The Girl He Needs (2 page)

McRae is pulling out as his brother’s closing his door.

“Thanks,” I tell them. “How lucky we met last night and you guys remembered me. My name’s Josie.” I’m grateful for the ride.

The younger brother laughs and swivels in his seat to look at me. “I’m Vann, this is Brinn. I don’t think it’s possible to forget a girl like you.”

I give him a closed-lip smile. I can only guess what he means by that.

I look over to find McRae watching me in the rearview mirror. He’s a hulk of a guy, tall and thick. Solid. His green eyes were the first thing I noticed about him last night and they capture me again today. He’s Florida all in one bundle. Sun-bleached blonde hair, sand-chafed skin, and murky green eyes the color of the everglades. His clothes are freshly pressed and speak of how he plans the day to play out, with comfort and business. I dress for my mood and how I
hope
my day will go.

“You ever been to Florida?” Vann asks as he opens a laptop.

“When I was a kid.” It hits me suddenly. The memory of the celebratory Caribbean cruise my parents took us on. I was starting college and Will law school. He was increasingly forgetful and overly stressed; the time away did nothing to improve his mood. It was the last place three young adults wanted to be, though I do think my younger brother, Stuart, experienced his first chick action on that cruise. Poor, unlucky girl.

How could I have forgotten? It had been such a tense trip and the first time in my seventeen years I’d felt like maybe I didn’t know Will at all. Not twelve weeks after we returned, Will was gone.

I force myself to try picturing something other than Will’s face on the day he left, to remember something more than the anger and fear of that day.

When I look up, baby brother is watching me.

“You ok?” Vann asks.

“Sure. Just catching my breath.” McRae cuts his eyes to me and I switch the subject. “You came up for a Marine Corp graduation, correct?”

Vann slides his laptop onto the center console and turns to me. “Yeah, this guy we knew as kids. He doesn’t have much by way of family so Brinn wanted to come up and show him some support.”

“Becoming a Marine is a big deal. Especially for Markus.” McRae looks at his brother and his tone is similar to that of a parent using the conversation as a teachable moment.

“His mom overdosed a while back and his brother went to prison. He used to be a student of Brinn’s. That’s what probably got him this far,” Vann tells me.

I nod though I understand only half of the statement. “Student of what?”

“Brinn teaches—”

“I’m a flight instructor,” McRae says. “If he can keep his head down and eye on the prize, Markus will go far in the Marines.”

I choke back a laugh at the eye on the prize remark. How many times have I heard my father say precisely the same thing to Stuart? Will and I never had trouble keeping our eyes on the prize. Our parents set a goal and we met it. Usually exceeded it. But what these last two years have shown me is that “the prize” is different for everyone and should be quantified early on. Had I known the prize was living a life resembling my mother’s, with charities, the country club, and Junior League, and that striding toward said prize made me feel empty and lonely, I’d have eyed a different one earlier.

“May I borrow your phone?” I ask. “I should have someone collect my car.”

Vann hands me his smartphone and I quickly search for a charity that will take my car and make the necessary call, effectively ceasing the small talk. He turns back to the computer and appears to be working on creating some graphics, or simply staring at the screen, as I haven’t seen him do anything yet.

“How’s it going?” McRae asks, tapping Vann’s screen.

“This is stupid. I already built you a really great website. It’s a waste of my time to do it again. It’s not like you’re paying me,” Vann says with a huff.

“I don’t want ‘really great.’ I want amazing. Perfect. And I’ve asked the right man to do the job.”

“You hired out? Great! I’m off the hook.” Vann slaps the laptop closed and makes like he’s putting it away.

McRae laughs. “Get to work, smart ass. I’m paying you with opportunity and experience,” he says while shoving his brother in the shoulder.

Vann returns fire by pushing back and the two have a brief shoving scuffle where McRae wins by pinning him to the door.

“All right,” Vann says with a laugh and flips open his laptop, returning to his free labor.

