~Trevin's point of view~
I'm sitting at my desk. I should have talked to her over the weekend; I didn't. She told me the street that she lived on. I know her car; I should have knocked on her door and told her. Instead, I was a chicken shit, and this is going to cause a clusterfuck of problems.
I got here early. She doesn't come in until eight. I told the guys to come in at ten. I can only blame myself for all of this. I should have just manned up and told Dasher that I wanted his daughter.
It's too late now. I have to deal with whatever happens. I am assuming the worst, especially after Friday. I know that she's still hurting. Luke went to see Bridgette yesterday, and he said she wouldn't come out of her room. He admitted that he cuddled with her. He assured me nothing happened. I couldn't say shit if it did. She isn't mine. She may never be mine.
~Serenity's point of view~
I thought about calling in. I've worked at this place since I was sixteen years old. I'm thirty. I've never once called out. I'm not going to start now just to avoid my boss. I get to the garage. My eyes land on the passageway. I totally avoid it. I don't know if he's in there or not, but I'm not going to find out. I go in and say hello to Betty, then make my way to the elevator. I sit at my desk and turn my computer on. Trevin's door opens; he comes out.
Trevin: "Morning, Sweetheart."
Serenity: "Morning."
Trevin: "I have a meeting at nine that I'd like you to sit in on."
Serenity: "Ok."
He has a meeting with Fredricken Electrical.
Trevin wants them on a build he's doing. His guys are coming in today. They are all licensed contractors. He's told me some about them but not a lot. The Young build is the first being done since Trevin got here. It's for Young, Dower, and Caprise; they are accountants and want to expand their business. They are three sisters and were left land by their dad, so they figured it was time to build.
They came up with the plan. Trevin made detailed notes about what they wanted. One of his guys sketched it. Trevin pitched it to the sisters, and they loved it. I assume he wants me to take notes of products and pricing and email it to him.
He goes back in his office and leaves the door open. I stay at my desk, filing paperwork he had left on my desk before I got here. I feel his eyes on me while I work. I won't let myself go there again. I'm perfectly happy with Bridgette, and Luke's snuggles are fabulous. I don't need a man.
I know that he wants to talk. I don't. We had a few moments; that's enough. I meant when I told whomever he is that he is the one and only man that I will say those three words to. I will not say it to another man. Even the two guys I was in previous relationships never heard those words. I refuse to say them unless I mean them. I meant them when I said them to him. I still mean them. I do love him. When he left the way, he did. I knew that I would never see him again.
That's why I skipped Friday. The girls had it; It was just his crew anyway. That was also a first in nine years. I don't bail on my responsibilities. I just knew I couldn't let him walk away from me a second time. Once was enough. I also didn't trust myself not to pull the blindfold off. Staying home was the lesser of the two evils. I made the best decision for myself; I made the best decision for my heart.
My timer goes off. I go in his office.
Trevin: "Pull one of those chairs over here."
Serenity: "Why?"
Trevin: "Because you are left-handed, and I don't want the man I'm meeting with touching you."
My mind drifts back to the day my hand kept touching his and that feeling I felt every time it did. I felt the same thing with him that I felt with the mystery man. I can't let myself go there. I can't.
The man with Fredricken came in. The meeting lasted forty-five minutes. I move the chair back and go back to my desk. I'm sitting there working on putting in the notes from the meeting. He said there was no rush, but I wanted to get it done before it got pushed aside and forgotten.
I hear the elevator beep. I look up and see Luke. He looks at me the same way I looked at him. Confused.
Serenity: "What are you doing here, Luke?"
Luke: "You work here?"
Serenity: "My dad owns the company."
Luke: "Your Dasher's daughter?"
Serenity: "Yes."
Luke: "I'm here to see my dad."
Serenity: "Who's......"
Trevin. Trevin is Luke's dad.
Luke: "Yeah."
The elevator beeps again, and the other four walkouts.
Russ: "Sapphire?"
Serenity: "Serenity. My name is Serenity."
Then it dawns on me.
I come up out of my chair and go straight to his office. I don't even knock. I open the door, and he's standing there.
Serenity: "It was you the whole time."
Trevin: "Excuse me?"
Serenity: "Don't play games, Trevin."
I can't control my tears.
Serenity: "IT WAS YOU THE WHOLE TIME."
Trevin: "Serenity..."
Serenity: "Don't. Don't make excuses."
I walk up to him and smack him in the face.
Serenity: "I quit."
I turn to walk out.
Trevin: "Serenity...."
I turn towards him.
Serenity: "I'm done. Don't try to contact me. Don't come to my club. All of this is over."
I walk out.
I get all the way to the garage.
Luke: "Serenity, wait."
Serenity: "You knew the whole time Luke."
Luke: "I knew it was my dad, yes. I didn't know why he blindfolded you. I thought it was some kind of kink you two had. I had no idea that you worked here. I didn't know that you were Dasher's daughter. I swear, Serenity. I love my dad, but I would have told you."
I know that he's telling the truth. I just need time.
Serenity: "Luke, this...I..."
Luke: "Please don't shut me out. I need you as much as I need Bridgette. I had nothing to do with any of this."
Serenity: "Just give me a bit. Please don't avoid Bridgette. She loves you, Luke."
Luke: "I love her too. She doesn't come without you. It's kind of hard not to have some kind of feelings for you, Serenity. The three of us have spent a ton of time together."
Serenity: "We can keep it that way. It's him. I don't want anything to do with him."
Luke: "I understand."
He comes over to me and wraps me in a hug.
Luke: "I'll see you at the club tonight."
Serenity: "Ok."
He kisses my cheek then heads back in.
I go home. I walk into the house, Bridgette comes out of the kitchen.
Brigette: "Hey Babe. You're home extremely early. Everything ok?"
Serenity: "I quit."
Brigette: "What did Trevin do?"
I tell her everything.
Brigette: "You're kidding?"
Serenity: "I wish."
Brigette: "Luke is Trevin's son?"
Serenity: "Yes."
Brigette: "Oh, Babe."
Serenity: "Please don't think that I don't want you with Luke. He and I talked. We're good."
She comes over and hugs me.
Brigette: "Let's cuddle."
Serenity: "I'd love nothing more."
We move to the couch and get comfortable.
Serenity: "We're going to have to talk."
Brigette: "About?"
Serenity: "Luke."
Brigette: "I know he has feelings for you. He told me."
Serenity: "You aren't mad?"
Brigette: "No. I'm extremely happy that he cares about you. He accepts us. That's what we wanted."
Serenity: "I don't want him."
Brigette: "Even if I want to share?"
Serenity: "Maybe now and then."
Brigette: "You're in love with Trevin, aren't you?"
Serenity: "I am."
Brigette: "I'm sorry, Serenity."
Serenity: "It's ok."
Brigette: "No, really, it's not."
She's right.
Serenity: "I love you, Bridgette."
Brigette: "I love you too."
I lay on the couch with her in my arms as the tears fall.