“She travels a lot,” Pippa says. “Relocating wouldn’t be too hard for her.”
“I can’t ask her to give up her job. When the project is over, she’ll move to the next one.” My voice is hollow. Why the fuck is this thought so depressing?
“Dude, you already sound like a love-sick puppy. No way am I going to listen to your drunk ramblings about your lost love after she’s gone.” Logan hefts the glass in my direction as if he’s toasting me.
I stare him down. “When did I ever get drunk and talk about women?”
“Oh, that’s right,” he admits. “Never.”
“Damn right.”
He takes a sip from his non-alcoholic cocktail, looking at Pippa with wide eyes.
“Oh, Logan, stop the puppy dog eyes. Though you’ll always be known as the family puppy,” Pippa informs us with a lovely grin. “Sebastian’s the family’s lion, nursing his wounds alone and all that shit.”
Logan leaps to his feet. “How does Sebastian get to be the lion and I the puppy? Why can’t I be a tiger, or at least some scary dog breed?”
Ah, a good old Bennett brawl.
Pippa puts a hand on her hip, squinting at Logan as if she’s considering something. “Yeah, you’re right. Not a puppy. I’ll look up the appropriate breed later. Must be one that barks a lot but doesn’t bite.”
“Don’t forget it must have an oversized ego,” I supply.
Pippa nods. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“I’m very glad the two of you are having fun at my expense.” Logan’s tone clearly indicates he’s not glad at all. Pippa and I grin. ?
??But we were talking about Sebastian, and how the family lion will be stupid enough to let the woman he loves walk away.”
My smile drops.
“Sebastian, don’t be an idiot,” Pippa begins, now turning to me, placing both hands on her hips. “If you love her—”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You don’t have to,” she insists, tilting her head.
“Oh, you can just see it?” I ask sarcastically.
“I can,” Pippa says triumphantly. She glances at Logan, who backs her up with a strong nod. Oh, here they go again.
“Yes, yes, Pippa, we all know you’ve been blessed with Mom’s exceptional people-reading skills.” I give them a dismissive hand gesture, but they won’t let me off so easily today.
“Except when it comes to the people I date or marry, apparently,” she adds. I pull a face, fully aware of what she’s doing, bringing up her broken marriage so I don’t brush her off. I’d get mad at her for being so manipulative if I didn’t love her so much. Which she knows very well.
“How is it that every time we do something together out of the office, you two corner me about my personal life?” I inquire, tapping my fingers on the glass.
“You want us to do it at the office too?” Pippa asks with mock surprise. “Why didn’t you say so? Logan, are you up for it? Hey, we could even call in Alice for a Bennett sibling meeting now and again in the CEO’s office. Or in the meeting room.”
Groaning, I drag my palm down my face. “Please don’t.”
“Let’s get through this step by step,” Pippa says. She sits down on the floor, crossing her legs as if she’s about to do some yoga or shit. Damn it. I know that expression on her face. Lifted eyebrows, lips curled into a half smile. It reminds me of our days as kids, planning our way into or out of a mess. “The point is you can’t let her go.”
“You jumped a few steps in the process,” Logan tells her.
“What will you do after she leaves?” Pippa continues, and now a shred of seriousness tinges her playful tone. “Get back to your old life? Find a Terence, like I did? You’ve had enough sharks have a go at you over the years, wearing silicone and Botox to mask their teeth. You’re the billionaire CEO of one of the biggest companies in San Francisco, and we’re in a sexy industry. Everyone knows you, and you’re one of the most eligible bachelors around.”
Logan and I groan in unison. He gets up. “Okay, it’s time for some adult drinks. Whiskey for everyone?”