An Unexpected Distraction

An Unexpected Distraction

A.J. Roye

Copyright 2019 All rights reserved

Part 4

Chapter 150

"So... Does he have any brothers?"

Theresa smiled and turned to Katie. She had been watching Steven talking to her brother-in-laws.

"Yes... He has three brothers. The older two are married and have children. The youngest is still in college and he's 20 years old. He isn't married or dating anyone seriously," Theresa giggled. "Steven says he is studying engineering also, and will likely graduate near the top of his class." A pause. "But, he wants to return to the family farm, work for his father, and buy land of his own. What do you think, Katie? A farmer's wife?"

"Is he handsome like Steven?" Katie asked.

Theresa smiled a smirk, and replied, "Let's find out."

Theresa led Katie to Steven and asked for an interruption from her brother-in-laws.

"Steven... Will you show Katie a photo of your brother, Joe, please?"

"Sure," Steven said, as he reached in his pocket for his smartphone. When he found a photograph of his brother, he handed his phone to Katie. "That's Joseph."

Katie looked at the photo. Her eyes grew a little and a smile crossed her lips.

"Thank you, Steven. Does Joseph ever come here to visit you?" she asked.

"He has been here once. He helped me move Kansas City. I usually go back to visit my family. Would you and Theresa like to come with me sometime?"

Chapter 151

"Steven... You will be expected for Sunday lunch for now on. Even if Theresa kicks you to the curb, because I know Katie will pick you up."

Steven chuckled with Mrs. Quinn's remark about Katie.

"Thank you, Mrs. Quinn. It was a wonderful day. I'm happy to finally meet you and your family. Lunch was great."

Steven had already said his good-byes to the rest of Theresa's family, including Big Mike. On the front porch, he turned to Theresa and held her in his arms and smiled.

"I told your father I love you."

"I know. Maureen heard everything from the other door," she giggled. "That was pretty dramatic. What you said in the living room this afternoon."

"I meant it, Theresa," he replied, with a serious tone. "I have hurt your feelings more than once these past few weeks. I'm frustrated with myself for making poor decisions for us."

Theresa leaned in for a hug and said, "Hold me. Hold me tight, Steven."

They held each other for a few moments and then Steven leaned in for a kiss.

"You are so beautiful, Theresa."

Their kiss was a lovers' kiss.

"Thank you for being here today. It meant a lot to me and my family." A pause...

"I love you."

Chapter 152

"You're looking at me funny. Why?"

Theresa had been checking Steven out in the kitchen. He was wearing an apron and washing the dishes from the dinner Theresa had prepared. She was thinking how handsome he was and how fortunate she was to be with him.

When he finished the last of the dishes, he turned to her and began drying his hands on a towel. He looked at her with a smirk.

"Well?" he groaned.

Theresa walked up to him and took the towel from his hands, tossing it aside. She looked up into his eyes and began untying the apron from his waist. She stepped back and lifted the apron over his head and tossed it aside. Then, she stood on her toes and whispered in his ear.

"I was checking out your ass and thought how cute it is," she giggled.

"Thank you. You have a cute one, too," he smirked.

She took Steven's hand, and then looked him in the eye. "Steven... You've been showing your girlfriend such a good time since your return from Houston, we haven't had a chance to talk."

"OK... Let's talk," he offered.

Theresa led him to her living room and sat on the love seat, gesturing for him to join her. She gazed into his eyes and then leaned in for a kiss. Clutching the back of his neck and pulling him in hard. Steven responded as well.

When they broke their kiss, Theresa began, "A few days after I returned from Houston, Jenny stopped by Big Mike's." She paused to gauge his reaction.

He arched an eyebrow.

She continued. "She invited me to join her after work, and offered to buy me a drink." She paused again.

His curiosity intensified.

"We sat in our booth and talked for nearly 2 hours," she offered.

Steven turned to Theresa in his seat and raised his eyebrows with interest.

"We talked about her. And me." A pause. "And you."

Steven dipped his gaze to the floor for a few moments and Theresa knew he was thinking.

"She is so beautiful, Steven. Her beautiful hair, her skin, her dark brown eyes, her freckles. She's gorgeous." Theresa paused, then continued, "She's smart, bright, cheerful, sweet, funny, compassionate."

Theresa paused again, waiting a little longer, "She's in love with you, Steven. Any woman can see it from Jeff City. Why? Why didn't you two get together? She told me she tried everything to get you to be with her. If you asked her to give up her career for you, I believe she would do it."

