Conner
Three months of freedom is what I’ve enjoyed so far. Even though being locked up and with the money my family made, life wasn’t too hard on the inside. Stupid alcohol and dumb ass decisions made in an instant are what got me where I am
Fat now.
The dingy apartment I found a couple of days after leaving the Colorado Territorial Corrections Facility was not my style. My father promised to find me a better place. It was time I got my life back on track. I have learned a couple of new skills. these last couple of years. One of them is wood working. My dad and I were going to find a warehouse where I could set up shop and start building my own furniture. The mistakes I made three years ago haunt me and I need to atone for my
sins.
Losing Bryson as a friend killed me. I should never have given in to my fantasies about being with Bryson. I knew he wasn’t into men, and when Christine convinced me that f*cking her would be just like f*cking Bryson, I caved. Because l wanted to feel where he’d been, and imagine it was him I was f*king. But I got caught up, because being in Christine felt pretty f*cking good and that’s when I realized I could have both. Unbeknownst to anyone, Christine had been the first girl I ever f*cked. I used to date women for show, but I never f*cked any of them, which is why none of my relationships ever worked out. I had this fantasy that I could talk to Bryson, and we could share Christine, and I was going to do that when he got home from his security training. I had been f*cking Christine the whole time he was gone and on the day he came home I had told her it was going to be our last time until I talked to Bryson. She was all for it.
I saw the hurt on his face when he looked at me. The betrayal that came across gutted me. He wouldn’t listen to either of us. He just ruthlessly cut us out of his life. So, I started drinking and one night I convinced myself that I could make him
listen.
I got in my car and ran into a light pole from swerving to avoid hitting a woman and her child that was crossing the street. I got two and a half years in the correctional facility. I was lucky to be honest. I could have killed them and then gotten
life. Now here I was ready to start over.
I met my dad at the warehouse and, to my surprise, it was exactly what I needed. It also came with a little living area in a loft and I told my dad this was where I would start over. We went to a couple of lumberyards and he and a couple of his buddies helped me lug slabs of wood into the warehouse. Then we went and bought all the tools I needed. I had the best dad. He was all I had after mom died when I was younger, and I hated that I disappointed him with my actions.
After he left, I started on my first piece of furniture. I was making him a table for his living room as a thank you for always
standing by me.
Three days later I was finished with my dad’s table. He bought me a big F-250 Super Duty King Ranch Ford truck. Seriously, my dad was awesome. I was driving through Denver on my way to my dad’s when I got caught up on Brand Street in some light traffic. I was stopped, looking around at all the people and tapping my fingers on the steering wheel when a man burst out of a building a block ahead and across the street from where I was. He was pissed. Two guys came out of the same door he just did and ran after him. They stopped right across the street from me and the nosy f*ck that I was, I stared. That’s when the man turned my way and my mouth dropped open. It was Bryson. I slumped a little in my truck. He had his hands on his hips and he was looking down. I could see anger and hurt just rolling off of him. The two guys stopped in front of him. I only caught a few sentences, like, let her explain, it’s not what it looks like, and you don’t know him, he’s one hundred percent into c*ck. That had my brow lifting. I looked at the building where he came from and a bunch of people had come out. They all looked down the street at Bryson and the two guys. Then a really good-looking mixed-race man walked over to them. He said his name was James and that he was just protecting Shay from her douche bag ex. Bryson’s head snapped up at that, and he looked back at the people that were crowded outside of the
1/3
<Conner
+ Points
building. There were so many gorgeous women and some really good-looking men that I couldn’t tell who they were talking about. That was until Bryson walked over to the crowd and a stunning blonde went from the arms of one man and launched herself into Bryson’s arms. He grabbed her like she was his lifeline.
The guy that she had been clinging to stepped up to them and wrapped both of them in his arms. He said something that had both Bryson and the girl chuckling. My line of cars started moving, and I had to drive away. Who were they to Bryson? Was that his new girlfriend? Who was the guy? I pulled over and looked in my sideview mirror. They all went their separate ways. The girl left with the other gorgeous women and the mixed-raced guy, while Bryson left with the group
men.
of
I don’t know what came over me, but I followed them when they got into a black SUV. I stayed several car lengths behind, but I think I got made, because the SUV took several right-hand turns and I had a feeling the person driving was watching to see if I was following them.
