Chapter 1
Kelly walked in the office and sat down at her desk. She worked as the COO of Zeller Marketing Group. The CEO and owner of the company was Jake Zeller, her longtime best friend. They have been best friends since they were babies. Their parents had been best friends until her parents were killed in a car accident while traveling on vacation. Their death hit her hard but her five brothers, Kevin, Kyle, Knox, Kaden, and Kenny were there for her as was Jake and his family. Everyone kept asking why they never got together. They both said they valued the friendship too much and they have never felt that way for each other. But lately she’s been feeling different around him. Every hug he gave her made her feel tingly inside but she knew he didn’t think of her as more than a friend. She’s watched him date around but he never had a steady girlfriend. She had dated but never had a steady boyfriend since high school. She dated a guy named Brad Olsen and they were together for six months before she caught him cheating on her with another girl. She dumped him and her brothers beat him up.
“Hey Kel,” Jake said.
“Hey Jake,” Kelly said.
“How was your weekend?” Jake asked.
“It was okay, just hung around my apartment watching movies and reading books,” Kelly said.
“That’s all?” Jake asked.
“Yep that’s my life away from the office,” Kelly said.
“You didn’t hang out with your brothers?” Jake asked.
“Nope, Kevin and Abby went on a double date with Knox and Kim, Kenny is at college studying for midterms, Kaden and Kyle had dates,” Kelly said.
“So you just sat home alone,” Jake said.
“It’s what I do,” Kelly said.
“Why didn’t you text and ask me if I was busy, we could have hung out,” Jake said.
“I figured you would have had a date or something,” Kelly said. “Kel, I chilled at home, watched football all weekend,” Jake said.
“Well it seemed like you were okay,” Kelly said.
“Kelly, this weekend, you and I will hang out okay, we can go shopping, we can go eat, go see a movie, hang out as best friends would,” Jake said.
“This weekend is my weekend to cook for my brothers,” Kelly said.
“Oh,” Jake said.
“Unless you want to come join us,” Kelly said.
“I’m not a brother,” Jake said.
“They consider you one,” Kelly said.
“You should spend time with your brothers,” Jake said. “And what will you be doing then, going on a hot date?” Kelly asked.
“No, I’ll go hang with my brothers, they’ve been bugging me to hang out with them,” Jake said.
“Why haven’t you?” Kelly asked.
“Because we usually end up at a club and they disappear with girls they meet and leave me to fend for myself,” Jake said.
“So they aren’t looking to settle down huh,” Kelly said.
“Nope,” Jake said.
“What about you?” Kelly asked.
“James is older than me and I would think he would want to be settling down and starting a family but really it’s me the middle child looking for that, just got to find the right person,” Jake said.
“She’s out there, Jake,” Kelly said.
“I know, just like the right guy is out there for you,” Jake said.
“Just have to get past all five brothers,” Kelly said.
“And me,” Jake said.
“And you of course bestie,” Kelly said.
“You’ve got that right bestie,” Jake said. He went back to his office. Kelly went to work on some paperwork.
