Butterflies in Honey (Growing Pains #3)(36)

“Don’t you think Sean’s assignment is going to your head a little too much, Marcus? One day soon he’ll have you transferred, and then you’ll have to work your ass off.”

“Oh, I know, doll, I know.”

Doll was his new term. Everyone was doll whether he liked ‘em or not.

“I need to get in my leisure time while I can. I was thinking…you know how Sean thinks about things way before they happen?”

“All too well, Marcus.”

“Oh right, forgot about your drama. Well, do you think he had Ben and I transferred here with you so we were all in one place? Then he moved in for the hostile takeover you were talking about? Because Tory didn’t know how well we worked together in the beginning, remember? He latched on quickly after he found out, of course, but it took him a nanosecond.”

Krista’s mind went backwards, remembering. It made sense. Lots of sense. “Maybe. Now I think of it, there isn’t any other reason why you and Ben would be moved down here. You and Ben together makes sense, but you’re right, Tory didn’t know I fit into that equation.”

“People from the San Francisco office said Sean wouldn’t work with them. If he wasn’t coming here, he wasn’t even going to accept a job offer. Could have had his pick of women, too, but he wouldn’t even climb in the sack with any of ‘em in case you found out. Tory didn’t even push. Had here in mind for Sean the whole time. Though, it would have been San Francisco if you’d stayed, obviously. Tory knows how well you two work together.”

“Marcus, I don’t want to hear any of this. I never asked you to pick sides.”

“You think I’m crazy enough to pick sides between you and the young stud? Usually I would be behind you because you always get what you want. But Sean…Sean is the king of always getting what he wants. I’ve been sitting back and taking bets with you two.

“Speaking of, what do you want from Sean? He obviously wants you back, but you’ve got your road block up. Doesn’t look like you’re bending. Which means, he didn’t give you what you’re looking for. What are you looking for?”

“What are you talking about? Nothing. To be left alone. By all of you!”

“Nah, not buying it. First, everyone loves me, so that can’t possibly be true. Second, I think you want him to prove his love. That’s what I think. Old Hollywood style. He messed up and now heneeds to redeem himself, right?” Marcus leaned in with a gleam in his eye.

“What…No! I don’t know. That’s not why I came down here. I want to buy information.”

Marcus was about to keep going, then stopped. If he was a shark, he would have just smelled blood. “Speak.”

“Nice, Marcus. I’m not a dog. Listen, I am up against the boys’ club of upper management. They’re going to be spreading some awful rumors about me at this company thing. I want some dirt that I can fling in their face if I need to.”

“You came to the right place. What kind of dirt?”

“I don’t mean normal dirt that other people know. I mean serious dirt. I want to embarrass them, and shove it in their face. Discrediting dirt, you know?”

“Oooooh. A challenge. They don’t have many friends. Okay, I’ll see what I can do…for a price.”

“I figured. What is it? I don’t imagine I can just sleep with you and call it a day?”

“’Faid not, Geegee, not my type. You have an innie—I like an outie.”

“Eww.”

“Homophobe. And anyway, you are a prude lately. No. You want me to get unattainable information, then I want you to do the same for me.”

“People don’t like me enough to reveal things, Marcus. They don’t even like me enough to talk to me, period. You know this…”

“I want to know what is really going on with you and Sean.”

He said it as if he had a vested interest. He was drop-dead serious. This wasn’t a game to him.

“Marcus, I just don’t see why you care so much. Plus, that is not information I want the whole company knowing. I have it hard enough here without that kind of stuff getting to the boys’ club.”

“This isn’t to spread. I want to know. I love you both. You are like family to me. I want to know what is really going on.”

“You know the history. I just… I’m just really hurt, which makes me really afraid of getting more hurt. I don’t trust him with my heart anymore.”

“From the beginning.”

Krista looked at him incredulously. “No.”

“Geegee, listen. Knowledge is power. When I was little, my parents were in the middle of a messy divorce, and as the youngest, I was always sent to ferret out information. My brother and sister thought I was the cutest, so they thought I could get it. Well, it turned out that all my parents really needed was an ear to listen.”

“Did you keep them from getting divorced?”

“No actually, but I kept them from being enemies. My dad was g*y. Divorce was inevitable.”

“Well at least coming out was easy for you.”

“Wrong again. He didn’t want me to be g*y because it is a harder life than being straight. He wanted his children to have it easy. I mean, we’re black, so we already have a struggle. Add g*y and my dad thought I was doomed.”