But that was okay, because I got the license plate number, so when they took another right-hand turn, I just went straight and got on my phone to call someone I met while on the inside.
“Hey, it’s Conner. Yeah, I need you to look something up for me.” I gave him the plate number.
“Becks Security? Really, body guarding, tracking and rescuing missions. Alright bud, thanks.” I hung up. So, Bryson must work for this place. Sounds about right considering he was working for a small security firm when everything blew up.
God, he looked good. I needed to see him again. A plan was forming in my mind and I bit my bottom lip. I didn’t want to come across as some weird stalker, I just wanted to see more of Bryson. Maybe if I became friends with the girl, the one that looked to be important to him, or maybe that guy. But what if he told them about me? Would he have done that? I
just wasn’t sure.
I got to my dad’s. He was happy to see his new living room side table. It was lacquered and sealed, polished within an inch of its life. It was beautiful and perfect. I was really proud of what I had accomplished.
After spending a couple of hours with my dad, I ran to the store for tonight’s dinner and there she was. The blonde. I observed her from afar. She was picking out vegetables, some fruits and laughing with the guy behind the deli counter. She was so enchanting. There was something innocent about her and I found myself wanting to get closer. I walked over to some cantaloupe and picked one up. Flicking it with my middle finger like I always saw my dad doing to hear the hollowness. Did that mean it was ripe or not ripe?
“Trying to figure out if it’s ripe?” a sweet voice asked. I jumped and inhaled sharply. She was even more beautiful up
close.
“Um, yeah. My dad said something. If it’s hollow, it isn’t ripe, I think.
“Well, I don’t know about how it sounds, but I do know if you smell here at the stem point and if it’s sweet smelling and has a little give to it, it’s ripe,” she said with a beautiful smile.
“Thank you. I’m pretty hopeless about picking out fruit.”
“Well, now you’ll be a cantaloupe expert,” she said, with a soft chuckle.
“Yeah,” I said with a slight laugh. “I’m… Con,” I said, not wanting to give her my full name just yet. I was just being cautious. I wanted to know more about Bryson now, and I didn’t want to scare her away.
“I’m Shay. You live around here?”
“Um, yeah, I live about five minutes away. I just bought a warehouse and live in a loft there. I make furniture.”
“Oh, really, like with your hands? You design it and then build it?” She asked, moving her hands like she was putting together a box.
Conner
I laughed, “Yeah something like that. Need any furniture?” I teased.
+8 Points X
She smiled, “No, but I’ll keep you in mind if you have a business card. I have a lot of friends that love stuff like that. My brother owns a security firm with his partners, and they are always buying hand-crafted stuff for the office.”
“Oh, I don’t have a card, but could I give you my number? Maybe if they say they want something new you could give it to
them?”
“Sure,” she said. I rattled it off, and she saved it on her phone. She then texted me and I heard my phone ping.
“There now you have mine, so when I do have any interest in becoming a client you’ll know it’s me.”
“I’ll save you under Sunshine, because you’re like a happy girl, full of sunshine,” I am corny as f*ck.
She started giggling. “That’s what one of my boyfriends calls me. He says I’m his ray of Sunshine.”
“Boyfriends? As in plural?” I was shocked.
“Oh, yeah, I have two. Bryce and Bryson. They work for my brother and his partners. Well, I do too. I’m their CFO.”
“That’s so different. Good for you,” I said, genuinely meaning it.
“Thanks,” she said with a beaming smile. “Anyway, I have dinner to cook for them. See ya around,” she said with a wave.
“Yeah, see ya,” I mumbled, waving back. So Bryson was in a throuple. Interesting, and so f*cking lucky. She seems amazing. I was a little jealous on two fronts. One, she has the man I wanted and two, I really liked her and was jealous she had the life that should be mine. Bryson, me and another woman. But there was an obstacle in my way. The other man.
Now I needed a different plan. Something to think about.
Roc
So, what do we think of Conner? I kind of like his aloofness but I think there might be a little psycho in there. Not sure where he’s going. In my head I see a struggle between good guy and bad guy. I’ll have to make some beef jerky and figure it out lol.
e
