4. Where He Came From

"It must be our day," Braylon said when he rushed to meet up with Lilian. He'd seen the light yellow silk shirt that he remembered his knuckles brushing against earlier this morning.

Her brown hair was moving across her back as she walked toward the door of the lobby, but he grabbed it and held it open for her.

"Hi," she said. "It seems it."

"Do you normally get out this late?" he asked. It was six and she must start around seven since she was picking up coffee and bringing it over so early.

"I'm not supposed to," she said, "but got held up by my boss."

It was the frown on her face. He assumed she was some kind of assistant and probably got bossed around a lot.

He didn't want to say he understood that, but part of him did.

Most of the time he was bossed around by his brother, but that didn't count in many people's eyes. West wasn't always a dick about it, and if he was, he'd apologize.

It's not like Braylon couldn't call his brother out on things and had in the past, but he did try to keep it to a minimum. At least in the office.

Though he and Laken hadn't held anything back with West two weeks ago. His brother was back to his old ways and they wanted to know what the hell was going on.

He knew it had to do with Abby, but West held it in like he had so many other things in life.

Their mother called Laken first, then him. He didn't want to rat his brother out on his attitude but finally caved. He only did it hoping his brother could get his issues squared away.

His mother got to the bottom of it, found out Abby had ended things with West, and then gave her oldest son a piece of her mind and said to go get the girl and grovel if he had to.

Braylon only knew those things because West confided in him after he'd flown back home from Colonie to confess what happened and that he and Abby had made up. For once his brother wasn't telling someone what to do, but asking and that was what Abby needed.

"Doesn't sound like it was fun," he said.

"I'm used to it," she said. "Having yesterday off put us behind. Or so she said. What about you? Do you usually work this late?"

"I'm actually getting out early tonight," he said, laughing. Most times he was leaving around seven or later. But Thomas was out of the office and West told him to get lost and go relax.

He was pretty sure West knew what was going on with Thomas at times but probably appreciated that Braylon didn't go to his brother for special treatment.

In his eyes, everyone knew who he was to the CEO and they expected Laken and him to get what they wanted. He didn't like that. He wanted to earn what he had and he was going to. Thomas was in his early sixties; he wouldn't be around much longer.

"That stinks," she said. He started to walk alongside her. Normally he got a taxi to get home, but he could do that at any point. Maybe the fresh air would do him good.

"Just like you," he said, "I'm used to it. And hey, I got thinking that I shouldn't have stepped up and said I was your fiancé. I might have made it hard for you if the real guy shows up in the coffee shop with you."

She let out a sigh. He didn't know what that was about, but he'd heard it even over all the traffic noise, not to mention every other sound on the block.

"Can I confess something to you?" she asked.

"Sure," he said. He hitched his bag up on his shoulder a bit more.

"There is no fiancé or boyfriend. I just wear the ring to get people to leave me alone."

He laughed. Not sure where that relief was coming from. He wanted to ask her out but then told himself she obviously didn't want the attention so he'd be joining the asshole club doing the same to her.

"It didn't seem to be working," he said.

"No. It is now that you showed up. But I didn't want you to feel bad or worry. Actually, this is stupid. I just thought, since it is working, maybe I could offer to take you to lunch as a thank you. I mean, we are in the same building."

This was playing into his hand better than he thought it would.

"You don't have to do that, but I'd like lunch. It'd be nice."

She turned and smiled at him. "Just like you're walking with me, but I know there is no way you live where I do. You're probably going out of your way to be nice."

Which made him feel a bit like a creep. "I can be nice, but I'll grab my cab now."

She laughed. "I didn't say that to make you feel bad. I can do lunch one day this week. I start lunch at one," she said. "I get an hour. No one actually bugs me for that and it doesn't change unless my boss is out and then I've got more flexibility."

He pulled his phone out. "Let me check my schedule." He was flipping through his calendar and hoping he could make it work. "How about Thursday?" he asked. "I can do that."

He had a two-hour window and didn't worry he might get interrupted.

"That works," she said.

"I just blocked it out on my calendar. It won't be an issue for me."

