23. With Him More

"Sounds like we've had the same couple of days," Braylon said the next day at lunch.

He'd hated that work was kicking his butt, but that was what you get when you take time off and were trying to get as much as you could done before the end of the year.

"Yeah," Lily said while she picked her sandwich up and took a bite. They were grabbing a quick lunch around the block from their building. He was glad he was able to make the time.

He hated that she'd had such a horrible day with her boss yesterday and he wasn't there to listen to it.

She'd texted him last night, but he was in meetings and didn't get home until after eight. By then they talked for a few minutes, he said he loved her and missed her and would try for lunch today.

In his mind he knew it was too soon for her to move in with him, but he was starting to feel like his brother and wanted her with him more.

Even if that was only to sleep next to her at night.

She'd argue she still had six months or so left on her lease and there was no way she'd leave.

He'd buy it out for her. Or she could still pay it if she had to, as it wouldn't cost her anything to be with him.

He also expected she wouldn't be happy that she couldn't walk to work, but they could ride in together no problem. She'd just have to catch a ride home without him at times.

He shouldn't be working this all out in his head and had to stop letting his thoughts run on him.

"Did Stella give you more crap this morning?"

"She's giving me the cold shoulder," she said. "I'm good with it. It means she's leaving me alone. I've gotten some short emails giving me work to do and snide messages in it to make sure it goes to her before it's completed. But I've always done that."

"You can't do anything without her looking it over?" he asked. "That's worse than Thomas when he was first hired."

He might have been with West from day one, but when the empire was building so fast, West needed more than Braylon was qualified to give.

It hurt to not be able to do that for his brother, but he understood and would never put anyone in jeopardy.

But that was five years ago that Thomas was hired. Before Thomas, there was Cheryl. She'd taken the job knowing it'd be just a few years and she could fully retire.

West had made it worth her while to relocate to New York when he moved his operations here. Cheryl had recommended Thomas, knowing it'd be the same situation. Thomas wasn't going to work that long. He'd talked about retiring early.

Only now, it seemed like the guy wasn't going anywhere unless he was forced out.

Thomas wasn't doing anything wrong in terms of business. Nothing more than being a controlling dick to those in his department.

Braylon's time would come; he just didn't know when.

"You have your brother you can go to if you want," she said.

"And be a whiner?" he asked, grinning.

"Do you think your brother would feel that way?" she asked quietly and looked around to make sure no one would hear.

He appreciated that she never said West's name in public. Always said his brother. He'd asked her to do that once and she'd listened.

Other women he'd dated didn't listen or didn't care.

They wanted it known that he was West's brother. That they had some kind of a connection to his brother even though he rarely introduced any of those women to his family.

That could be another reason why Lily was so right for him.

She respected him enough and understood his need for privacy.

"No," he said. "But I don't want to put him in a position to make a decision at this point. He knows what is going on. Or at least enough of it."

West always was aware. Which was why he didn't feel the need to say anything about what Thomas was saying or doing.

"That's good at least. I don't feel like I can do anything but take it."

"You could look for another job," he said. "But then I like you in the building with me."

"I like knowing you're just a few floors up too, even if I don't get to see you."

"It is a comfort," he said. "You know, you can come up and visit me."

"If you can't come down for lunch, the last thing I want to do is bug you," she said. "You could be in a meeting."

"Or just getting work done," he said. "But that doesn't mean if you did come up we couldn't eat in my office for ten minutes or so."

"Really?" she asked. "I can do that if you let me know." She smiled.

"I will. And if Stella is giving you a hard time, you can let me know."

"I'm not bothering you with my problems. Least of all when you're working. You don't need to take on my drama."

He knew she'd say that. "I know. But I don't think it's drama."

"It is," she said. "You'll feel as if you've got to fix it and there isn't anything to fix. I said I'd give it one year and we'll see how it goes. It seems to me something more is going on. I just don't know what."

"What do you mean?"

She explained how there were whispers before they went away and then a few more on Monday. "I don't know how much is truth or fiction, but Stella has been in a mood since I returned. I haven't asked anyone if I missed something while I was gone."

"Stay out of it," he said. "It's better to just do your job."

"That's what I'm doing. Change of subject. When is Abby moving?"

"She put her notice in at her job and is packing up. She'll be living here before the holidays. She'll start work with Laken the first of the year."

"That's great. What a wonderful opportunity. I'm sure it'd be hard to work for your husband."

"Which she said she's not doing."

"Come on now," Lilian said. "It's the same thing."

Not what he wanted to hear. "Yes and no. He might sign the checks, but Laken will be her boss. Trust me, they won't cross paths on work terms much. Laken is good that way. No drama."

His sister would respect the lines of West and Abby's relationship at the same time knowing Abby would respect the business lines and the relationship Laken and West had.

He knew Lily would be the same way, but he couldn't ask his sister to take her on when she was taking on Abby.

"I wish ‘no drama' was my new mantra."

"You can make it that," he said. He lifted his hand for the bill, then handed over his credit card.

"I try to," she said.

"How about after work you go pack a few things and I'll come get you. Stay until the weekend?"

"What?" she asked.

"We stayed together last week for longer than before and didn't kill each other."

She laughed. "We didn't, but that was different. I've got laundry and a few other things to do tonight. How about tomorrow night?"

She was at least compromising. He'd work late tonight so that he could get out at a decent time the next two nights.

"That works," he said.

He signed his name to the bill and was walking out when he heard Lily's name called.

They turned and looked. "Hi, Aaron. How are you?"

"Good," Aaron said. "Enjoying lunch?"

"I am," she said. "I'm just heading back now."

The guy he was assuming was Stella's boss stuck his hand out. "Aaron White. I work with Lilian."

"Braylon Carlisle," he said.

He didn't add boyfriend because those that worked with Lily thought he was the fiancé. Though he didn't know if this guy knew one way or another.

"Nice to meet you," Aaron said. "Don't suppose you're any relation to West?"

It was the look in Aaron's eyes that said he was recognized.

He grinned. "We do look alike," he said. "So I think you know the answer to that."

Aaron nodded and moved into the restaurant where they were leaving.

"Thank you for not saying who you were," she said.

"I did say who I was," he said, trying not to be hurt.

"You know what I mean. I don't wear the ring anymore and no one has asked about it. I think they still assume it's being fixed. I've kind of forgotten about it."

"You haven't if you thought of it now," he said. "But you don't owe anyone any explanations."

"Nope," she said. "I'm trying to remember that about life."

It was the way she said it with finality that had him wondering what was going on in her head.