Steven dipped his chin, turned, fell back into his seat, and stared at the floor in front of him. Theresa reached for his hand and he squeezed in response.

After a long few moments, he spoke.

"Truthfully?"

Chapter 153

"Always... If you want to keep my company."

Steven had just been hit between the eyes with a sledge hammer by his girlfriend. She was asking about a woman he had feelings for in his past. The only one before Theresa.

"I fear, if I reveal it all, it may harm our feelings for each other. I don't want to lose you, Theresa. I'm not accustomed to telling my girlfriend about any feelings I've had for another woman. It's a first for me... Again," he sighed.

"Listen to me, Steven. You will not lose me. I have declared my love to you for which I have never declared to another man. There isn't anything you could possibly say to me that will keep me away. Unless, you tell me you have three wives and children," she yelped.

They chuckled to break the obvious tension.

Steven paused to gather his thoughts. He would need to be careful with Theresa's feelings. Something he failed miserably, just a few days ago with the gunman incident.

He took a deep breath and began, without looking up from the floor.

"Jenny is the most brilliant engineer I have ever met. This includes my boss and those we work for. Jenny and I worked together on our first project. I knew on the first day, she was brilliant, creative, and resourceful. I admired her." He paused. "I also knew she was beautiful."

Steven paused for a long few moments before speaking again. "Then, one day, I realized, I was afraid. Afraid of losing the wonderful, professional relationship with someone who was teaching me things I never considered. I feared, if I became involved with Jenny, I would lose the beautiful working relationship we had begun." Steven turned to Theresa, and continued, "I threw up a wall. She became confused and I tried to explain. I told her I was afraid to be involved with a colleague. That, I didn't think I could cope with both work and personal relationships. And, truthfully. She was intimidating. Her brilliance and insightfulness are beyond description."

Steven noticed Theresa's eyes were beginning to water. He let out a huge sigh, and continued. "I admit. On occasion, I have considered exploring a relationship with Jenny. I would like to think I'm... I'm a more mature man than I was three years ago. And when I thought I would approach her, I became afraid again. I don't seem to be able to resolve my feelings for her and continue working with her, too. So... I have given up, knowing I will never be able to have more with her."

Steven paused to allow what had been said to settle.

"So, there. You now know," Steven asserted. "I'm an immature asshole who doesn't know how to have feelings for someone without hurting them, just as I did with you the other night. And, I do have fears. Especially when it involves women. Beautiful women."

Steven turned his gaze from Theresa and stood up. He walked around the love seat, with his head facing the floor. He pulled the curtain aside, and gazed out the window. He considered whether his relationship with Theresa may have ended.

"Theresa! Why are you crying?"

Chapter 154

"What the hell, Steven?"

Theresa was crying uncontrollably. As she looked up, Katie was rapidly approaching.

"What's happened? Why are you crying?" Katie barked, as she took Theresa's hand and sat next to her.

"I should go," Steven said.

"NO! DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE!" Theresa screamed.

Theresa released Katie and leapt from her seat. Rounding the seat, she pulled Steven into an embrace, sobbing into his chest.

"Steven! I better get some answers real fast!" Katie said, with angry tone as she rose from her seat.

Through her sobs, Theresa answered, "Katie... It's OK. We just had a... I don't know. But, it's OK. Everything is OK."

Katie didn't look convinced and stood with her arms crossed.

"I really should go," Steven said.

"NO! If you leave, I'm coming with you!" Theresa yelped. "Stay with me tonight, Steven. I need you to hold me. Please!"

Turning to Katie, she said in desperation, "Steven is staying with me tonight, Katie. There won't be any hanky panky. I need him to hold me. OK?"

Katie returned a curious look.

Theresa caught the look. "I'll explain in the morning."

A long pause from Katie...

"OK."

Chapter 155

"That's some mongrel you have here."

Steven had just opened his sleepy eyes. It was morning.

The night before, Theresa asked him to stay with her. No hanky panky. He had left for his apartment to get a t-shirt and shorts to sleep in and returned to Theresa's apartment. They cuddled in her bed and fell asleep. But, now, Theresa had his erect cock in her hand and appeared to be inspecting it. Somehow, she managed to unzip the fly from the shorts and release it into her hand, without him knowing.

