Page 27 of Drunk In Love

“Okay,” she says. Her brows are furrowed. Maybe she’s thinking that I’m discussing this case without her. I have other things I need to discuss with Brandon. I must inform him about a decision I made before entering this office today. Something that’s weighed on me for the past few days.

I wait for the click of his office door to shut before continuing.

“So, what’s up?” Brandon asks, leaning back in his leather chair.

“I need you to take me off this assignment with Kamaya.”

CHAPTER 9

Maxwell

“I’m sorry… You don’t want to work with her anymore? I don’t understand why,” Brandon says, clearly confused by my unexpected announcement.

I hesitated, not sure I could explain how I felt to Brandon, who was acting as my boss now and not as my friend. I was here when he and his now wife were going through their issues, but I wasn’t normally one to air my dirty laundry. I loathed being seen as weak or vulnerable, and now that’s exactly what I needed to do.

“Working with Kamaya is starting to become a conflict of interest, and I don’t know if it’s smart for us to continue working together.” I rushed out the words with a deep exhale. This wouldn’t make me look good, but I was beginning to get at my wits end after the kiss. Having to pretend things were normal was killing me.

Brandon leans back in his seat and steeples his fingers. “I’m sorry to hear that. Here I thought the two of you would be expertly paired. Not to mention Bree and Westin are occupied. It would make a bit of a mess to try and rearrange things now. “

“I know, but I think Kam is okay on her own as long as she stays in office for the rest of the assignment.”

At Brandon’s raised brows, I explain that while working on finding Franco, we encountered an idling town car that made me apprehensive. I told him that since then, I’d stuck by Kamaya’s side, staying at her apartment each night since going to Franco’s old, abandoned building.

I didn’t feel good about this decision, but something had to be done.

“Well, this is too bad, Maxwell. I wasn’t expecting you to come to me about less responsibility just when I was thinking of offering you a more senior role.”

I lean back in the chair at Brandon’s proclamation. “I can handle it. I know it. It’s just…Kamaya and I may need to not work so closely right now.”

Brandon smirks. “Oh, I get it now. I know exactly what’s going on.”

I stare back blankly at him. His smirk lets me know I won’t like whatever he is about to say next.

“It’s obvious how you really feel about Kamaya. I think you’re just afraid of your feelings.”

I scoff at Brandon’s accusation. Apparently, he could sense before I did how I felt about Kam, but he’d never said anything before. “You of all people want to give me advice on feelings?” I ask. “You’ve been married all of two weeks and now you’re an expert?”

“Hardly. In fact, you and I are more alike than you think, which is how I recognize what you’re going through. You can’t handle your feelings for Kamaya and now you’re running.”

This was rich coming from him. Before he and Ava got their shit together, he came into this very office like a sad sap for days on end until she came around.

“That’s not it at all. Besides, she’s interested in…someone else. Kamaya and I will remain friends. It’s just not easy spending so much time together while working together and temporarily living together too. That’s why I’m coming to you now.”

Brandon shakes his head and runs a hand through his hair. “This is unfortunate timing because I was actually going to talk to you about taking over here in New York, at least for the next several months.”

Taking over? Was Brandon planning on leaving? He was the boss and the rock of this place and the person who took a chance on me in this field a number of years ago. I couldn’t imagine working here without him. This was not how I expected our conversation to go.

“What exactly is going on?” I ask.

“Well, Ava and her brand have gained popularity, and she’s been invited to guest judge on a reality show shooting in London at the end of summer, possibly early fall. We’ve discussed it, and we’ll be moving there for a few months while she’s filming.”

“Wow, that’s an incredible opportunity for you both. I take it you don’t plan on coming back and forth between New York and London?” I ask.

“Actually, this opportunity for my wife has provided an opening for me, since I’ve always wanted to start up a security firm in London. Now, this will be my chance to do so.”

“Yeah, that will be great,” I say. I was happy for my friend, but London was a long way away, and I’d obviously see a lot less of him. Too many changes were happening at once.

“What this means,” Brandon continues, “is I would need someone trustworthy to run the stateside office. As of a few minutes ago, I thought it was you who’d take on that role.”