The miles pass by with only the sounds of the radio, Vann clicking on the keyboard, and the continuous pinging of McRae’s phone filling the space. It’s hard for me to sit idle, and watching the miles speed by is mind-numbing. I stare at my dead phone and curse it, because without it I can’t search the net. I’m desperate for something to do. I dig up a small notebook from my messenger bag and start making a list of what I’ll need to set myself up in Florida, starting with jobs I wouldn’t mind doing temporarily. I’ve done this enough times, after all, change is my niche, so I really don’t need a list, but I do it nonetheless.

Vann swivels in his seat, resting his arm along the headrest, and asks, “What part of Florida you headed to?”

I picture the map of Florida in my head and place Daytona. Since my stay is temporary and my goal to reconnect with Will, I plan to settle in the top portion of the state first and move south if my search yields nothing. Daytona is a great place to start.

“Funny enough, Daytona. Talk about coincidence.” I don’t want to creep them out so I smile and give a nonchalant shrug. McRae cuts his eyes to me in what I’m sure is suspicion.

I dig out a book—a thick science fiction piece I’ve read so many times the spine of the book has a deep, permanent crease that allows the book to lay flat when open.

“Hey,” McRae says to his brother and taps the laptop screen. “Focus.”

He could have been saying that to me. The words of the book are lost as my attention continues to stray to McRae, who drives with one hand on the wheel, drumming his fingers to the beat of country music playing on the radio. His shoulders are broad, forcing his shirt to stretch snug against him. I notice the cuff of his sleeve gets taut as he moves his arm, his muscles flexing, and there’s something so manly about him I have the crazy urge to run my hands across his shoulders and down his arms to feel the ripple of muscles. If he weren’t such a stiff I’d consider proposing a one-nighter. Silent guys like him have deep fires that burn wildly once tapped.

I see the way he inspects the henna-created vines of leaves and flowers decorating my arms, and every time he glances at me, his gaze goes inquisitively to the diamond stud piercing below my lower lip. He’s interested. And, wow, to get lost in this intoxicating pull of magnetism might very well be mind-blowing.

If only the circumstances were different.

The ringing of a phone breaks the quiet and shakes me from my thoughts. It’s coming through the Bluetooth of the car. The screen on the dash says Alliance Aviation is calling. McRae answers it on the second ring.

“Uh, Brinn? Can you hear me?” The voice sounds young.

“Yeah, you’re on speaker, Smitty, so watch your mouth.”

“I’m sorry I called, but we’ve a problem here.”

“What kind of problem? Can’t Becky handle it? She needs to learn how to deal with administrative issues.”

I look at the book in my lap, pretend to read, and provide some semblance of respecting his privacy.

“That’s one of the problems. Becky just up and quit. Walked out and—”

“What! She did what? She was just texting me with questions. She’s only been with us for two weeks. What could have gone wrong?” He sighs heavily, pushing his hands against the steering wheel. His knuckles whiten.

“Yeah, she got called into Mark’s office; when she came out she cleaned off her desk and left.”

“You sure he didn’t he fire her?” He bangs his hand against the steering wheel.

“No from what
I
could hear, he just chewed her out. But we’ve got other problems.”

“Like what?” McRae’s tone is clipped.

My attention is drawn to his jaw and the popping of muscle that tells me he’s clenching and unclenching his teeth.

Hell with reading, I totally tune into this drama.

“What other problems do we have?” The car accelerates and the energy in the truck shifts from curiosity to urgency, and the budding sexual tension gives way to anxiety. I close my book.

“That pilot the boss hired didn’t show up today,” the kid, Smitty, whispers.

Static comes across the line and for a second I wonder if the connection is lost until it sounds as if the phone is being fumbled. Muffled voices break through, and McRae groans. I’m sure he’s figured out what’s about to rain down on him.

“Brinn?” a man says, clearly holding the phone too close. Brinn’s name sounds garbled.

Vann looks at me over his shoulder and mouths, “His boss.”

“Dammit. What the fuck is going on here? You said you could handle this business. If you want any part of it, you’ll figure this out ASAP. How am I supposed to sell part of it to you when shit like this happens? Don’t fuck anything else up. You understand me? You are zero for two.” The words reverberate off the walls of the truck and blend together.

The rate of twitching in McRae’s jaw increases. I wonder if he counts to ten to calm himself or if his ability to yield easily comes naturally.

“Listen...” McRae says.