"Mongrel?" he replied, through a scruffy and sleepy tone.

"Yeah... That's what Katie calls it. Since I let it slip I had seen it," she giggled.

"If you're not careful, the mongrel will go off," he groaned.

Theresa began chuckling.

"I need to go to the bathroom," Steven said.

As Steven returned, he said to Theresa, "I need to go. Charles gave me several new projects my first day back."

"Come here and cuddle with me a few more minutes, then you can go," she pleaded.

Steven slipped into bed next to Theresa and brought his arm around her waist to hug. They cuddled lying on their left sides. She grabbed his hand and slipped it under her pajama top and encouraged him to hold her left breast.

A few moments later.

"You're poking me," she giggled.

"Yes."

"Can't you get the mongrel under control?" she giggled again.

"No... I cannot. But, I can turn to the other side and you can cuddle with me, if you like."

"No, I like it like this. Your hand feels good. Warm. If your mongrel gets out of control, I'll put a pillow between us," she laughed.

A few minutes later, Steven heard soft snores.

He smiled.

Chapter 156

"So... For a few moments, you thought he may leave you to return to Jenny? That is why you were crying?"

"Yes," Theresa replied. "Katie... You and I know, along with Elizabeth and Maureen, we are very pretty. Beautiful." A pause. "Jenny is our equal. Maybe more so. She's absolutely gorgeous."

"And Steven broke both his heart and hers because he couldn't work with her and love her, too?"

"Yes... That made me cry, too. I could see him hurting inside," she sighed.

"But, he is still with you now, right? Everything is good from last night? Him staying here," Katie asked.

"Yes... He kissed me before he left like he had never kissed me before. He told me he loved me. He held me like he never held me before," she smiled.

"You're not going to bring up Jenny again, are you?"

Chapter 157

"Are you back into your routine, Steven?"

Steven had just entered his office cubicle from lunch when Tom spoke to him. He had been back in Kansas City from Houston for nearly 3 weeks.

"Pretty much. I've already finished one project and about to complete another this afternoon. How about you? What projects are you working on?" Steven asked.

"Charles just gave me a shopping center project in Madison and a bridge project in Iowa. The bridge is going to keep me busy. Let's talk later. I would like to hear about the Houston bank project," Tom said.

Steven pulled his chair from under the cubicle desktop and found an envelope addressed to him. He sat down, opened the envelope, and read the hand-written letter.

Steven,

I would like to meet with you on a confidential matter. Eyes and ears, only. At the end of today, leave the office as you would normally leave, not letting on anything is different. Meet me at the Seven Hills Country Club Lounge after work. If there is a conflict, leave the building to gain privacy and call me on my mobile phone to discuss. When you have read this letter, take it to the paper shredder for destruction.

Regards,

Patrick Kyle

"Wow," Steven thought. He had never received a letter marked confidential. He pondered what it might be.

If he did something wrong, he would have been in Charles' office to discuss it. He wondered if he was being assigned to a government project. He did have a top-secret government clearance from when he worked on the Air Force base in Arizona 18 months ago.

He furled his brow. This was a first.

He left his seat and went to the shredder.

Then, he pulled out his phone and started typing.

Chapter 158

"I've never seen business so brisk."

"Daddy... Neither have I, especially during the day," Theresa chimed in.

"Look... Sarah and Emily are running from table to table. I wonder why?" he asked.

"Maybe it was those new items we placed on the menu?" Theresa offered.

"I don't think so. We aren't selling many of those," Big Mike replied. "I'm going to go talk to the customers. Find out their interests."

Theresa was washing glasses when Sarah barked out her order, "I need a vodka martini, dirty, bourbon and water on ice, and two draughts, please."

Theresa began working on Sarah's order when she said, "Daddy wants to know why business has picked up the last few weeks. Any ideas?"

Sarah smiled wide, giggled, and replied, "Are you blind with love, Theresa? Your man got you love sick?"

Theresa stopped making drinks and looked at Sarah with a furled brow.

Sarah laughed out a gut laugh. "It's Emily. She's pretty and stacked. She shows a little. Just the right amount. She's working it, good. And, she's making way more tips than I ever made."

"Are you serious?" Theresa asked, struggling as to why she didn't notice before now.

"Yeah, I overhear some of the male customers pray out loud they get her for their table. What's the matter with you, Theresa? Are you love sick?"

