Page 42 of Britain

Silas

It’s been over a week since Britain’s sister-in-law lost her baby. She’s been scarce—pretty much she decided she needed to be there with her family, which I totally understand. We’ve talked on the phone or had a quick lunch or dinner, but that’s about all I’ve seen of her. Her “training” is on hold for now, which is disappointing, but I get it. She loves her brother and Beth, and she hurts for them.

One thing I’ve noticed is that she never cries. Her eyes turn glassy, and she wrinkles her nose, but no tears ever fall. Her outburst in my bathroom was the only time I’ve seen her show intense emotion—well, besides the night she freaked out.

Tonight is the open house for my new office space, and I’ve been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. My dad wanted to come, but it was a bad pain day. I assured him that it was seriously okay. I know his limitations bother him no matter how much Heather and I reassure him that it’s not his fault—all of the time.

I honestly think he only wanted to come to meet Britain. I haven’t had a chance to tell him too much about her yet, but I was hoping they’d get to meet tonight. My sister is coming and bringing a date. I wanted info on the guy, but she wouldn’t tell me. All she said was that it was a surprise—whatever the hell that meant.

Grabbing my garment bag and my shoes, I head out to my SUV. I’m meeting with my employees before the guests are set to arrive. Stefan hired the party planner, and she’ll be there getting everything ready. We’re serving champagne and hors d’oeuvres, but I put my foot down when they wanted to hire a string quartet—instead, we settled on a DJ who has been briefed on what he should play.

It’ll be good to have both of my boys there tonight since without them none of my success would’ve been possible. Plus, they’ll finally get to meet my girl. They want to meet the girl who’s responsible for me doing sleepovers and helping babysit little girls. It’s important that Britain, Jeremiah, and Stefan hit it off. They’re my brothers, and I’d hate it if they didn’t.

My guess is they’re going to love her, because honestly how could they not?

I pull into the parking lot, grab my garment bag, and head inside. I walk inside and am hit with a sense of pride. Everything looks perfect. Twinkle lights are strung all across the ceiling, flower arrangements are tastefully decorating desks and tables. From the looks of it, they added greenery as well.

Callie comes toward me wearing a wireless headset. “Silas. How are you?”

“Good, Callie. It looks great in here.”

I follow her as we walk through the space. “The wait staff will be walking around, making sure everyone has full champagne glasses, and that the hors d’oeuvres are circulated as well.”

“Sounds great, and thanks again for putting this together so quickly.”

She heads toward the front and I head toward the conference room, waiting for my team to show up. I love this space because it’s wall-to-wall windows. I get to enjoy the view only for a few minutes when my team shows up.

They all gather around the conference room table, I sit down, and we begin.

***

I’m just straightening my tie in the men’s room when Stefan comes walking in. He’s dressed similar to me. My fitted suit is black with a white dress shirt and a simple black tie. His is dark blue with a white shirt, but no tie.

“What’s up, brother?” I greet him with a back-slapping hug. “I can’t thank you enough for hooking me up with Callie. She did a phenomenal job.”

“Seriously, I’m glad it worked out the way it did. You deserve this, and you worked so fucking hard to get here.” He pushes me out of the bathroom and I grab a glass of champagne from one of the wait staff. “Where’s your girl?” Stefan takes a sip of his.

“She wouldn’t let me leave to come get her, so she’s taking an Uber. I can’t wait for you guys to meet her.” I’m like a kid at fucking Christmas right now. I keep looking toward the door waiting for her to walk through it.

Jeremiah comes walking toward us. “What’s up, brother?” I greet him with a back-slapping hug.

“Si, this place looks fantastic.” He grabs his own drink and the three of us head toward the front doors to greet guests as they arrive.

It’s about fifteen minutes into the party when a couple of reporters come to interview me and discuss my programs. Jeremiah and Stefan stay up front to greet guests while I talk to the reporters and pose for a few pictures.

We finish up and the reporters are talking to a couple of my tech support guys when I head toward the front. I grab a glass of champagne on my way. My sister stands with Stefan and waves wildly at me. That’s when I see the man that has his arm wrapped around her shoulders. It dawns on me that it’s Marcus, Britain’s other brother.

Before I can think too much about that, I spot my girl, and I want to swallow my tongue. She’s wearing slim-fit black capris, a fitted red blouse, and black high-heeled sandals. Her hair hangs down around her shoulders, and she’s makeup free except for some gloss on her lips.

I move through the crowd, and she smiles when she spots me. As soon as I reach her, I grab her hand and pull her into my arms. “I’m so glad you’re here,” I whisper against her ear. “You’re stunning.”

She pulls back and smiles up at me. “I’ve missed you.”

I kiss her quickly before greeting my sister. “Hey, little sis. I’m glad you’re here.” Heather hugs me quickly before letting go.

“Of course, big bro. Do you know Marcus?” She lets go of me and stands next to Britain’s brother.

“Marcus, good seeing you, and thanks for coming.” I look between the two of them. “How did you guys meet?”

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