Anyone walking into the apartment right now would probably have no idea I’m freaking out, because I’ve learned how to influence the way I’m perceived, yet my heart is hammering as quickly as it did the day we received FDA approval. Tonight may be completely different, but it’s another make-or-break moment in my life. I’m fully aware of the implications of having invited Chari here this weekend.
But I couldn’t help it.
Ignoring the bright white laptop computer screen in front of me, I watch the door from my living room. She texted an hour ago, and I know the Saturday evening traffic patterns. Which suggest she’ll be here any minute now.
The fact that she chose not to mention this particular weekend to Devon is only a temporary reprieve. He’ll find out soon enough, and I’ll face an inquisition. If not for Devon, I would have contacted her sooner. Much sooner, in fact. But I waited, and waited some more, until Hayden called me out for it on Wednesday night.
“You usually have enough focus for me and your gnocchi,” he said, which, yeah, he was right. I’d been staring into my plate like it was the Sistine Chapel. “Jesus, Enzo, just call her.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. You won’t be the first person in history to date his friend’s sister. Devon’s a good guy—he’ll hear you out. You’re being ridiculous.”
“Really?” I shot back. “You don’t think the first thing he’ll ask me about are my intentions with Chari?”
“What exactlyareyour intentions?”
I just looked at him, at which point Hayden whistled. “You’ve got it bad, brother.”
As if I didn’t know that.
“You know I don’t date.”
“So? Make an exception?”
“Work comes first.”
“Tell her that,” he said with a grin. “Should go over pretty well.”
I set down my fork. “I could be clear with her up front. Explain my situation. I mean, she knows as well as anyone how rarely I come home. I’ll tell her what to expect and then see if she can handle it.”
“And if she can’t?”
“We part ways. No big deal.”
Hayden snorted. For a rich guy, born and raised, he lacked the kind of refinement you’d expect. Boarding school, houses all over the world . . . none of it seemed to affect him, which is why we became friends. It took me a full year to figure out he came from money. Although he’d never lacked for anything at school, I hadn’t either, and my parents owned a pizza shop.
Then Hayden’s dad sent a car to pick us up one day, and a few hours later we pulled up to his house in Connecticut. No, not a house. A freaking mansion. Hayden merely shrugged when I asked him about it. And I knew that day we would be friends for life. How he managed to escape the pretentiousness of some of his childhood friends, I’m still not sure.
His parents aren’t half as grounded as their only son. They look and act very much like the top one percent. And though Hayden’s dad basically got us up and running with his loan, there were strings attached. I wouldn’t trade my childhood with Hayden’s in a million years, despite his family’s wealth.
Our conversation about Chari didn’t really ease all of my concerns, or even most of them, but I emailed her the next day anyway. Something I’m still half regretting. How could this possibly end well? Am I really ready to risk my friendship with Devon? The answer is no. If Hayden is a friend for life, Devon is even more so. We’ve been friends, brothers, since the second grade.
What the fuck are you doing, Enzo? Why did you email her, then?
There’s a knock at the door. I call out for them to come in, and the door opens. I have my answer almost immediately.
It doesn’t matter that she’s wearing a long black coat. I catch the caring eyes of a woman I’ve known since childhood. I can see enough to know one hundred percent why I sent that email. I stand, thanking Mr. Jim, who escorted her up. One of the most expensive buildings in Tribeca comes with an attendant for just about everything, including the elevator.
He leaves, and from the way Chari’s gripping her bag, and the fact that she didn’t give it over to Mr. Jim, I can tell she’s nervous. There are benefits to going on a date with someone you’ve known for years, I realize. Although there’s a gap in my knowledge of her, I can tell the core of who she is hasn’t changed.
I’m not sure whether the same is true of me.
“Let me take that.”
I grab her small duffle bag and hold out a hand for her jacket.
“We have a few minutes before dinner.”