Confounded: Part II - 49. Chapter 49

Well now...it's been over 1.5 years. Oops?

CHAPTER 49 --==Kit’s POV==--

“Can we go now?” I asked impatiently, as dad made his way back. It caused him to frown at me again, as he spoke with the foreman in hushed tones.

Uch, this place was a pigsty. The warehouse was a busy hive, always something to do here, and I remember a summer full of fun, crawling all over the place like a crazed monkey, from the rafters to the basement. But that was then. This was now, and my shoes had a film of dust on it and there was a stain in my pants. It’d never come out, I just knew it! Oh, and my phone was out of juice. Again.

I asked dad for his, but he flat out refused. The few people in the small office we had here all used different phones, so no luck recharging it. My charger, of course, was at the main office.

And this day had begun so awesome!

A steamy night, a frisky morning and then that picture of Tom, that Alia had put on her Facebook©, and its aftermath; the explosion of ‘likes’ I’d gotten when the world finally found out that he was mine, my boyfriend…man, I’d been on top of the world then. At the office, people were congratulating me when they got status updates (I’d added quite a few of my new colleagues to my friends list there); friends (Gary was pretty much ecstatic, demanding a meet & greet upon his return from summer break in Florida, soon) and family.

And then this whole thing with Jay, crashing it all down again, then having to go here and spend hours tracking order history and box-movements to unravel a missing batch that should’ve been shipped a week ago. The worst? It was probably my fault, having sent a relocation order for long storage instead of a courier.

So yeah; I was done with this day. I felt filthy, was more than a little annoyed because of that mistake I made (although Dad had said not to worry about it; it’d been in my first week, and anyone could’ve made it) but I just wanted to go home. I needed a run, a shower, cuddle up, settle down for the night and fall asleep. New day tomorrow. We’d located the missing order; let’s go! It was closing in on 7pm by now.

“Alright,” Dad said to Duncan, the foreman, “make sure it goes out tonight. No delays, it needs to be there by 4pm, tomorrow.”

“No worries, boss. I’ll have Danny make overtime. Ruining the suits’ threads and all that.”

Danny, one of the guys working here, had tried to be funny by driving right up to me with the forklift, bumping me from behind gently with the fork, causing the said stain. Dad laughed, which soured my mood even more; then he slapped Duncan’s shoulder and made his way to the car.

“You can stop behaving like a spoiled brat, now,” he said as he passed me, loosening his tie with jerky, angered movements. “I could’ve used your help, solving your screw up, but no; instead, you walk off and sulk. Very disappointing, Kit. I expected more from you.”

Opening the backdoor, he shrugged his jacket off and threw it on the backseat. Mine was already there.

“You’re driving. I need to make a few calls.”

Sighing, I pushed off the hood and got in.

Starting the car, I risked a glance sideways, ready to start apologizing, only to meet a warning glance while he put his phone to his ear. Guiltily I bit my lip. Okay, fine…yeah, I guess I had behaved like a spoiled brat.

His first call was to Taylan, telling him we were on our way. Immediately after, he called the client, assuring them that the shipment would be there. Any extra cost because of the delay, and the shipping costs itself, would be ours due to it being our fault. Great. Yet another nail in the coffin of this day. Bah.

By the time I steered us onto the highway, he was conversing with the main office, leaving me to listen with half an ear as I concentrated on driving, and my mind began wandering, suddenly jerking back to the present when he suddenly spoke up louder.

“Slow down…I’d like to arrive in one piece.”

But he didn’t sound as annoyed anymore.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, but he’d continued his conversation already.

Paying more attention, I slowed down, continuing home and when we were just a few miles out, I realized that it was quiet. And it had been, for some time, I guess. My mind had wandered once again. Risking another glance sideways, I noticed that Dad apparently was done with all the calls he’d had to make.

“Can I say something now?” I asked.

He didn’t respond right away.

“The first thing I wanna hear from you is an apology.”

