Breaking Braydon (8 page)

“Anyway,” Todd continued to my dad, “she’s a scientist, so she’s too smart for Braydon.”

I shoved his arm. “Very funny.”

My dad responded, “Braydon is the perfect catch. Look at him! He’s handsome
and
smart. What girl in her right mind wouldn’t want him?”

“Come on, Dad, I’m anything but perfect.” I didn’t want to burst his bubble, but he shouldn’t be thinking I was someone I wasn’t.

“Braydon, I know you have a history with women. I’m not sure why you haven’t found one you could settle down with. It might be as simple as the right one hasn’t come along yet. Regardless, you’re doing great things for the world. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

“Dad, it’s just a job.”

“Okay, answer this question. If you hadn’t helped those companies, would their employees still have jobs?”

He waited for my response. In theory, most of them wouldn’t be able to continue due to lack of funds, but I’m sure someone else would have stepped up.

“I’m sure they would’ve eventually found other avenues.” I loved that he was proud, but I also didn’t want to take credit where it wasn’t due.

“No, you’re the best venture capitalist and fundraiser anywhere in the world, especially for medical research. No one comes close. I know your mom would be so proud.”

His eyes filled with unshed tears. He always got emotional whenever we talked about mom, which, unfortunately, was rare. She was killed by a drunk driver on her way home from the grocery store. It was a horrible shock for dad. He loved her so completely, so deeply, he wouldn’t, or maybe couldn’t, date anyone else. I’d bet he was lonely, although he put on a pretty good front. Sometimes, I wished he was more like me, unable to feel anything most of the time.

“Thanks, Dad. I appreciate you saying that about Mom.” I felt a stab of guilt.
She wouldn’t like the way you treat women.
Where in the world did that thought come from? Those women didn’t care. The crying and tantrums were all an act. They thought they could manipulate me.

“She’s not like the other women Braydon usually…um…who he usually dates.” Quick save from Todd.

I raised an eyebrow.

“How is she different?” my dad asked Todd. Apparently, he didn’t want my answer.

“She’s a little…reserved?” He waited for confirmation.

“Can we change the subject?” This was getting uncomfortable.

“I want to hear about this girl who’s rejecting you. Does she think she’s too good for you?”

She is too good for me.

“Just because she’s a scientist doesn’t mean she should look down her nose at you.”

“She’s actually quite nice, Dad.” No, that wasn’t it. It was because she wasn’t like other women; she was
real
. Todd, mid-sip from his orange juice, started choking.

My dad got up from his seat and slapped him on his back.

“Are you okay? Did that go down the wrong way? I hate when that happens.”

I didn’t think Todd could hear him through his loud coughing.

After Todd regained his composure, he turned around and mouthed to me so my dad couldn’t see or hear him. “What the hell?”

“What?” I mouthed back.

“If this girl is so nice, why doesn’t she like you?” Dad wouldn’t let this go.

“Dad, I’ve told you before, I don’t need or want a girlfriend right now. I’m busy with my work, so I don’t have time. She feels the same, so we decided to be friends. End of story. Can we let this drop?”

His face fell. “You work too hard. I worry about you sometimes.”

Todd laughed. “Believe me, he takes time to play.”

I shot Todd a glare, hoping to shut him up.

It was time to turn this conversation around. “How about you, Dad? Have you met anyone interesting?”

Dad stared at his napkin, folding it over and over. “You know I haven’t, Braydon. I won’t.” I’d asked him the question to shift away from my lack of a relationship, but I didn’t want him to feel bad.

“I guess we’re similar in that way.” I smiled.

His face paled. “You mean you don’t date because of my example?”

“No, Dad! That’s not what I meant. I’m just saying I won’t waste my time until I meet the right person.”

“I think I need to interject here,” Todd interrupted. “Both of you need to give dating a try. How about both of you agree to go out on a date. A real date, with a real woman.” He rubbed his hands together. “Mr. Decker, why don’t you go first? You can lead by example.”

That Todd was a sneaky one, but I loved his idea. Even if he was manipulating my dad by guilt. I knew dad wanted me to find “that special someone” he always talked about.

I nodded in agreement. “Yeah, Dad. I think I need an example.”

