Cousins (Cousins #2) (12 page)

"Morning, Elizabeth!" Juliette says in the bubbliest tone ever. She must be one of the happiest people I've ever met in my entire life. I can't believe we're actually related.

"Morning babe." She says a little softer to Uncle Joseph as he strides over and pulls Juliette into his arms.

"Morning." He says nuzzling her neck while smacking her gently on the ass.
 

Oh brother. Like father, like son.

"Morning." I mumble back to Juliette trying desperately to avoid the smirk spread across Roman's face at how uncomfortable I am.

"All dressed up and nowhere to go?" Roman says to me instead of good morning.

"Elizabeth is going job hunting." Joseph interjects.

"Is that right?"
 

Roman slowly drags his gaze up and down my body, and I already can tell that he's thinking about sabotaging my day.
 

"You're going to look for a job dressed like that?"

"I think she looks pretty." Juliette interjects.

"Thanks, Auntie." I smirk.

"I didn't say that she didn't look pretty." Roman says.

The room grows so silent you could hear a pin drop. I could literally wring his neck right now.

"So what are you saying then?" Juliette asks a little perplexed while Joseph quietly observes the both of us.

"I'm saying that the last time I checked wearing tight pants to go on a job interview wasn't professional."

"I'm not interviewing at The White House," I raise my voice sarcastically. "I'm trying to get a job waitressing or something."

Roman turns to Uncle Joseph. "You approve of this?"

"You don't?" My uncle asks incredulously, waiting for Roman's response.

This is going downhill fast.

I'm so out of here.

"Auntie, where is this quiche everyone's been talking about. I'd like a slice before I head out."

"Oh sure sweetie. Sit down. Let me warm you up a slice. You want water or orange juice?"

"Water, please." I take a quick glance at Roman, while Uncle Joseph is distracted by my aunt's behind, and beg him with my eyes to sit down and shut up.

Finally he sits.

"I have a friend who's a manager over at The Four Seasons, Elizabeth. I can give him a call." Uncle Joseph says to me. "There's no need for you to go every which where. Plus filling out applications is done online now anyway. Not too many places are going to let you walk in and fill out an application on site anymore."
 

What my uncle is saying makes total sense and is definitely the smarter way to go, but The Four Seasons sounds like a real job. One that might interfere with me building my business. I need more flexibility if I'm really going to make my business work.

"Umm … I'm not sure about The Four Seasons, Uncle Joseph."

"Well how about this. You know computers right?"

"Sure."

"How about you set up a network for us in all of the clubs? I'd like for all of the computers to be able to talk to one another, and I've been meaning to get it done for the longest time. Our computer system is really outdated. I hate having to call and get stats from every individual manager. I’d rather check everything myself in one database. You can hire someone to help you if you need it, but just one person."

"Uh, should you and I have a discussion about this?" Roman interrupts.

"About what? You need it done and your cousin can do it. What's to discuss?"

Roman abruptly stands up from his chair.
 

"It's my decision to make."

"Sit down boy. You're in my kitchen and the decision is already made. I haven't given you shit quite yet. At least not until the lawyers send back the paperwork."

"Joseph Michael Masterson! There's no need to talk to your son using that language in my kitchen," Juliette admonishes.

"Oh my God," I say. "I don't even want the job. So everyone calm down."

"Why not?!" Roman turns his head and barks at me like the complete psycho he is. Wasn't he just about to argue his father down that he didn't want me taking this job?

"I could NEVER work for you. You are a complete crazy person. I'm sorry, Uncle Joseph, but I cannot work for this nut job."

"How about we all make an agreement then." Juliette adds with a little chuckle to her voice. "You only work in a location when Roman's not in the building. If he's at The Lotus that day, then you work at Solstice. And so on and so forth. He doesn't need to be around when you're working on the computers right?"

"What?!" Roman yells angrily.

"Simmer down." Joseph warns. "And don't you ever raise your voice to my wife again."

I know that Roman didn't mean to yell at Juliette, and Juliette knows it too; but I can see that Joseph is deadly serious. He's not loud at all. Not like Roman. He has more of a deadly calm demeanor that in my opinion takes years of practice to master. It's the type of calmness that reminds me of why my father may mistrust him.

Whatever he is though, what I do know is that he loves the hell out of my aunt, and I really like him for that. I guess sometimes he's just over the top with his protectiveness of her.

"I'm sorry, Juliette."

"It's no problem sweetie. Joseph was simply overreacting as usual." My aunt clunks down a plate of quiche in front of Joseph and practically tosses a fork in his lap.

"Listen … I think that the two of you can work out your own sensible working relationship that doesn't require an entire family discussion over breakfast. You're the boss, Roman. Just don't be so temperamental with Elizabeth okay?" My aunt winks at me.

I think I catch my uncle rolling his eyes at one of us, or all of us while he begins eating his slice of spinach and bacon quiche. He seems to be finished with the conversation as much as I am, and I almost feel as though Roman and I have been unceremoniously dismissed by him.
 

I swear that he and Roman have such a weird dynamic.

"Finish up your food and let's go." Roman says to me.

"Where are we going?"

I'm not sure what I'm doing at this point. Am I going to still go job hunting? Should I really do this computer thing for them? I mean it was Joseph asking me to do it, and I'm sleeping in his damn house rent-free. So maybe I should.

"To finish having a sensible discussion about how you're going to build us a network."

"Why can't we finish having our discussion here?" I ask.

Roman gives me the side eye before he responds.

"How can you make a decision on whether or not you want the job if you haven't even seen what it entails. I'm taking you by the clubs to see the computers."