She grinned. "You must be important if you had to block out a lunch so people left you alone."

She obviously had no clue who he was and he was oddly thrilled with that. Now he knew how West felt when he met Abby in Aruba.

"Probably not as important as I think I am," he said, smirking.

"You're funny too." Her eyes dropped to his left hand. "I know you're not married. I mean if you were, you wouldn't have come to my rescue the other day. But do you have a girlfriend or something that you'd get in trouble with by having lunch with me?"

"No one," he said. Which made him think that this was really a thank you lunch and maybe not a date as he hoped.

He was persuasive, he was sure he could change her mind.

There was the little thing of their fake engagement to those in the coffee shop. It'd be low for him to use that, but if it helped him to get to know Lilian better, why not?

For all he knew, she could be a gold digger like everyone else he seemed to come in contact with. If not for him, then to get to his brother.

He wasn't sure what was worse.

"Good," she said. "Do you just want to meet in the lobby at one on Thursday?"

"We can do that," he said. They were at the corner and he could tell she didn't want to move any further and give him an idea of her location. The right thing to do was go back and get a taxi and let her feel comfortable. "I guess I'll head back now." He was already going in the opposite direction that he needed to, but since she was walking and bypassed the subway, he was guessing she didn't live that far.

"See you in a few days, Braylon."

"The same, Lilian."

He turned and went back, then moved to the side of the road and lifted his arm for a taxi. By the time he turned his head she was lost in the crowd. He had no idea if she crossed the street in any direction or just turned the corner.

Maybe he'd find that out in a few days.

The taxi pulled over to the side and he got in, gave his address to his condo and sat back for the drive. It was only fifteen minutes away in traffic. Could be worse and since he got out earlier than normal, it did take an additional five minutes.

The doorman was waiting with the door open when he got out of the taxi. "Good evening, Mr. Carlisle."

"Benjamin, how are you this lovely night?"

"Doing great," Benjamin said. The older man should be retired but said he loved the job he'd had for forty years. He knew the guy got overlooked by most of the residents, but he'd never do that.

Braylon didn't forget where he came from. How little they had with his mother raising eight kids with a part-time job as a widow collecting her late husband's pension from the Army.

Things were tight, but they had each other.

Then West made one good investment after another and his youngest sibling didn't know what it was like to struggle, have debt, or worry about how they were going to pay their rent.

West had given their mother the life she deserved and all his siblings had careers they handpicked. They had to work for it, make no mistake, but it's not like they had to dig and grind like West, he, and Laken did while they were in college.

West took care of their student loans for them too when he was able. He'd forever be thankful for that and the opportunities.

And for those reasons, he always made sure men like Benjamin got a good tip each week and gifts on every holiday.

It's not like he carried cash on him all the time or even thought of it, but at the end of the day on Friday, he'd slip the doorman a couple of bills matching his name. Discreetly in a handshake like he'd been doing for the three years he'd lived here.

"That's good to hear," Braylon said, shaking his hand. He did it daily. To him, the guy deserved the respect and then no one ever wondered about the weekly tip. It's not like he did it to be seen or acknowledged and never would.

"You enjoy your night, Mr. Carlisle."

"The same to you, Benjamin."

He rode the elevator to the fifth floor. He couldn't afford the penthouse here. West could, but Braylon would never expect his brother to buy things for him like that.

He made damn good money and had more invested and in the bank than he ever thought possible. He wasn't a billionaire like his brother, but he was sure he had the second highest wealth in the family of his siblings.

Though he knew Laken got taken care of well and received the same kinds of bonuses as him, she just had a different job than he did.

Except she had VP in front of her title and he didn't.

He had to stop comparing. Most of his siblings had big titles because they might run a business that West acquired for them. Or be working their way up to it.

Braylon got to his floor, changed out of his suit and put on his workout gear, then made his way back to the first floor gym like he did most days. He found he didn't have the energy to work out in the morning and usually needed it more at the end of the day.

It was busier than normal, but again, he was early.

He popped his earbuds in and found an empty treadmill and would spend twenty minutes warming up there before he hit the weights.