"Maybe I am. I can't believe I didn't see it before. With Emily I mean," she replied, with disappointment in her tone.

Then... Her phone pinged.

Chapter 159

"Hi, Steven. I bet that letter you received was a surprise."

"Yes... It was. Confidential? Really? I didn't know we were working on any military projects right now,' Steven replied, with curiosity in his tone.

Charles chuckled a little too loudly. "Come with me. It will all be revealed in a few moments."

Steven followed Charles into the country club lounge. They began walking toward the back near the windows overlooking the golf course. Steven immediately noticed Mr. Kyle and Mr. Campbell sitting at a table.

"Steven! What will you have to drink? I'm buying," Mr. Campbell barked.

"I'll have a bourbon over ice, please. Thank you, Mr. Campbell," Steven replied.

Steven had only met Mr. Campbell four other times prior to today. And the prior meetings were social, not business. He wondered if this was a social meeting. So, after the waiter took everyone's orders, Steven broke the ice.

"Mr. Campbell, I had the pleasure to meet your daughter the night I had dinner here with my girlfriend. She stopped by our table to say hello and introduced herself. She's beautiful," he offered.

"Maureen called me the next day and told me. She told me you have a beautiful girlfriend. Stunning. Exotic. I think those are the words she used. My memory is not that good anymore. Can you remind me of your girl's name?" Mr. Campbell asked.

"Her name is Theresa," Steven replied.

"I will want to meet her sometime. Stunning and exotic have my curiosity," he said.

"Also, Mr. Campbell. Thank you for the opportunity to work on the Houston bank project. It was a great opportunity for me," Steven said, with a smile.

Steven noticed Mr. Campbell grin and nod to Mr. Kyle and Charles. Who, were also grinning widely and returning their nods.

Then, the waiter returned with the drinks. Mr. Campbell stopped the waiter and said, "We will need some privacy for about 30 minutes, please. No one to be seated nearby, if possible."

The waiter acknowledged Mr. Campbell and left. Steven was confused.

Mr. Kyle spoke first. "Steven, I sent you to Houston to take over for Harold so he could recover from his heart attack. I expected you to do well down there, but, I didn't expect this," he barked, as he threw a three-page summary report on the table.

Steven, still confused, reached for the report and began reading. After a few moments, he looked up and said, "Sir... These are the figures I sent you and Charles. I don't see any issues here."

"That's just it, Steven. There aren't any issues until you read this report and this report," he barked again, and threw two reports on the table.

Steven glanced to Charles, who was still smiling. "What has happened?" he thought, as he reached for the other two reports. Steven quickly recognized the reports he was reading were before he went to Houston and after he left Houston. While he was reading the reports, Mr. Kyle barked again.

"Let's save some time here, Steven. I've summarized the important parts of those reports here on this one pager."

Chapter 160

"I just found out why business has picked up. I just verified it on the books. It's Emily!"

"I know, Daddy. Sarah told me. I couldn't believe it," Theresa replied.

"When it slows down, will you have Emily come see me, please?" Big Mike asked.

"Sure, Daddy."

The crush of drink orders kept Theresa so busy, she didn't have time to consider Steven's text message. He had written he would not be able to see her this evening and he would call her later to explain. And... He loved her.

Chapter 161

"This one-page report will clearly show what the issues are."

Steven took the report from Mr. Kyle and began reading. A few moments later he looked up to Mr. Kyle, who was smiling. Steven looked to Charles, who was smiling and nodding. Mr. Campbell was doing the same.

"Well... Do you see the issues?" Mr. Kyle asked.

"Yes, Sir. The days ahead of schedule have dropped from 20 days to 3 days since I left. The costs below budget have nearly caught up to budget projections since I left. Basically, they are at the same level as when I arrived in Houston," Steven said.

"That's right, Steven. The days and costs you saved us have been pissed off since you left."

Mr. Kyle paused to let the effect sink it.

"I sent Charles to Houston to find out what happened. He spoke to David Pace. David reports Harold doesn't have the stamina he had before his heart attack. He doesn't go to the construction site like he used to. He doesn't have the intensity he had before, which is necessary for this kind of project." He paused for a few moments, then continued, "I went to Houston to relieve Harold. Harold and I go way back and I wanted to do this myself. I'm bringing him back to Kansas City and making him Principal Consulting Engineer. He will be available to all project managers for consulting. He will also be given small projects that don't have the high level of stress as larger projects. For his health."