Drake
The opportunity to sit with Stefanie while he worked reeked of domestication. Something Drake desperately needed in his life.
The work crew showed up in a roughed up truck whose side panels didn’t match and a large dent on one door.
Stefanie smiled as she watched the truck drive up, the curve of her lip interesting and smooth. “The Altman brothers. Good call. Good group of guys.” She glanced down, then up to study his face. “Thank you. I’m not sure why you keep doing the things you’re doing, but thank you. And I know no one has properly said that to you.”
Drake couldn’t make himself look away.
“I’m going to run in and take a shower first. I’ll meet you in my dad’s office in thirty minutes?” She grinned again, a small dimple just to the bottom left of her lip catching his eye. She’d become such a remarkable person.
Her loyalty and steadfastness appealed to him in ways he couldn’t explain. A shrink would probably say it had something to do with the abandonment of his family, but quite honestly, Stefanie’s attractiveness was irrefutable.
She could’ve lit out of there, out from underneath her brother and the responsibility of her younger sister at any time. Instead she stayed. Her stalwart and steadfast presence held more appeal for Drake than he could ever understand.
If she didn’t quit mentioning showers, Drake was probably going to go crazy. He could use the thirty minutes she needed to get the men set up with instructions for the ramp on the deck anyway.
One more thing he hadn’t asked Nate permission to do. One more thing he didn’t regret.
No one had asked him what he wanted regarding Emma, or even regarding family stuff.
Where he’d always lacked control, he was finally taking back what he needed.
~~~
Drake grabbed his briefcase from the truck. He made his way to the office, a little hesitant at first while pushing open the door. The room’s strongly personal feeling permeated Drake with a sense of roots, something he’d sought for as long as he could remember.
The office’s ambience had one of remembrance and sadness. No shelves or books lined the walls. No pictures or frames decorated any surfaces. The room had been emptied of most furniture. Just a lone desk with a chair manned the expanse of the room and a solitary wingback chair was tucked away in the corner. Not even a rug on the hardwood floor to welcome people in.
As if the office’s soul had been carved out and sold.
Uncomfortable with the idea of encroaching upon Stefanie’s dad’s office without her there, Drake waited by the door with his briefcase in hand. He’d have to contact the Burns’ himself. Normally with Mr. Burns’ accounts, Drake let his assistant manager answer the minimal questions Mr. Burns had. But based on the voicemail from his assistant Drake received the night before, Drake would have to help Mr. Burns figure out just how he was going to invest in Bella Acres.
He couldn’t bring himself to tell Stefanie he was the Burns’ financial advisor. Would she think he would sway them one way or the other? How would he sway him? And if she did think that, would she accept their answer – even if it was yes?
Drake had to consider the situation from a business perspective. This was his livelihood. His career. Everything he’d been working for centered on his accounts.
Stefanie whirled into the office, her hair unbound from any restraints, freshly wet. Her eyes sparkled. “You can sit at my dad’s desk. I love the way it feels when I’m there. I’ll sit over here.” She motioned towards the wingback with its worn cloth armrests.
Drake hadn’t given the chair more than a cursory glance when he’d walked in, since it was behind him. But knowing that she was going to be there, drew his attention. “I’ll move it closer.” He rested his briefcase on the light but sturdy chair and hefted it to sit closer to the desk.
“Thanks.” Stefanie smiled again at him, she glanced at the phone and then back at him. “Do you know if we’ve gotten any calls? I haven’t heard the phone ringing all day but...” She offered a slight shrug. “I’m still waiting to hear.”
She was still waiting to hear because Drake hadn’t had a chance to talk to his client.
Did he tell her right now? Was that the opportune time? Did he tell her that he held her dreams in his hands?
There was no doubt he would advise Mr. Burns to invest in Stefanie’s investment. After a couple months, Drake’s plan involved paying off Mr. Burns with interest and taking over the loans.
The only problem was, Drake knew she couldn’t make the payments. Not right then. Because he knew this, how did he explain to Mr. Burns and consequently, Ronan James, that someone thought the business deal was a sound one?
The fact that Stefanie believed herself to be worth investing in said more for her naiveté than her confidence. Dang it all, if that didn’t make her more appealing.
Knowing she didn’t have the financial means pay put Drake in an uncomfortable position. It was almost like having insider-trading information.
He knew that the investment Mr. Burns was thinking about participating in wouldn’t have a positive feedback, until Drake bought the ranch out from under them all. Long term the situation would have a terrific return for the Burns portfolio. Short term? Not enough to justify the backing.
