Page 25 of Strictly Business

I shake my head, trying to shake off the thoughts. I have to be normal here and at the moment, I’m so awkward I might as well be wearing a neon sign saying I am hiding something. I wander into the kitchen to grab a drink and I come back out with a can of beer and spot a couple of guys who are friends with Craig and me and I go over to join them, grabbing myself a burger on the way over. As much as I want to talk to Serena, I know it’s not a good idea in front of everyone – Craig especially knows me well enough to know when I’m into a girl - and I decide to stick to safer ground, at least until everyone is a bit drunker so they won’t be as shrewd.

I’ve just finished my first burger and damn it is so good. The meat is tender and juicy, and the bun is soft and fresh, the sliced cheese providing the perfect level of tang. Food always tastes better to me when it is eaten outside, especially off a barbecue.

I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I turn around, expecting to see Craig and hoping he has another of those delicious burgers for me. It isn’t Craig though; it’s Martin.

“Alright Wyatt? Are you avoiding me or what?” he says. “I saw you talking to Craig and thought I might be next you know?”

“Ah well Craig has the food,” I joke as we shake hands and clap each other on the back. “It’s been a while. How are you?”

“Good, good,” he says. “How about you? How’s your business going?”

“All good,” I say. “Busy but I can’t complain about that.”

“Yeah, it’s a good thing, isn’t it? Oh, I’ve been meaning to thank you as well,” Martin says.

“Thank me?” I repeat. “For what?”

“Giving Serena a chance,” he says. “She’s a good kid and she will work her ass for anyone who gives her the chance to, but so many firms just don’t get that do they? They want someone just out of college so they’re young and trendy, but they also want them to have like forty years of experience.”

This sounds familiar enough that I can’t help but laugh.

“Yeah, that sounds like a few of our competitors. I believe in giving people a chance,” I say. “And she’s working out really well.”

“And what do her colleagues think about her fancying the boss?” Martin says.

“Excuse me?” I ask.

What the fuck? Has Serena told him we fucked? He laughs and shakes his head.

“Ah don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. The kid has had a crush on you since she was about six years old,” Martin says.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure she’s grown out of it by now,” I say, laughing and trying to sound normal.

The trouble was, I didn’t even feel like I knew what normal was anymore. How would I have reacted to this if I didn’t think Serena was the hottest woman I had ever laid eyes on? Or if we hadn’t fucked? Would I laugh about it and encourage it?

“I don’t know about that,” Martin says with a grin. He half turns towards the house and when he speaks again, he’s shouting to Serena on the other side of the garden. “Hey. Serena?”

“Don’t embarrass her,” I say as she turns around and takes my breath away with her beauty. Martin ignores me.

“Are you still crushing on Wyatt like when you were a teenager?” he asks.

Serena’s cheeks flush bright red and I feel my cock stirring in my jeans. She is always hot, but somehow, she’s even hotter when she lets herself get all hot and bothered like this.

“Can’t you go and see Uncle Craig’s tool collection in his shed or something,” Serena fires back and we all laugh.

Craig’s parents have wandered over after hearing Martin yelling across the garden at Serena, who has also made her way over, no doubt to avoid any more embarrassing shouts.

“Remember when she used to take out that bit of netting I had beneath one of my skirts and make a veil out of it,” Sandra says.

“Oh God yes,” Martin laughs. “And she would walk herself down the aisle and marry Wyatt.”

“You know, she’s old enough for you to make an honest woman of her these days Wyatt,” Norman puts in.

I don’t know what to say to that and I’m glad when Serena speaks up so that I don’t have to.

“Oh no Grandad. Wyatt is a nice guy. My dad would probably approve, but now, I want to teach him a lesson. I’m going to go and find a hot biker guy with loads of tattoos and a long criminal record,” Serena says.

“I guess compared to that scenario, I might even approve,” Martin laughs. He looks at me and he’s still laughing but I sense the seriousness of the warning beneath the laughter. “And it’s not like she’s really going to run off with a Hell’s Angel so let’s not go getting carried away and thinking you have my permission ok pretty boy?”

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