B-Roll to B-Sides (PR Girls & Instalove 2)

Taking things slow and steady would be fine, if that’s what she needed.

Through the wall I heard a big swell of laughter as a handful of businessmen all tried to sound important at once. The thought of running a company and dealing directly with clients filled me with disgust. I just wanted to create great work, and leave the fussy details and networking to someone else.

The thought of digging for new clients made me queasy. I’d freelanced here and there, and that was the only part I truly hated. Working twenty-hour days? No problem. But walking into a pitch meeting and having to convince a stranger that I was the only possible choice, when I knew in my heart that three others could do the job just as well? Creepy.

That’s the main reason I finally agreed to come to work here, even though there were a few serious problems between me and the man who took this company over from my father.

I overheard the meeting wrap up, and after he ushered the clients out to the lobby, the CEO stuck his head in my office.

“Hey, Shorty, what’s up?”

I was now at least two inches taller than my big brother, but since my growth spurt happened much later than his, he had been convinced that I’d be small forever. He was now shorter than me, but much louder.

Also, Joe had always prided himself on being a complete jackass.

“What did you think of the documentary preview?” I asked.

He leaned against my door frame with a shrug, looking every bit the weasel I knew him to be. “It’s alright. Did the ClickPoint people like it?”

“Yes.”

“Then that’s all that matters.”

That was another thing that made me sick about my brother. He honestly didn’t care about the quality of the work. His corporate environment, client parties, and the money were all that was important to him. He didn’t give a damn about the group’s reputation or if any team member produced work that was rushed or cheap, as long as we got paid.

Joe turned to leave, then stuck his head back in. “That clip with the silhouette of people dancing. That was you and some random hottie, wasn’t it?”

My back teeth ground together for a second, but I tried to stay calm. “That’s my girlfriend.”

He snorted. “Sure.”

I tried to turn back to my computer, but Joe was still staring, narrowing his eyes. “Dammit. You’re not going to quit and take off with her, are you?”

“No. I’m staying right here, as long as you leave me alone to work.”

“Old habits die hard,” he chuckled, finally leaving.

Ignoring my brother was a time-honored skill at which I had had a lot of practice, but some days it was still tricky. Joe dated women as if he was test driving sports cars – always wanting something newer, faster, better. He actually referred to some of them with flashy car names, which sickened me.

Sure, I’d dated a few girls and had gone a bit overboard. I couldn’t help it that I was looking for love. But I had been young and unstable, still finding myself. I stopped dating for quite a while after that, to focus on my work and figure out what I wanted in a woman.

The work was going great, and now Brynn had popped into my life like a breath of much-needed fresh air.

Seeing that it was five o’clock and I still had a few things to finish up, I went to the kitchen to get a coffee, chatting to a few coworkers as I made a fresh pot. On the way back, our receptionist Kathy stopped me.

“A young lady named Brynn just arrived to see you. I asked her to wait in the small meeting room.”

“Perfect, thanks.”

Striding down the hall, I was just thinking of ways to ask Brynn to dinner in the guise of a business meeting when I heard Joe’s booming voice.

“He dated Lydia for a month, and switched schools to be with her. Then there was Julietta – man, she was ugly. But Owen moved to her city for a few months until that fizzled.”

Pushing the door the rest of the way open, he said, “I’m just saying not to get your hopes up, honey. He’s a guy who is obsessed for the short term, but never sticks around.”

Joe was casually sitting on the table in front of Brynn, who looked absolutely horrified.

“Get out,” I growled.