Drake claimed the seat at the desk. Glancing at Stefanie, he admired the grace with which she settled into the chair. She drew her bare feet up under her and tucked them beneath her rear-end. She had brought in a book which she opened.
Casting a partial peek at Drake, she smiled when she caught him looking at her. “I haven’t been in here to read a long time. I’ve missed it.”
Opening his briefcase, Drake pulled out a small laptop. “Do you have Internet hook up around here? Please tell me it’s not dial-up.” He scrunched up his lips at her like she was going to tell him the world was ending.
Giggling, Stefanie shook her head. “We do have Internet. It’s one of the only things Nate let us keep because he uses it to look up information on Emma’s condition. It’s DSL. Not the best, but not the worst either.” She pointed towards the modem flashing lights on the end of the desk.
Drake hadn’t seen the small tower earlier. Where were his observational skills? It’s not like Stefanie was the only thing he could see. Alright, who was he joking? Stefanie was sometimes the only thing he saw. Or noticed.
He spread out his work, trying to focus on the tasks at hand, and not on the beautiful girl sitting across from him.
“What do you do? You said something about advising finances or something, but all that is very confusing to me.” Stefanie tapped her finger on the top of her partially-closed book.
“I’m a financial advisor, for Morrison, Morrison, and Steel. Hoping to make partner within the next year or two.” Did he say how good he was at his job? Did he tell her that he made millions for his clients in under 10 months? Money was like carbon dioxide for him. He breathed and poof there it was.
“That’s really interesting. Do you like your job?” She studied him with her big blue eyes.
Drake never considered that part. He withdrew from setting up his work station and narrowed his eyes as he thought it over. “Honestly? I don’t know. I’m good at it. I make a lot of money doing it. I’ve never considered if I like it or not.” Her question startled him. Did he like what he did? He liked the money which filled his bank account. That was no doubt.
But did he like what he did?
Stefanie offered a half shrug. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. I just never want to do something that I don’t love. But finding what I love is really hard, you know? Like I’m not sure what I’m doing is what I’m supposed to be doing. The only thing I really love is this land.” She fiddled with the pages of the book.
After a moment, Drake returned to adjusting the settings on the desk and his computer while it booted up.
Shifting in her seat, Stefanie leaned forward. She glanced toward the closed door like someone would suddenly appear and whispered toward Drake, “I’m waiting for a phone call from Mr. Burns, Cyan’s dad. Drake, I only have a week left. Nate doesn’t know, because Nate doesn’t care.” Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them back seriously. “I don’t have anyone to talk to about this. I’m so sorry. I don’t mean to burden you, but I...” She sniffed, drawing back and shoving a hand over her mouth to catch anything that might show her as anything but strong.
Drake recognized that instant reaction to revealing anything about himself. He nodded conspiratorially. “I understand. I’m often alone with my secrets, too.” He didn’t want to cheapen the moment with a simple smile, so he glanced back down at his paperwork.
Close to ten minutes passed and Drake finally looked up to find Stefanie watching him with something akin to awe in her expression. “You didn’t think I knew how to work did you?” Drake offered a teasing grin. He hated seeing her in tears. Stefanie’s pain twisted in him sharper than his own.
Stefanie’s laughter burst through her still-present tears. “I’m sorry... again. It’s not that I don’t think you know how to work. It’s just that I don’t picture you working. You’re really good at spreading straw, though, and not wearing a shirt.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him. “I would pay for that. How much do you make an hour? Maybe I could hire you part time.”
“At my job? You couldn’t afford me.” Their back-and-forth banter warmed him. Instead of tension, or anger, or biting remarks, teasing with Stefanie created a fluttering in his stomach.
“I need to make some phone calls. Do you need me to be quiet while you’re reading?” He couldn’t talk to Mr. Burns in front of Stefanie. But he didn’t want to send Stefanie away either.
“I can get us something to eat. Would you like me to make you a sandwich? Would that give you enough time to make your phone calls? Like 10 minutes?” She stood from the chair, putting the book on the seat where she had previously been.
“Yes, please. That would be really nice.” The thought that she would be coming back to him spurred the fluttering into a torrential wind.
Drake could get his phone calls done and then spend more time with her, the perfect work day for him.
Stefanie ducked from the room. Drake waited a moment to be sure she was gone. Then he picked up the handset and dialed Mr. Burns’ number.