Jack Knox had named his successor.
“I knew it!” Gia was the first to say.
Bran frowned.
“To Royce!” Jack raised his water bottle and a smattering of “cheers” and “congratulations” lifted one after another in clunky refrain.
“Speech!” someone called. “Speech! Speech!”
Dammit, Dad.
This wasn’t how the announcement should’ve happened. There was supposed to be a discussion ahead of time with Bran and Gia. They were supposed to be in a meeting at work with a bullet-pointed agenda. Jack wanted a BASE jump? This bombshell came close.
“Go on, son. Address your underlings,” Jack said.
Royce stood, his glare affixed on his father. “We had an agreement.”
Jack shrugged with his mouth. “Things change.”
Royce took a long look at the man he’d admired his entire life and realized he was too angry to say anything productive. So instead he turned to Cooper and asked, “Can you give Gia a ride home?”
“Um...” Jayson looked at Gia.
“I’ll give Gia a ride home,” Taylor offered with a subtle nod. One that said Go. I have this.
So he turned on his heel and left.
Without giving a damn speech.
“Two rosés, please,” Gia told the bartender at her apartment’s lobby bar.
“I can’t,” Taylor told her. “I’ll sit with you, though.” The glass and a half of rosé at the party felt like it was still sitting in her throat after Royce’s surprising exit.
“No speech then,” Jack had said to the crowd, but the comment didn’t earn many smiles. Tension was thick in the air. The music started up again and, little by little, conversations restarted. Bran had been silent, his face unreadable. Gia’s wasn’t as much of a mystery.
They’d stayed only fifteen minutes or so more before Gia hooked Taylor’s arm and suggested they leave, too. Fine by Taylor. She’d had enough of the strange evening.
Now, wineglasses in front of them, Gia pushed Taylor’s closer. “Just one.”
She couldn’t turn down her friend. They needed to talk anyway and what Taylor had to say was best discussed over even the most meager amount of alcohol.
“No gray hairs, you swear?”
Taylor held up a palm. “Hand to God.”
“Jay.” Gia shook her head. “When is he going to back off and get a life?”
“When are you?” Taylor teased, raising an eyebrow.
“Bitch!” Gia laughed the word, giving Taylor a playful shove in the arm before laying her head on Taylor’s shoulder. “You’d think he’d have found some new woman to tease.”
“You’ll always be teased by Jayson Cooper,” Taylor said, confident she was right. “Has he even been on a date since you two split?”
“God. I hope so. I hope both of us haven’t been celibate for the last year-plus.”
“You’d have my sympathy if I hadn’t gone two years before sleeping with someone.” Taylor sipped her wine, not realizing until her friend’s mouth dropped open that she’d just confessed the end to her own celibacy.
“Who? Who did you sleep with recently?” Gia had been Taylor’s own personal cheerleader these last few years. Taylor had confessed she didn’t feel anything sexually after Seth left. Her father’s diagnosis had only added to her brokenness. Gia had comforted her, saying, “When you’re ready, you’ll know. No rush.”