"Oh that's a good idea, Roman." My aunt says in a lighter tone.
 

She's back to flittering around the kitchen, wiping the counters, and pouring herself a glass of grapefruit juice while my uncle watches her ass very, very closely.
 

Eww.
 

I can see that it probably may be a good idea to leave, because it seems as if my aunt has some morning sex coming her way in the very immediate future. And I swear she might have a Masterson style punishment coming her way too for interfering in his business with Roman or for throwing that fork at him. Something tells me that father and son are much more alike than I ever imagined.
 

So on that note, I take my last bite of quiche and excuse myself from the table. After that visual, I'll do anything to get out of here.

"Let's go."

CHAPTER TWELVE

ELIZABETH

It's quiet in the car.
 

Not because Roman is angry, but because he appears to be thinking very pensively about something. Knowing him … it's probably about how he plans on spreading my legs in the next thirty minutes.
 

Or maybe that's wishful thinking on my part.

"Have you heard anything from the investment group?"

"Not yet."

"The glamazon is dating one of them right?"

"Not exactly. She used to date him."

"And what happened?"

"Well you know who her father is right?"

"Should I?"

"Her last name is Pearson. Her father is Dan Pearson, the famous point guard for the Sixers in the nineties and a few other teams at the tail end of his career."

"I don't follow basketball, but I know who you're talking about. Old dude from back in the day. A commentator on ESPN right?"

"Yes … that old dude." I affirm wryly. "Well the guy in the investment group seemed to only be dating Sloan to get close to her father. I don't know if he wanted to manage Mr. Pearson's portfolio or if he just has some sort of man crush on him; but as soon as Sloan figured it out, she cut him immediately off."

"Yet he's still helping out by getting you a meeting with his boss?"

"I guess he's trying to earn his way back into her circle of trust."

"Well he's doing a piss poor job at it. Someone should have called you by now."

I sigh.
 

"It hasn't even been that long, Roman, and it's a big decision. They just can't invest money into every entrepreneur that crosses their path. They have to be selective. While I am hopeful, I didn't even expect to hear from them yet. Mr. Lambert already warned me that it was going to be a lengthy decision process."

"Please." Roman scrunches up the side of his face.

"Why are you being so frackin' negative?"

Roman takes a long pause before he responds. Then he turns to me with a hard lined face. I swear his scar just got bigger.

"Did it ever occur to you to ask me for the fucking money, Elizabeth?"

"Not really."

"You said that real quickly." He begins to mimic my voice. "
Not really.
"

"Are you honestly angry with me right now?" I ask flabbergasted.

"Hell fucking yeah. I don't understand you. If you're a businesswoman, you've made a grave error in not tapping into the resources right under your cute little nose. You'll let me lick that pussy clean, but you won't let me give you a little money to invest in your business?"

My core convulses from his crude choice of words. I hate that I actually want him in between my legs doing just that, right in the middle of him berating me.

"You're being ridiculous right now."

"And what the fuck was up with all of that grand standing in the house?"

"What are you talking about, Roman?"

"You don't want to work for a nut ball? Don't you think you're pouring it on a little too thickly? My father isn't an idiot. This whole I hate Roman act is completely unbelievable. "

"Is it?"

"Don't be a smart ass."

"I can't help it. God gave me this brain."

"God gave you that ass too, but that doesn't mean I won't smack it."

"Like your father did to Juliette today?"

"Thanks. That's a real nice visual, Elizabeth."

I laugh out loud hoping that I can change the mood in the car between us. But he's still wearing that serious face of his.

"Why do you want a job, Elizabeth? I mean why right now?"

"Because some drug dealers stole my entire life savings and I'm broke." I say with sarcasm. "Could that be why?"

"It could be, but it isn't. I'm an expert on runners, Elizabeth. People have been running from me my whole life."

"Because you scare the heck out of people."

He ignores that comment.
 

"You're running. You think I don't know that you are trying to get your hands on some more money so that you can leave my father's house. So that you don't have to see me everyday. As if that is going to stop a damn thing."

"Since when does looking for a job constitute a frackin' secret mission to get the heck away from you? Everything is not about you, Roman. I know that's hard for you to believe, considering you have women falling all over your ass at any given second but wake up. I'm looking for a job because regular folks need to work to pay bills."

"You think I don't work?!" He barks incredulously.

"I don't know what the frack you do."

"Stop saying that goddamn word!"

Roman slows his Range Rover down and begins to parallel park into a tight spot in front of a storefront with burnt orange fabric awnings that read Solstice in white and pale yellow lettering. It's obvious that it is some sort of restaurant/lounge, but it doesn't seem like a business that Joseph or Roman would own.
 

It appears to be closed to the public, but I think I see at least one guy inside milling about. Probably the manager.

"Why can't I say
frack
?" I ask as calmly as I can in an effort to piss Roman off even further. And it does.

"Right now I'm going to need you to shut the
frack
up, while I show you the two old ass computers we have in the office of Solstice; which is our tapas lounge by the way. Because if you don't, if you say one more smart ass thing, Elizabeth, I'll fuck you long and hard in that office instead. Loud enough for Jason to hear. And I won't give two shits about it."

"Who's Jason?" I ask in a flirty way. I know I'm skirting the danger zone, but I can't help it. He's making it too easy.

Roman takes several long deep breaths while he begins to slowly eye fuck me. If I don't watch it he's going to bang my brains out right inside the back of this truck on this busy commercial block.

A text comes in on my phone. I break eye contact with Roman to take a short glance at it.