16. Nolan

CHAPTER 16

Nolan

I shuffle the papers across my desk, doing my best to keep them organized. During my first week as the manager at O’Malley’s, Sara came over every day to help me create a system for the paperwork. We color-coded everything and organized the file cabinets to keep me from getting overwhelmed.

At the end of the week, Jimmy came in to do some payroll paperwork and just about fainted in surprise. I was terrified that I’d overstepped, but then Jimmy looked at me and said, “I knew promoting you was the right decision. Before long, you’ll be owning the place, and I can finally retire.”

Since then, he’s given me a few raises for every responsibility he’s added to my plate. I’m running the whole operation for him now. He comes in every few months to check on things and sign off on anything I’m not able to do yet. He’s hinted multiple times about selling the place to me. I’m just too scared to actually take him up on the offer.

He doesn’t seem to be in a hurry right now, and he’s also told me he’d be happy to set up a payment plan when I’m ready. I have no idea when that time will come, though. I’m also aware that the longer I take to pull the trigger, the more likely Jimmy will sell the place to someone else.

I’d die if that happened. Maybe I should talk to Adam about what I should do. He runs his own highly successful company, after all.

I stand from my desk to stretch out my stagnate muscles. I’ve been sitting here for entirely too long without moving. A few years ago, I’d have laughed at you if you told me I’d be able to sit at a desk doing paperwork for hours. It seems that all I needed was the proper motivation to hold my attention for longer than an hour.

I walk out of my office to the empty bar area. We’re always closed on Mondays. It gives my cleaning crew a chance to deep clean the whole place while I catch up on paperwork and do a cursory sweep of inventory.

Tate, one of my other managers, will be in early tomorrow to do a detailed inventory check, but I like to scan over our last inventory count to get an idea of what we’re going to need before I get the final numbers.

A couple of hours later, I’m packing up my stuff to head home. I used to spend way too many hours trying to stay on top of everything. It took an intervention with Adam and Matthew to tell me that it was a futile effort to try to check everything off my to-do list. They helped me to see that the list never ends. As soon as you check one thing off, two more get added. There will never be a time when my to-do list is empty, and I’d only end up burnt out if I made that my goal. Once I learned that lesson, my work-life balance evened out.

My empty apartment greets me, along with the rhythmic thumping coming from my neighbor. They’re either constantly having sex or they’re working out nonstop, but, in the year they’ve lived next door, I haven’t been able to figure out which.

Dropping my keys onto the small entryway table—something I never knew would be so handy. Thank you, Mom—I walk directly into my kitchen. My fridge is bare, as usual, and my pantry has a couple of boxes of cereal and some microwaveable mac and cheese cups. Fuck, I miss having Carter just a couple of streets away. I’d be over at his house in a snap right now.

Instead of driving to Sonoma, I call the local pizza place to get a delivery. While I wait for the pizza, I grab the book Katie recommended and give it a try. I’m not normally a reader. I usually have a hard time sitting still long enough to focus on the story. This being Katie’s favorite book changes my attitude. Whether it takes me weeks or months to finish, I’m determined to get through it.

It doesn’t take me long to see why Katie would like this book. The heroine is sassy as fuck, and stronger than a female lead is normally depicted. The intercom in my apartment buzzes, startling the shit out of me.

Apparently, all I needed was a well-written character and a fantasy plot to keep me interested.

I get my pizza from the delivery guy and take it directly to the couch, swiping some paper towels along the way. Then I start reading again, dying to know if this girl is going to get a mate. I didn’t understand the whole fated mates thing before I started reading, but now it makes sense why people would enjoy reading stories about it. What would it be like to have someone who was perfectly matched for you in every way? It would take a lot of the guessing out of it, that’s for sure.

What the fuck?

“No! Wait a minute.” I scramble for my phone and press Katie’s name on my favorites list.

“Nolan?” Her quiet voice makes me realize it’s after ten. Jesus, I’ve been reading for four hours.

“ He rejected her?” I’m not embarrassed to say that my voice squeaks at the end. I am pissed.

“What? I don’t… Oh, my god. You’re reading the book.” She barks out a laugh .

“Yes, I’m reading the book, and you didn’t tell me that I would be heartbroken in the first ten chapters.”

“Sorry.”

“You are not. You’re enjoying this,” I accuse her.

“Maybe a little.”

I pull the phone away from my face and click the video call button. I try to keep my angry face, but as soon as she fills my screen, I grin. “Fuck, you’re beautiful.”

Katie tries to roll her eyes while hiding the pleased smile quirking her lips.

“Anyway, distraction over—for now. How could you let me go into this blind?”

“I honestly didn’t believe you’d read it.”

I scoff. “Of course, I’m reading it. It’s your favorite. Please tell me they work it out.”

Katie just looks at me.

