They’d been equal partners, and the Zinterhofer name and connections in the hospitality industry had played a role in Legends’ rapid ascent to the top, but Landon had given Blake the startup capital as a friend helping a friend. The more Landon became enmeshed in his mother’s business, the less time he had for Legends, so splitting as business partners had been a mutually beneficial decision.
Yes, the Legends empire was alive and well, but Blake’s vision for the New York branch wasn’t just a regular ol’ sports bar. It was going to be different. Elevated. And he couldn’t wait to unveil it to the world this October.
T-minus six months.
Blake was successful enough now to have a team that dealt with the details and grunt work he’d shouldered in the early years, but he liked to be present and oversee things before any grand opening.
New York was going to the biggest opening in Legends history, and he sure as hell was going to be here every step of the way.
“I’m not talking about the bar.” Landon opened the fridge and handed Blake a beer like he was in his own apartment. He’d connected Blake with the seller—a famous fashion designer who’d moved to the south of France after tiring of city life—so Blake couldn’t complain too much. “I’m talking about this apartment.”
“What’s wrong with the apartment?”
“Nothing. The apartment is great. The decor sucks.”
Blake cracked open his beer with a frown. “Give me a break. I bought this place a week ago.”
Landon raised a skeptical brow. “So you’re planning to decorate it all by yourself?”
Blake grimaced. While he appreciated a nice home, he had no desire, patience, or time to tackle a design project. Besides, you don’t need anything other than a couch, coffee table, and TV in your living room. Right?
“Bro, let me set you up with the interior designers
I used for the hotel. They do residential work, too. There was one who was particularly good, and she’s much nicer than the other two.”
An ache spread through Blake’s chest at the words “interior designers.” It was sad, how the slightest thing could still remind him of her after half a decade.
Blake wondered how she was doing. They weren’t friends on social media, and her accounts were private, but he managed to squeeze an update out of Sammy every now and then. Last he heard, she was living in New York.
His stomach did a dumb little flip when he realized they were within fifteen miles of each other. He hadn’t reached out to Farrah after he ended things with Cleo—partly because he’d been in such a dark place the first few years, and partly because he didn’t think he deserved her forgiveness or sympathy.
But now that they were in the same city…
Blake’s mouth dried. He shouldn’t. He didn’t want to barge in and upend her life after five years, but he missed her so damn much. It was selfish, but he wanted to see her again. Maybe, after all the time that had passed, she didn’t hate him as much.
“Blake?” Landon prompted. “What do you think about hiring a designer?”
“Fine.” Blake was too flustered by memories of warm chocolate eyes and golden skin to argue with Landon. “I’ll hire a damn designer.”
Note to self: Text Sammy and get Farrah’s number.
“Excellent.” Landon grinned. “I’ll set up a meeting. They’ll have this place feeling like home in no time.”
Home.
It’d been so long since Blake had a home, he’d forgotten what it felt like. He didn’t visit Austin enough for it to count.
After they finished their beers, he and Landon moseyed over to the balcony to watch the sunset with fresh drinks in hand. The proud lines and towering heights of New York City beckoned in the distance—the grays and browns of hundreds of buildings softened by the soft glow of sunset, the lights in the windows twinkling like tiny beacons of hope, and the sharp, iconic spire of the Empire State Building piercing the sky with an arrogance that was unapologetically New York.
Blake soaked in the sight while another pang wrung his heart. Manhattan’s forest of skyscrapers, pulsing energy, and glittering lights reminded him of another city he loved, long ago and far away.
He’d been a boy back then, unsure and terrified of what the future held.
Now, he was the owner of a multimillion-dollar business empire. His dreams had become reality, and most of the time, that was enough. When Blake was at an opening, or on the floor greeting customers, or coming up with ideas to make Legends bigger and better than it already was, adrenaline rushed through him, and he felt like he was on top of the world.
But sometimes, when he returned to his soulless hotel room at night or woke up next to a woman he’d never see again in the morning, a hole opened up in his stomach and sucked all his emotions out until he was nothing but an empty shell.
Still, anything was better than being back in Austin.