As usual her commentary makes me smile. Every moment with her is unpredictable. She’s just … fun.
Then I grab a wet sponge and start wiping off the counters. When I’m done, I rinse the sponge out before putting it neatly back into the holder by the faucet. Ariana watches from her new spot on the couch.
“Wow. You brought dinner and you cleaned up after? Where have you been all my life?”
I give her a look.
“Oh right. I ghosted you. I’m such a bitch.”
My shoulders are shaking with laughter as I wash my hands before drying them carefully on the tea towel hanging in front of the sink. I join her on the couch, sitting on the other end so I don’t crowd her.
“We were raised wealthy. But our father came from humble means. He made sure we were true gentlemen. Although clearly Andre got most of that along with most of the talent.”
“That’s definitely not true.”
“Maybe a little. Fortune smiles on some of us more than others.”
She suddenly looks sad. “You don’t have to tell me that. But fortune smiled on you, too. There’s no way the Lavin brand would have gotten so big without your input also.”
“Know a lot about business, huh?” I ask teasingly.
“I know a little something. My father owns one of the biggest investment firms in South America.”
My eyebrows lift at this bit of unexpected news. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. Apparently he’s kind of a big deal. That is, when he’s not too busy feuding with my mom or trying to send me checks as a substitute for his attention.”
“I’m sorry you had to deal with that. But I’m grateful they were together long enough to create you.”
She smiles sheepishly. “The irony is the reason they hate each other is because they’re exactly alike. They’ll both do anything for money. I’ve always been the referee in the middle of their battles. It’s gotten old, this year in particular.”
“Someone once told me families are complicated.”
“Using my own words against me. I deserved that. But immature as my father can be, he’s a mastermind at business. He used to always say a smart man hires men who are smarter than he is.”
“Sounds like good advice.”
“I’m just saying, you have a different skill set from your brother. No offense to Andre, but he’s not the most approachable person ever. You have this way of making every person you meet feel like a friend. I bet that comes in really handy
doing your international whatever it was you said you did.”
By the end of her speech, her eyes are fiery.
“You’re the roommate,” I blurt suddenly.
She looks confused.
“Last year, Andre thought he’d lost Casey for good. There was this tabloid thing… Anyway, he said her roommate yelled at him. That she told him he’d fucked up and then slammed the door on him.”
She makes a face. “Guilty.”
I crack up. “I should have known then it was you.”
“Being a bitch is kind of my brand.”
“You were being protective. It seems like you take care of a lot of people. Your friends. Your parents. Your patients. Who takes care of you?”
She picks at a loose thread on the corner of the couch. “You think you’ve got me all figured out.”