“If I go out on a date, you’ll try, too, for real?” Hope flared in his eyes, which made me feel bad. I would keep my end of the bargain, but I would never get entangled in a relationship. I’d go on an actual date, but I wouldn’t let it go past a few hours.

Maybe to fulfill my obligation, I could take Jain out for coffee again. Although, it wouldn’t be a chore. The afternoon we spent together was the best day I’d had in, well, I couldn’t remember a better day. The conversation was effortless; it flowed between us like we’d known each other for years. We talked about the things that were important to us and were able to laugh about all of our stupid mistakes. We also shared the sadness that came with losing a parent at a young age. I’d never had a day quite like it. I wanted a repeat, which scared the hell out of me. It also gave me a feeling of warmth and excitement just thinking about spending more time with her. It felt like I was headed toward a sheared-edged cliff, slowly, inch by inch, unable to prevent the plummet.

SIXTEEN

Jain

“Just kill me now.” I couldn’t try on another dress. I just couldn’t.

Colin’s face fell. He was holding three more “beauties” as he called them. I called them prostitute attire. They were supposed to be dresses, but they looked more like shirts to me.

“No! You could at least try them on. Come on, get into the spirit of things.” He was persistent; I’d give him that.

We were in the Special Occasion section of Nordstrom’s. But I didn’t want to look like I was dressing up for a special occasion. I wanted to go unnoticed, like I always had. These dresses were too form-fitting and flashy.

“You can’t wear your lab coat to this event,” he scolded.

“I know that, but I need to find a dress doesn’t scream ‘Hoochie Mama’!” I was exasperated.

Colin’s face was blank until my words sunk in. “Did you really just say Hoochie Mama?” He bent over and roared with laughter.

This day was going downhill fast. Now, everyone in the department was staring at us.

“Shhh. Colin you’re making a scene. Quit laughing!” I took the dresses out of his arms and set them on the nearest countertop. “I’m doing this on my own. No more help from you.” I led him out of the store while he laughed himself to tears.

Once we hit the main area of the mall, he seemed to gain his composure. Thank goodness.

“Okay. That didn’t work. How about we go to Macy’s?” He glanced over to the entrance about fifty yards away.

Oh, hell no. “You know, Colin, I think I’m going to come back tomorrow.” I was pretty sure I was lying, but I continued. “When I’m more open and in the mood. Right now, every dress looks the same. I need a fresh perspective.” I hoped he bought my excuse.

He tilted his head back and sighed deeply. “Oh, no you don’t!”

That was the best he could do?

“Colin. I’m hungry, tired, and done with this shopping fiasco. I’ve tried on twenty dresses. Dresses you’ve chosen for me. Not one has been close to anything I’d ever wear. It’s time for me to branch out on my own. Don’t worry. I’ll pick out something suitable. I won’t embarrass you.”

He stopped in his tracks. “You don’t think I’m helping you with your dress selection because I’m concerned about myself, do you?” His brow creased.

“Oh, no. Sorry, Colin. That’s not what I meant.” What did I mean? I knew it was important for us to dress like all the fashionable people who would be attending the party, but at what cost? I didn’t want to be a plastic imitation of a woman who wore flashy clothes to attract a man or keep one. Why would I ever want to do that? I felt my focus start to waver again. I’d been so disciplined since college, what was my problem?
Fascinating silver eyes
. I wanted him.
No!
My stomach plummeted. Again.

“What did you mean?” Colin questioned.

“I’ll admit, Colin, I did think you were helping me in part because I don’t have any sense of style. It’s all right, I understand. I know this party is important, but I can’t pretend to be someone I’m not, even for one night.”

He grabbed one of my hands and squeezed. “I’m so sorry. You’re right. I’ve been

wrapped up in all the fine details of our presentation. I’ve put too much emphasis on how we’ll appear to the rich and famous. From now on, my focus will be to secure funding and move on with our lives.” He paused for a moment. “But, you know what?  I think this has been good for us. You and I need a social life.”

I started to interrupt.

“Wait! I don’t mean with the high and mighty crowd. But we do need to start branching out socially. We’ll be thirty before we know it.” Good grief, he was pulling the thirty card.

“Speak for yourself. I still have four years to go. Maybe you can go first. I’ll observe like the good scientist I am, and we’ll see how it turns out.”

“Okay.”

“What?” He’d caved already?

