Bad Boy Brady

Friends?

"Hey Stan, may I ask you something?" Amelia found herself sitting in the garden a few days after her knowledge of her father's affair and run in with Brady.

Stan who was sitting on a bench beside Amelia was having a sandwich for lunch swallowed his food, wiped his mouth politely with a napkin and then answered. "Of course you may Miss Stanton."

"How are you always so calm and well... happy?" she asked.

Stan placed his lunchbox with his sandwich down in the space between him and Amelia and took a moment before he answered. "I'm not, I just always have my work mask on around you. They say never to bring your woes to work; it puts a blotch on the résumé you see." He grinned at the last part.

"Résumé?" Amelia repeated. "Please Stan, you've been working here even before I was born, you don't need a résumé because you already have a job and you're not leaving."

Stan chuckled and picked up his lunchbox once again before taking another bite from his sandwich. "Is that an order Miss Stanton?" he asked afterwards.

Amelia shook her head. "Not really, consider is more of a request." She smiled at him.

Amelia noticed the wrinkles around Stan's eyes as he returned her smile. "I don't plan on leaving any time soon."

"Any time soon, meaning ever right?" Amelia asked.

"Well not until it's my age to retire." Stan said honestly.

"Retire?" Amelia asked in a forlorn tone.

"I'm not getting any younger Miss Stanton." Stan said.

"You're right." Amelia nodded in understanding. "I know I can be a brat and can drive anyone up the wall but can you promise that after you retire you wouldn't estrange yourself from me?"

Stan let out a hearty chuckle. "I'm truly touched Miss Stanton by your request however I'm just a mere employee."

Amelia didn't find anything amusing; in fact she was dead serious. "Not to me you aren't, you've been with me almost every step of my life, from my very first day at school right till the last, you mean more than just a mere employee Stan."

Stan truly felt touched by Amelia's words and his feelings were mutual, he's known her since she was brought home from the hospital as a little baby. He smiled at her, "I have no intention of ever estranging myself Miss Stanton; I've known you since you were in diapers."

Amelia smiled at him in response and in days it felt as if she really meant that smile. Ever since she caught her father with another woman at his penthouse she hadn't spoken to him. He tried calling her but she refused to answer and sent a text to make it clear that she didn't want to talk to him anytime soon. Her father eventually gave in and stopped calling, she was hurt that her father didn't even bother to come home to make things right, he instead gave in to her demands easily - as usual.

She hadn't heard from Brady since they kissed either, a big part of her hoped he would call or even text even though he didn't have her number, she expected he'd find it somehow like he did her address but she knew better than to expect anything from him. She wondered why he kissed her and that kiss played in her mind over and over again but she had other things also bothering her to look into the kiss that much - such as her could be falling apart family for starters.

"Would you like a sandwich Miss Stanton?" Stan broke her train of thoughts by holding out his lunchbox.

Amelia looked at the tuna sandwich which did look quite appetizing but shook her head. "One of these days we're going out for real lunch, all you ever eat are sandwiches."