Bryce’s Story…

“Grab those bags of concrete and bring ‘em over to the back,” the foreman called out.

Bryce wiped the sweat from his brow with the sleeve of his shirt, every muscle in his body aching from the day’s exertions.  But he didn’t complain.  This was exactly what he needed.  Experience.  He needed to understand the construction business from the ground up.  He might be only eighteen years old, but he had plans.  Big plans!

Grabbing the first bag, he hefted it over his shoulder and carried it around the machinery to the back of the building, noting all of the issues that he’d never allow to happen on his work sites.  When he was in charge, he’d never allow exposed wires to be hanging out of the side of the building while the electricians joked around.  There wouldn’t be a foreman drinking bourbon-spiked coffee.  And there definitely wouldn’t be precarious scaffolding holding his building crew.  Even at eighteen, Bryce knew the value of a safe work environment.

Two hours later, the foreman called a halt to the work and everyone spilled out of the work site.  Quitting time for most of the members of the crew.  Not for Bryce.  Not yet.

Shower.  Sandwich.  Then he was back out the door.

“You’re late,” his boss called out even as the man tossed him an apron.  Bryce pulled it on as he straightened his tie.

“Sorry,” he called back, then immediately stepped behind the bar.  “What can I get you?” he asked the first customer.

From six until midnight, he poured beers and bourbon, mixed martinis and charmed the ladies.  The whole time, Bryce listened and learned.

“You’re not going to get it for that price,” he heard one person say.  “The contract isn’t valid until all parties have signed,” another asserted almost angrily.  Bryce mixed up a martini as he absorbed the haggling, observed the body language, taking it all in.  The man at the end of the bar needed another beer while he tried to get a better price on supplies.  The lady in the center asked for a chardonnay as she slowly convinced her companion to sign on with her firm.  Mixing, pouring and smiling, he learned everything he could from the customers as each of them discussed deals ranging from buying hotels to renting a room upstairs.

Bryce knew that he had to learn all aspects of the business world.  Business school could only teach him the basics.  It was the real world that would teach him the intricacies of the world.

Because he had plans.  As Bryce collapsed onto his dorm room bed that night, exhaustion so intense that relaxing actually hurt, he thought about his plans.  He had a five, ten and twenty year plan.  He had it all mapped out.

 

Quinn’s story…

“I didn’t do it!” the boy asserted, fighting back the tears that threatened.

Ms. Locke, their third grade teacher, looked at him angrily.  “Then tell me who did!”

Quinn watched the interaction, not really understanding the problem.  It was Halloween day and the whole class had been working on a crossword puzzle, everyone sharing their answers and laughing.  Some had gone up to the teacher and asked for an answer when no one in the class could figure out the clue – and the answer had been readily provided.  It was supposed to be a fun project, not a graded assignment.  But then the teacher had disappeared, leaving the class to so…whatever in the teachers’ workroom.

So why was the teacher so upset to find that several of the students had looked at the answer sheet which had been left on her desk?

Ms. Locke wasn’t relenting.  “If you don’t know who did it, then you’re going to have to take responsibility for pulling the answer key out.”

The boy’s lip trembled and Quinn sank down lower in her seat.  It didn’t make any sense!  Tim didn’t know who had pulled the answer key out so he was going to be blamed for it?  Huh?  That wasn’t right!

“I don’t know, Ms. Locke!” he almost wailed.

“Go into the teachers’ workroom!” she snapped.

Quinn watched the boy go, his feet dragging.  Going into the teachers’ workroom was bad.  Really bad!  Thankfully, Quinin had never been sent there, but she knew that the workroom was where punishments were doled out.  No one ever wanted to go into the workroom.

Once again, her mind contemplated the enormity of the situation.  It was a third grade Halloween crossword puzzle!  Why were the teachers making such a big deal about this?  So what if some of the students had pulled the answer key out of the teacher’s papers?

The injustice of the situation really angered her.  Tim had just closed the door to the teachers’ workroom and Quinn knew she had to do something, she had to speak up.

Taking a deep breath, she stood up and cautiously approached the teacher’s desk.  “Ms. Locke, I don’t understand.”

When Ms. Locke glared, Quinn cringed, then squared her shoulders, trying very hard not to be afraid.  Or at least, trying not to show her fear.

“Are you going to tell me that you cheated too?” the teacher demanded.

Quickly, Quinn shook her head.  “No!” she gasped, holding her hands out in front of her.  “But I thought this was just a Halloween thing.  Why is it so bad that he looked at the answers?”

Ms. Locke’s mouth fell open.  “If he cheated on something as simple as a fun crossword puzzle,” she started off, “then who is to say that he won’t do it on a test?”

That logic sounded wrong, but Quinn was too afraid to argue any longer.  Nor was it even an option since the teacher stormed away, leaving the class once again.

At recess that afternoon, most of the students were subdued, still not understanding, all of them clustering together as they bent their heads, talking about the situation.  Quinn sat alone on one of the swings, away from the other students as she watched Tim who was sitting on a bench, also alone.  No matter how hard she tried, she simply didn’t understand the problem.  Why had the teacher gotten so upset about a Halloween crossword puzzle?

And even more importantly, why had she backed down?  Why had she cowered in the face of her teacher’s anger?

Quinn stared at Tim’s dejected features, feeling ashamed that she hadn’t done more.

From that moment on, she vowed to never back down when something bad was happening.  She never wanted to feel this sick feeling in the pit of her stomach because she hadn’t defended someone when an injustice was happening.

Learn more about Resisting His Seduction, book two of three in The Steele Brothers Series.