Lena lifted her martini glass with a sly smile. “It’s nice not being the ones seeing the green.”
“I haven’t given it much thought.”
She lifted her chin and looked around the expensive restaurant. “I think it’s being back in this city. I remember what it was like.” She offered her glass in a cheers gesture.
I lifted my coffee cup.
“We’ve done it, Van. Now they look at us with envy, not the other way around.”
“I wasn’t looking for Julia,” I said again, “but I found her.” My lips quirked upward. “Literally found her.”
“Was she lost?”
“What you just said is correct. Finding her made me realize, it’s been me. I was lost. I have been. And her connection to Wade Pharmaceutical reminded me about a fight I never finished.”
“We,” Lena corrected.
“That’s why I’m here. I owe you.”
She pushed a napkin my direction. “May I get that in writing, Van? Be sure to add lots of zeros after whatever you say I’m owed.”
“Are napkin contracts now legally binding?”
The waitress appeared again.
Lena opened the menu and pointed. “We both want this.”
“To share?”
Lena’s brown orbs looked up through her extra-long lashes.
I reached over and closed the menu. “Make it two. I’m too hungry to share.” The innuendos may have gone over the waitress’s head, but Lena and I were well aware of the subconversation occurring. My response wasn’t for the waitress. Once she left, I asked, “What did we order?”
Lena shook her head as the ends of her auburn hair teased her shoulders. “I don’t know.”
“Did Aphrodite make Marlin an offer?”
“Not yet. I have a message out to GreenSphere. Marlin may think he can go shareholder to shareholder to get his price up. With Wolfe no longer in the picture, we have to unite and sabotage his plan.”
I nodded. “Jeremy sent me a comprehensive list of Marlin and Gwen’s investments. He’s toying in crypto.”
“Isn’t everyone? It was the offshore accounts that had my attention.” She tilted her head. “Surely you didn’t think Jeremy would only share with you.”
Share.
“I’m not surprised.” I leaned forward again. “Allotting information is as far as our sharing is going to go. Tell me when you met Julia.”
“Are you sure she’s not willing—to share? You know this younger generation is progressive in their thinking. You won’t know if you don’t ask.”
I lifted my brows and spaced my words. “I. Won’t. Share.”
“I see, so you haven’t asked.” Lena pursed her lips and shook her head. “This is where you get yourself into trouble. You need to watch that selfish tendency.”
Swallowing, I let out a breath. “The two of you met?”
“Years ago. I doubt she remembers. It was with Logan, before I knew you. As he was originally screwing us over and before I saw him for who he is. It was Thanksgiving or some occasion. As I recall, Skylar and Julia were children…young children.”
“Julia tells me she had cute pigtails.”