“I apologize,” I immediately said. “Obviously, it was my fault…”

“Obviously,” he confirmed, turning his head toward me. “But I don’t care about the order; it’s fixed. What I care about, is that little performance back there. That was less than stellar behavior, Kit; since when have you become such a jerk? Because what; you put on a suit, and you think you’re above them now? They were just joking around a little; you know those guys. They were happy to see you! They hadn't seen you, or spoken to you, since last year, and then you go storming off in a hissy fit? Because of what; a little stain on your butt? Keep that arrogance in check, or I will do it for you.”

I felt my cheeks burn. It’d been a while since Dad had read me the riot act and unfortunately, he was right. I did behave like a jerk to them.

“I’ll go back tomorrow, and apologize to Duncan. And Danny.”

“Yes, you will. Bit late, but better than never, and to make up for it, you’ll help them out for a bit, yes? Work a shift. Make up for the time they’re gonna have to put in tonight? For your screw up?”

Great; guilt trip. And it worked, too, so I nodded agreeably, steering to the off ramp.

“Sure. Of course.”

“Much better. And take Tom with you. Taylan told me some of what happened; I think it’ll be good for him, to be out of the house. And he can also see what goes on there. If he’s gonna work for me, I’d like him to see a bit of everything, like you have.”

Taking another glance sideways, I saw that he actually meant it.

“So you’re punishing not only me, but Tom too?”

“You, yes. Tom, no. This whole business with his brother; I think he can do with a distraction, don’t you?”

Hmm…

“And you wanna know the real punishment?”

He waited a beat.

“You get to tell him.”

**********

“So let me get this straight,” Tom said, already none too happy at the prospect of getting up early tomorrow, “you fuck up, and I get to do the menial work?”

“C’mon, it’ll be fun!” I answered, watching him as he paced from one end of the room to the other.

I’d purposely waited to tell him until after dinner, once we were alone. Postponing it, really…

“Fun? Shoving boxes around all day, order-picking; that’s your idea of fun? You really don’t believe that shit yourself, do you? I was going to do the real fun stuff; legal stuff. Nice, clean surroundings. Coffee by the truckload. That, I was looking forward to.”

I sighed, exasperated.

“You still get to do that. Just not…tomorrow.”

“I’m not going. Office, sure. Warehouse; fuck off.”

“Yeah, you are.”

“Nope. Not gonna happen.”

“I’m your boss.”

He rolled his eyes at that, making me grin. He looked so hot when he was mad. I never noticed until now. Serious; it was a turn on like nothing else. Made me want to grab him and subdue him.

“Oh please. Just because your dad says it, doesn’t make it so. You don’t order me around.”

“No?”

Grabbing him in midstride, I pulled him onto my lap.

“C’mere.”

“No! I’m mad with you!”

He leaned away, but his slightly amused smile betrayed that he wasn’t all that mad with me. Well, that and the arm he more than willingly slid around my neck, negating it entirely.

“Kiss.”

“No kisses.”

“Stop being Mr. Grumpypants. It’ll be fun.”

Moving my hand, I cupped the back of his head and drew him closer.

“What; the kissing or the grunt work?”

“Both.”

Covering his lips, I began kissing him and when I withdrew, he mumbled something sounding like ‘unfair’.

Resting my forehead against his, I then told him about Dad reading me the riot act. Leaning back a bit, he then grinned.

“See? I told you before; you’re an arrogant prick. Glad to see Uncle M. sees it too.”

“Maybe I am, but then so are you! Not five minutes ago, you looked down on; what was it again? Menial work? Hmm?”

Hah! Got him there! He blushed too.

“Bah. I hate it when you’re right.”

Grinning back, I then rose from the bed, holding him in my arms and turned, then dumped him on it.

“Oh, nice. When in doubt, use force. I’m still not going.”

“Yes, you are.”

Rolling his eyes, he saluted.

“Yes, Sir! Hmprf… so what do you wanna do tonight?”

Actually, the same as I’d been wanting to do since the warehouse, except for that run; just shower, cuddle up, maybe watch a movie or just read, and then turn in early.

When I told Tom as much, he agreed and when I returned from my shower, he’d already undressed and was in bed, reading. Scooting in, I cuddled up, deciding against watching TV, and just enjoy his warmth.

I didn’t even register him turning down the lights.