“They do, right? They’re fated. Aren’t they supposed to be perfect for each other? How could he just tell her he didn’t want her? He did it in front of everyone, too!”

“His pack is the enemy of hers. Every allegiance she had was being tested, and he could tell that’s what she wanted.”

I scoff again. This time with dramatic flair. “Whatever. He broke her heart. It’s not fair.”

Katie laughs at me. “Just keep reading. You’ll understand what’s happening.”

“He better grovel at her feet after this. I swear.”

The look in Katie’s eyes makes my blood heat. “He does one better. Don’t worry.”

“So what you’re saying is… I need to take notes. Got it.” I mime writing on a notepad while I murmur, “Study ways to get on Katie’s good side.”

She giggles. “You’re ridiculous.”

“But I’m not wrong.” I wink, enjoying the embarrassment written all over her face. “How was your day? Are you feeling better? ”

“My day was fine. The kids took it easy on me today, thank God. I’m better. I should be back to 100 percent tomorrow. Thank you again for my smoothie.”

“You’re welcome. I figured a little boost this afternoon would be welcome.”

“It definitely was. How was your day?”

We chat for a while longer, laughing and teasing the entire time. Since the day Katie agreed to be mine, things have changed exponentially. She’s reached out to initiate contact more than ever before, and even called me yesterday afternoon when she wanted to watch the reality show we started together. I was teased mercilessly for being interested in the show, but we ended up watching it simultaneously, staying on the phone throughout the entire episode.

I start to get ready for bed while Katie’s telling me a hilarious story about one of her students. I almost choke on my toothpaste when she tells me about this little girl who kept saying that her moms beat her all the time.

“I had to get creative with my follow-up questions to figure out what she meant. Turns out, they race from the sidewalk to their front door when they walk home from school.”

“You’re fucking kidding me.” I laugh. “Did you tell her parents what she said?”

“Of course! They just about died of embarrassment.” Katie’s smile lights up my entire screen, making me wish I was in the room with her.

I prop my phone up on my nightstand while I strip down to my underwear.

“Goddamn,” Katie groans from my phone.

I raise my eyebrows. “Like what you see, little dove?”

“You did that on purpose.”

“You’ll never be able to prove it.”

I continue to stand there, letting Katie look her fill. My cock starts to swell at her attention, and there’s no hiding it from view .

“Put that thing away.” She points at her screen.

I palm my dick. “Better?”

“No, now it looks like you’re playing with yourself.” If only she’d hide her eyes or look away from the camera, then I might take her objections seriously. Instead, her eyes are glued to my hand, where I’m not so subtly rubbing up and down.

I move closer to my phone, making Katie squeak. I bust out laughing at her as I scoop up my phone and bring it up to my face. She’s panting, her eyes filled with lust so potent I swear I can feel it through the screen.

“Are you wet for me, little dove?”

A tiny moan slips from her throat when she nods.

“Do you want me to help you take care of it? Help you ease the ache pulsing through you right now?”

“Fuck me,” Katie whispers. Her eyes fall closed, and she slides down into her bed.

“I would if you weren’t so far away. Since I can’t give you my cock, I want you to slide your hand down and touch that pretty little pussy for me. Can you do that?”

“Mm-hmm.” She bites her lip, and I stare intently at the screen, waiting for when her hand makes contact. She inhales, her mouth opening when she starts to play.

I blindly fall into my bed, not wanting to miss a moment of this. When I get myself situated, I grab my cock. The pre-cum leaking from my tip makes the glide all the more smooth. “How does it feel, mama? Are you playing with your clit? Teasing it slowly to make this last?”

“Nolan,” she moans. The sound goes straight to my balls. All I can see of her is her face, yet I’ve never seen anything sexier.

“Are you going to come for me?” The question comes out in a deep rasp.

Her mouth drops open, and her eyes squeeze shut as her orgasm rips through her .

“Christ, what I wouldn’t give to be there in person,” I murmur. It takes a few more tugs before my cock jerks, cum landing on my hand and belly.

Katie is panting, her face relaxed as she lies there. “Well, that was unexpected,” she deadpans.

I snort. “No kidding.” I sit up. “Don’t go anywhere. I’m going to clean up.”

“Mmkay.” She drops the phone to the bed while I run to the bathroom to wipe off my stomach with a washcloth.

I’m back within minutes. “You still there?”

“Yeah.” Katie’s voice sounds far away. “Hang on.”

I wait until her face fills the screen again. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

“I wish I was with you right now. I would be cuddling you so hard.”

Katie chuckles. “I could get behind some cuddles right now. I should probably go. It’s late, and I still have to teach in the morning.”

I check my phone’s clock to see it’s almost midnight. “Shit, I’m sorry. Go to sleep, baby. We can talk tomorrow.”

“Good night.”

“’Night, little dove.”