Over the Moon

I am standing in front of the wall of windows in my office. The sun is setting, and I am trying to wrap my head around a few problems that haven’t been ironed out. We have too many balls in the air and the correct solution hasn’t presented itself, yet.

“Do you think we can shuffle around the Wiscasset and Clinton builds? If we push them back, I can be available to run the new projects. It will be tight, but I can do it,” Jack, my lead architect, says. He can’t do it. He is already tapped both mentally and time-wise. I know he is trying to find a solution to the problem I put us in but him running himself into the ground is not the miracle I am waiting for.

“I know you can do it, Jack. But I can’t have you killing yourself to make it happen.” I rub the back of my neck, still looking at the purple and pink sky giving way to a deep blue. I have lived in big cities all my life and the light pollution makes it difficult to appreciate the heavens. Within the next two hours, the sky will be dark enough that I will be able to see the stars.

Styre Cove is a small, almost quaint, town. One might think it would be a terrible place to open a business, but I knew this was the right decision. Rural communities are often too far from big city building companies. Project costs and scheduling becomes a nightmare when competing with larger builds close to the city. When I opened the company almost four years ago it took only a few months to get the locals on board and our reach started to spread. “Why don’t you head home? I am going to run a few more reports and then head out myself.”

“Sure thing, Wolf. I got to get some shut-eye. I need to be on the Rockland site at six a.m.,” he says as he stands and stretches. Today has been a long day. We won some great contracts over the last week, and it has been all hands-on deck sorting out the logistics. Jack sets his empty tumbler on my bar and says good night. I turn and nod goodbye as I walk to my bar and pour two fingers of scotch. I take my tumbler over to my desk and sit down.

My desk is orderly, everything in its place, just like every other part of my life. A tidy life was not easy to come by with my upbringing, but I learned early on that documenting risks and subsequent outcomes is invaluable. I have honed the skill of being able to see the beginning, middle, and end of most things, and that skill has been integral to keeping my life on track. I know the contract situation will right itself.

I hear my office door open, so I raise my head. Nate, my lead engineer, other than myself that is, has a look on his face I can’t quite read. Arrogance. That is what it is. He walks over to the leather loveseat to my left, sits down, and props up his arm along the back. The room is silent for a few minutes. “Spit it out, Nate,” I say.

I am in no mood for games today. I raise my eyebrows and say, “You have something you want to talk about. Well, let’s get to it. The quicker we do the quicker we can figure out what we are going to do with this mess,” I say, motioning to the contracts.

Nate takes a deep breath and leans forward to place his elbows on his knees and clasp his hands together. “So, what I know is that you pushed for these three new contracts, and like always, you got what you wanted. Though it isn’t like you to take on more than you can chew, staffing-wise that is.” He knows me well.

Nate was the first person I hired, Jack right behind him. Nate and I spent the first few months making connections with the community. With Nate being a born and raised member of the Styre Cove community, he played a vital role in me connecting with the residents and businesses here. Over the years Lawson Building Company has become very successful and our working relationship has grown into a friendship.

He continues, “We have the trucks, the crews, everything except another architect. Jack can’t do this. I am sure he told you he can, but it’s too much to ask of him.”

I smirk. “You’re right, he can’t do it and it would be unfair of me to push it on him. Go on.” Nate stands and walks over to the window as if to take in the view. Nate is a get-to-the-point kind of man. The fact that he is taking his time tells me he is scheming. Since I am the same type of man, waiting irritates me, but he seems to be enjoying dragging this out. How could I take that away from him?

“Did you know that my sister is moving back home?” he says still staring out the window. A topic change, that's an interesting tactic.

I remember everything about the day I met Aubrey. I remember her smile, her flushed skin after the race, her curled up on that swing. I am glad I am sitting at my desk and Nate is facing away from me. Just the thought of her makes my dick twitch. How can a woman I met only once affect me years later? It was a good thing I got out of there when I did. I could feel myself wanting to wrap my arms around her and keep her all to myself. Something about her is chaotic and that throws the control I try to keep out of whack. With her moving home I’ll need to keep my distance, or I’ll do something that both of us will regret. I have spun out of control before, and I have the arrest record to prove it.

“She is in Chicago, but is flying in next week,” he says as he walks around to the front of my desk. He looks down at the neatly stacked contracts in front of me. “I have an idea.” There it is! The point that he is finally getting to.

“I think Aubrey should come work for Lawson's.” Hmmm.

“You know she is an architect, a junior, but still capable of handling any one of these contracts. This could be very good for the company and having two Bishops on your team is a winning combination.” There’s the arrogance I expect from him. Nate continues, “You gotta admit, this is perfect timing. Just think about it, Wolf. I can set up a meeting with her and you can decide from there. Then we just need to get Harper to draft up the offer letter.”

I lean back in my chair and look at him. It’s a solid idea and if Aubrey’s work ethic is anything like Nate’s or their dad’s, then it would be a smart decision for Lawson's. Jesus, the thought of her being in this building, in my office. My dick twitches again. He agrees with Nate’s proposal.

“To be honest, I am not sure what happened, but the important thing is she canned her boyfriend and is coming home.” Canned her boyfriend? Dead fish Derek, fifty cents a tin. I chuckle to myself and while I am lost in thought Nate says something I didn’t quite catch.

“I know something happened at the barbecue,” he accuses. What does he know?

“You seemed to get along with the two of them but then something changed. I let it go but over the years you have avoided her when they’ve been home. I know she is a bit much and sassy as fuck, but she couldn’t have offended you enough that you are still pissed about it. You’re my best friend, Wolf. You are even good friends with Dad. You avoiding Aubrey is odd.”

“She is the right person for the job, Bishop or not. Ask Harper to assign her to Jack or even Rusty. That way they can show her the ropes and you don’t need to manage her and neither do I. It’s that or we lose those contracts, and I know you don’t want that.” He’s got me there. Fuck.

Nate stands and says, “Figured you would see it my way, boss. I gotta run. See you in the morning.” He walks out of the office and shuts the door. I pick up my tumbler and down the rest of my scotch, feeling the burn as it goes down.