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The Company You Keep
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Billion Dollar Man Is It a Sign
BenAfter I helped Penny ensure the reception was ready, we headed toward the church. It would be a closed casket. Uncle Dean had been hurt too badly in the crash for the guests to see what had happened to him. I was relieved it would be closed. Even if Uncle Dean had looked perfect, I didn’t think Penny would be able to handle seeing her husband’s deceased body.Everything had been taken care of when we arrived. The florists had already set up all the flowers, the casket was in place, and the reverend was ready with his sermon. He took over from me, consoling Penny, and I was relieved to get away from her for a short while. Her sorrow was so intense, it threatened to drag me down, and I had so much going on already.I walked out of the church and stood on the little pathway that wound through trees and shrubs to the side. I had been thinking a lot about my life and where I was going to live it. New York wasn’t my home, but I would have to make it so. I didn’t want to do that without
Billion Dollar Man Nothing Happened
MilaI should have worked on Wednesday, but one of the other nurses had come to ask me if I could trade shifts with her. Her sister was getting married, and she hadn’t been able to get time off. A sister’s wedding was a big deal, and I agreed. There was no reason for me to have a weekend free. All I did these days was work.So, instead of being at work on Wednesday, I had the day off. I took the day to myself, trying to make time to pamper myself. I never did it. I went to a nail salon to have my nails done—as a nurse, I never made time for something like that. I went to a hairdresser to cut my hair a little shorter again, and I had a three-hour nap in the afternoon. When I finally woke up, I felt more like myself.So much had happened lately, I hadn’t focused on myself at all, and it was good to put myself first and really take some me-time.After Skylar’s workday ended, she called me.“You mentioned you’re off today instead of having a long shift,” she said. “Care for some company?
Billion Dollar Man No Return Call
MilaSkylar groaned. “This is so frustrating.”“Yeah, it is,” I said, and I thought back to the session with my hand and pink dildo that had followed after Ben had left me. I didn’t tell Skylar about that, though. She didn’t need to know I had thought about Ben fucking me the entire time I’d been getting myself off.“We haven’t talked since he left,” I said. “Somehow, I doubt we will talk.”“What do you mean?” Skylar asked.I drank the last bit of wine in my glass and held it out for Skylar to pour me another one. When the glass was full, I looked down at the red liquid.“He’s gone. He left to go back to New York.”Skylar frowned and blinked as if what I had said didn’t compute.“We’re talking about now, right?”I nodded. “Apparently, he left on Sunday.”“Apparently?”“Yeah, he didn’t even let me know he was going. It was the reading of his uncle’s will on Monday, but he never told me he was leaving. I heard it from Jerrod on Monday night. He hadn’t even bothered to say goodbye.”“Wh
Billion Dollar Man Back To Leave
BenAfter everything had been taken care of with Uncle Dean’s will and the funeral, it was time to wrap things up in Portland. On Friday, my plane touched down, and I was back in Oregon.Before, I had been excited about going back. Now, I dreaded it. I was headed to the place where I had grown up, the place I loved and called home, to say my final goodbye. I had to take care of a few things here that I hadn’t been able to handle right away.My apartment was the first thing I needed to deal with. I had to give up the lease.When I had come to Portland, I had rented a place. I had signed the lease for a year, thinking I wanted to look around until I found the perfect property so I could build a house exactly how I liked it. Now, that was going to fall through.Maybe I could do something like that in New York. The idea didn’t seem nearly as enticing when I thought about the big city, all its gray buildings and yellow cabs and how much it just didn’t seem to be the place I wanted to call
Billion Dollar Man Cowardly
Ben“That was quick,” I said when we were done. We’d packed it all up into three boxes that I would send to New York when I flew back. “Let’s go have a drink for old time’s sake.”Jerrod rolled his eyes. “I don’t actually enjoy celebrating old time’s sake because it means you’re leaving, but I can do with a drink.”We drove to The Cottage and walked to the bar. Jerrod stepped behind the bar and poured us each a beer straight from the beer tap.“So, are you ready to be the Big Boss again?” Jerrod asked when we sat on the bar stools and sipped our beer.“I guess so,” I said. “I mean, I know what to do. I don’t need anyone to show me the ropes.” A pang shot through my chest when I said it. Uncle Dean had shown me the ropes the last time. And now he was gone.“The perks of being in charge is that you get to leave from the office whenever you feel like it. Plus, you can have as many women as you like.”I chuckled, and we clinked our beer glasses in salute to what Jerrod has just said, but
Billion Dollar Man Awkward
MilaOn Saturday, the hospital was peacefully quiet. There were no emergencies, more of the ICU patients had been moved to regular recovery rooms, and I could go about my daily duties without any problems. I didn’t have to run around in a panic at all.I had traded my shift with another nurse so she could go to a wedding. I had been doing her a favor, but I realized I had done myself a favor too. I was distracted enough not to have my mind run away with me, but the day was calm enough that it was just a normal job.It was everything I had needed.When my lunchtime rolled around, I finished up the report I was working on, ready to file it. Someone came to the nurse’s station.“Just a second,” I said, filing my report away. When I turned around, Ben stood in front of me.“Ben,” I said, surprised. He was the last person I’d expected to see. My pulse sped up, and I suddenly struggled to breathe. He was still the most attractive man I had ever seen, with eyes the color of the ocean and a s
Billion Dollar Man Coincidence
MilaHe glanced at me. “Uncle Dean’s death is almost identical to the death of my father. It’s too much of a coincidence. The police contacted Penny, Uncle Dean’s wife. They’re investigating the crash as murder.”My blood drained from my face, and all the awkwardness was forgotten. “Are you being serious?” I asked.Ben nodded. “Yeah, it’s a big deal. I don’t know what to think about it, to be honest. I’m starting to think maybe it wasn’t just an accident. Not even for my father’s death. What if someone was responsible for it? What if it was planned?”I was suddenly terrified for Ben’s life. I didn’t know how realistic it was that people were being taken out that way, it sounded like the stuff of movies to me, but if it was true, what about Ben? What if he was in danger?I didn't want to say it to him. I didn’t want him to freak out about it. But I wanted to urge him to start driving instead of flying if any of this was real.“What are you going to do?” I asked.“I’m thinking of hiring
Billion Dollar Man Where Do We Stand?
BenMy flight was scheduled for Sunday evening. I had my usual bags and the three boxes to send to New York and that was it. I stared at the things I needed to get over to New York, and I couldn’t believe that a life I had created here had so little to show for it.Maybe it was because I was so much more emotionally invested. I had only been here for a short while, after all. It wasn’t nearly enough to hoard material things.I should have been happy that I had nearly nothing to take care of before I left. Instead, I felt awful, and I didn’t know why.That was a lie. I was lying to myself. I knew exactly why I felt awful. I’d said goodbye to people I cared about, people I would have liked to have as a part of my life. Friends, family. Mila.I shook off the thought. Looking back and crying about it wasn’t going to do anyone any good. The only thing I could do about it was put my head down and do what needed to be done.As soon as I hit the ground in New York, everything was going to be
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