I admire that his voice is more resigned than pleading, as one might expect in an ass-chewing situation. The fumbling sound returns and the kid comes back on the line.

“It’s me,” Smitty says. “Just a second.” There’s a pause. “Ok, he’s gone.” Smitty breathes a sigh into the phone.

McRae glances at me in the mirror, and I’m unable to look away. I know I should but I just can’t, and it has nothing to do with those avocado-colored eyes.

His glance darts back to the road and he continues the conversation.

“We have Becky quitting and the pilot not showing up? Do you happen to know why not?”

“I called him, and he said no one provided any information after the big boss called and offered the job,” Smitty squeaks.

“Motherfu— Is that all, Smitty?”

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing the pilot didn’t show up because no fuel’s been delivered yet and we don’t have enough for the lessons schedule today. Not that there’ll be any lessons, so there’s that.”

McRae groans. He leans back into the driver’s seat and tries to loosen the tension by shrugging his shoulders, but just as soon as he lets them relax, they tighten back up and the vein in his neck pops back out. Poor sap. If only he’d recognize there’s a different way to live. I give a silent thanks to whatever higher power or universal force helped me see the light when I did. Maybe this guy will catch a break too.

The conversation continues as the miles speed by. “Did you call the fuel company?”

“I did, they said nothing’s been scheduled and they won’t be able to get to us for another two days. I’m guessing you want me to start calling the students and canceling their appointments.”

“That sounds about right. Thanks, I appreciate you stepping up.” McRae thumps his hand against the steering wheel in frustration. At least he doesn’t take it out on the messenger.

“Brinn.” The timid voice comes across the speakers, and I sit up. The bottom is about to drop out, and I can’t help but bear witness.

“Judas Priest, what now?” McRae growls.

“Mel walked off the job. Said something about calling his union.”

I tap Vann’s shoulder and he mouths, “Mechanic.” With a nod, I sit back and wait. There’s no purpose in hiding my interest. I can smell potential legal issues a mile away, an inherited trait, and this train wreck is an ambulance chaser’s wet dream.

“Is that it or did the building burn down, too?” McRae’s grip on the steering wheel is so tight I wouldn’t be surprised if he ripped the wheel off the column and threw it out the window.

“Nope, that’s it. Anything special you want me to do?”

“Nah, just finish canceling the appointments. We should be there in about two hours.”

“Roger that, boss.” He disconnects the call.

Wow.
Boss
. Of what, I’m not sure. Today it must suck to be him.

“I told you that you were taking on too much.” Vann snaps the laptop cover closed and smiles smugly at his brother.

McRae punches him in the arm, causing Vann to flinch and rub the spot on his bicep that took the impact.

One simple interaction—a sentence from one sibling to another—and I’m left feeling a loneliness I’ve managed to push aside for the last two years. I was never close with Stuart but Will... I drop my eyes to my lap and remember how Will made everything wrong in my life right. It was Will who covered my back and got me through those terrible middle school years, who made me feel normal and not like a grade-skipping freak who had no business existing, much less messing up the grading curve.

The sound of a phone being dialed grabs my attention. Pushing aside the constant ache for what I’d lost seven years ago when Will left, I wait, dare I say excitedly, for the dumpster-fire drama happening before me to continue.

The call goes straight to an answering machine and at the beep, McRae starts in. “Mel, it’s Brinn. I just heard from the office that you walked out. I’d like to talk to you about it. I don’t think there’s anything that requires union involvement. I know you’ve been unhappy with the work schedule and—”

“Hello,” Mel says over the line.

“Mel, it’s Brinn.”

“Yeah, I know. Listen. There’s nothing you can say that’ll make me change my mind. I’m gonna file a grievance.”

“For what?”

“My list is endless. Work place conditions, heck, it’s almost like harassment.” Except he says harassment like hair-s-ment.

“Harassment?” McRae looks at me in disbelief, as if I have any clue whether that statement’s valid or not.

“My wages are a disgrace; my last performance evaluation was a farce—”

“None of that’s harassment, Mel.”

“But it’s discrimination. Against an old man who’s close to retirement. You’re trying to chase me out instead of doing the right thing.”