“I’ll do it. I’m going to start dating.” He straightened and swept his eyes around the mall.

“Here? Now? Wait, um, let’s back up a little. You can’t just go up to a stranger and ask him out. That’s not safe!” What could he be thinking?

“No, I’m not going to do that. But I am going to start observing potential dates. Here’s the problem with us; we don’t even look. We’ve been so wrapped up in work, in our routine, that if someone came along, we’d never notice him. So, I’m starting today.” And sure enough, he began his search.

We sat ourselves down onto comfy chairs next to the elevator to begin our observations. At first, I wasn’t on board with the idea, but it soon turned into an entertaining afternoon.

Colin nodded toward one passerby. “He lives with his mother and plays Monopoly every Thursday with her knitting group,” he remarked.

Wow. He was spot on with that one.

“He won Most Popular and Most Handsome. Good God, he is gorgeous!” Colin observed as an extraordinary man walked by wearing a pair of form-fitting jeans and a snug t-shirt.

“Maybe we should present ourselves to him and ask him to choose.” I giggled.

“He’d pick you. That one is as straight as an arrow.” He let out a deep sigh and shook his head.

“How in the world would you know that?” I’d never been able to decipher the whole “gaydar” thing.

“Trust me.” Just as he finished his sentence, an equally gorgeous female jumped on Mr. Extraordinary and peppered him with kisses.

We both slumped our shoulders and said “Damn” in unison. I was only joking, but I thought Colin might have been serious.

“Well, at least we know your type. Other than the straight thing. You know, he’d have to play on your team and all that,” I said with a straight face.

“Seriously, Jain? No one says that anymore. You’ve been spending way too much time in the lab.”

I wasn’t able to hold in the laughter that bubbled over.

“Ha ha. Good one. Okay, let’s get you home. You’re getting loopy.”

I put my head on his shoulder and said, “Yeah. Let’s go home.”

SEVENTEEN

Braydon

“I think we need to check out the facility at Bastion Research,” I casually mentioned to Todd.

“Is that right?” A raised eyebrow and a suppressed chuckle escaped before he could rein it in.

“I heard that. It’s not what you think.” Well, it might be. But I wasn’t going to admit it. “If we’re going to invest our time and energy promoting their company, we’ll need to put them through a thorough check. I want to make sure their security systems are up to date, along with their regulation standards and guidelines. You know, the usual.” I attempted to appear nonchalant.

“I think it’s a good idea.” Todd surprised me by his answer.

“You do?”

“Yes. Bastion Research is a much smaller company than we’re accustomed to working with. Sometimes, those small companies can fly under the radar. You remember Miracle Research? The feds came in and shut them down last year. They’d missed some important filing dates. We’ll need to be very careful with this one. I wouldn’t send Roger from accounting either, like you usually do. I’d make sure you go yourself and do a top-to-bottom check.”

Now I knew Todd was playing with me. He did a good job keeping his face blank and his smile innocent, but he didn’t fool me.

“Todd?”

“Yes?”

“You like your job, right?”

His smile faltered a little. “Uh, yes.”

“Then shut the hell up. Yeah?”

“Yeah. Got it.”

***

Bastion Medical Research was located on the outskirts of the city of Bellevue across the lake from Seattle. The area was a mix of professional buildings that sat between two very expensive neighborhoods. That was the thing about living in the Seattle area; there was an excess of overpriced homes in almost every nook. Thanks to Microsoft, Amazon, Costco, Starbucks, and Zillow, there was an abundance of wealth circulating in the area. I didn’t mind it, but I know others did.

It seemed as if most of the movers and shakers of the world liked rain, or maybe it was the city of Seattle. It was a good thing the city was so beautiful; if people didn’t like the stormy and gray weather for nine months out of the year, they’d go crazy living here.

I stepped out of my car and took a moment to examine the building. It was a typical, one-story professional building that was common in the area. It was clean and well-kept, which was good. I was able to tell a lot about a company by inspecting the exterior. I continued to scan, searching for clues. There were quite a few extras that I hadn’t expected—flowers planted in garden boxes that went around the entire perimeter, and windows framed with blue shutters that added a homey feel. As I approached the entrance, I noticed the carved form of a dove had replaced the usual black steel mailbox standard in the area. This facility didn’t hold clinical trials. I wondered about all the extra touches.
Jain
.