days. I even went over to the house but the security guard wouldn't let me through the gate."

I raise my eyebrows. Jackson is the only person who knows about what happened. I can't help but smile but it quickly fades away. "Liam, I just need some time."

"You've had two days. I miss you."

"Every time I look at you I'm going to think about what you two did," I say. "I'd rather not see either of you right now."

"You can't be mad at me for it," he says. "How was I supposed to know you had feelings for me?"

I squeeze my eyes shut and swallow nervously. "Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore. I can assure you that I left all those feelings back at the club."

"Emery, please."

"You're only making it worse, Liam. Just stop contacting me. I'll call you when I'm ready."

He sighs. "Fine."

We both stay on the line but don't say anything. After a long moment, I take a deep breath. "Goodbye, Liam."

I end the call then climb out of bed. After a quick shower, I put on my uniform and head downstairs. But before I can get down the stairs I am stopped by a blonde haired woman coming out of Jackson's room. She looks about the same age as Jackson, maybe a couple years younger. "You must be Emery," she smiles. "I am Jasmine."

I can't help but notice she's only wearing Jackson's shirt. Although I find myself immediately disliking her, I have to admit she is stunning. "Nice to meet you. Can I help you with something?"

"I had some issues at the airport and didn't receive my luggage. Jackson said you might have some clothes I could borrow. He ruined mine," she laughs.

I nod. "Of course."

As we go into my room, I grind my teeth. He has another thing coming if he thinks I am going to supply all of his women with clothing. He could've at least warned me that he was having company. "Some jeans and a t-shirt will be fine," she says.

Glancing back at her, I realize she has taken the shirt off but it gives me a better look at her waist to see if my clothes will even fit. She looks slightly smaller than me so I reach to the back of my drawer and grab a pair of jeans that are a little too tight on me. "You can keep these. They don't fit," I say, handing her the jeans.

"Thanks," she says, slipping them on.

I pull out a few t-shirts and let her pick before walking out of the closet. "I should get to work. Can I get you anything else?" I ask.

"Nope. That's it."

I nod before heading out of my room, ready to work.

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{A/N: As mentioned in the story's description, the first 5 chapters are published on Wattpad as a preview. The story is 100% complete & published on Dreame (more info in my bio). HOWEVER, I fully publish them on Wattpad at random times throughout the year to give you all a chance to read my stories here. If you follow me & add the story to your library, you will get a notification when I republish them here. Thank you all for your support! 😊}