When his twenty minutes were up, he grabbed his towel and wiped the machine down. There were employees there watching and doing that as their job, but again, he didn't like to be waited on and there was no reason he couldn't wipe up his own sweat.

"Why do you do that?"

He had music playing while he adjusted the weight of the bench press, but he still heard the question from the woman he'd seen down here before.

"Do what?"

"Clean up," she said. "They have employees for that."

These always seemed to be the type of women that came to him. He knew anyone living in this building had money, but that didn't mean they had to be jerks about it.

"So?" he said. "Just making the person's job a little easier. Nothing wrong with that. It's my sweat."

She was wearing some matching leggings and sports bra set. If it wasn't for the fact she had a smoking body nice and toned, he'd think she was down here just looking for a guy, but she obviously worked out.

"We all sweat," she said. "Some more than others. I don't even like my own sweat." She was laughing while she said it. "I'm Mckayla."

Her hand was out and he had no choice but to shake. He wiped it on the towel first. "Braylon."

"I know who you are," Mckayla said, her eyes moving over him. Not surprising. He nodded and went back to putting the weights on the bar, then lay down and started lifting. "You've been here a few years, right?"

She'd moved to the bench next to him, doing her own things with the weights too. Not as much as him but still impressive. It's not like she was bulging with muscles. The fact her breasts were still on her chest and not moving told him she'd had some work done there.

He wasn't surprised he'd noticed it other than he was sick of fake women.

"I have," he said.

When he didn't say much more, she laughed. "Not much of a talker, are you?"

"No," he said. Which his siblings would dispute, but he just wanted to get his workout done."Especially when I'm working out."

"Maybe we'll have to try for another time to have a conversation," Mckayla said, smiling.

At least it seemed she was going to give him some peace.

That peace didn't last long though when he was coming out of his shower an hour later and looking for some food.

His phone rang and he noticed it was his mother. He'd always answer because it's not like she called often. She had eight kids she could bug and spread it around.

"Hi, Mom. How are you doing?"

"Great now that things are going so well with West and Abby again."

He grinned. "Thanks for throwing me under the bus."

"It's the only time your brother listens. He cares what you all think of him. You know that."

It was true. He didn't need his mother to remind him that, but it was nice to hear.

Before West met Abby in Aruba, his brother was burning himself out and ignoring everyone. He knew it wasn't on purpose, but the siblings did all talk. It was hard not to when Laken and he dealt with a lot of their businesses and West wasn't returning calls or emails.

One by one, his mother rounded everyone up, found out information and ordered West on a vacation to get his act together.

In West's eyes it might have been the best thing to happen to him, looking back.

"I know he does," he said.

"What's going on with you?" his mother asked.

"Not much," he said. "Just working."

"Thomas still being a dick?"

He laughed at his mother's description. He'd never said that to her, but Laken knew, which meant Laken had said it.

He'd never hold it against his sister either. They had each other in a place where they needed some moral and family support for years.

"It seems to be in his nature," he said.

"If you spoke up, it'd stop," his mother said.

"Nothing to say," he said. "Thomas is no different than someone else would be in his position at any other company. Just because my last name is Carlisle doesn't mean I get special treatment."

"Of course it does," his mother said.

"Mom," he said. "Let it go. I know West values me and I respect him and his decisions. My time will come when it comes."

The last thing he needed was someone pushing him. He'd dealt with it enough with the women he dated and didn't need it from his mother.

"Fine," his mother said. "I'll drop it. But maybe now that you see West is doing well, some of my other kids will realize they can have a personal life along with a career."

And this was normally the other topic his mother started with.

The last thing he was admitting was he had somewhat of a lunch date in two days. He had no idea what Lilian thought of it, and until he knew more, he'd just keep it to himself.

"We can't all be as lucky as West," he said. "Abby is great."

"She is," his mother said. "And if you tried you'd find your own Abby."

"Night, Mom. I'm getting some dinner."

"Bye, Braylon," his mother said, laughing as she hung up the phone.

That was easier than it normally was and he wondered what she had up her sleeve. Or maybe he was just reading into things more.