by Piper Lawson
The papers to sell Axe’s place had been signed the day before, and Axe and I’d agreed to celebrate over a drink tonight. We’d put an offer in on the place in Palisades that he wanted. Jules had gone crazy for it, talking about how their family would love it. I should have been over the moon. Instead I was numb.
“What’re you going to do with your commission, Ethan? Buy another of those i8s?”
I opened my mouth to answer, then stopped. The commission was enough to buy three more, if I wanted.
But it didn’t matter. I was happy to do the deal for Axe. I didn’t need the money.
Someone interrupted us to talk to Axe, and I excused myself.
The party was a success by any measure. The patio was full of well-dressed people. The enormous table in the middle featured a scale model of the eco-development that glowed in the dark. We’d already booked twenty viewings and sold nine lots that night. On top of that, LED numbers on a screen over the pool changed whenever anyone donated to a water-related charity we were plugging.
I was satisfied, but it didn’t make me happy.
“Well, Ethan Cameron.” The last person I’d expected to see here had appeared at my side, wearing his usual suit.
“Mick. I’m surprised to see you here.”
“Because you won?” He lifted a shoulder. “You can’t win them all. And there’ll always be another build.” He scanned the party, sipping at his drink. “When you missed the reception I figured you were done for. Based on the turnout tonight, Barlow’s glad he decided to keep you on after all. What’d you say to them?”
“I just told them I wanted to focus on what the building was. It was glossy enough without the sleight of hand. We all want to feel like we’re part of something bigger. Like we’re making the world a little better. If Barlow and his team didn’t want that, then I wasn’t the right guy for the job.”
Mick huffed out a breath, his expression disbelieving. “That’s the irony. You do what you want, what you believe in, people start respecting you for it. You give a shit about their approval…that’s the second you lose it.” He shifted. “This party is impressive. Your idea?”
“A friend’s.” I took a long sip of my drink.
When Jordan had turned and walked away from me on the street Monday afternoon, I’d debated whether to follow her.
I’d felt like shit after she’d told me losing the La Brea store screwed their chances to grow their business. That was the only reason I hadn’t pursued her more aggressively when she’d left. She was right. I’d fucked up. I wasn’t going to blow up her phone with calls or texts because she deserved better.
“Ahh. And where is this friend now?”
“Don’t worry, you can’t use her to get under my skin. She’s in New York.”
“You got dumped again?”
“Looks that way.” I took a sip of my drink, waiting for his scathing remark. Instead I looked back to find him watching me steadily.
“My ex-wife left me ten years ago. I’ve never found a way to make it work but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Good on you for trying, kid. Least you can drown yourself in alcohol and work until you forget her. This is going to be a full-time gig for you.” Mick surveyed the expanse of grounds in front of us.
“Mick. You doing this build?” A man in a suit brushed by us.
“Nah. It’s Ethan’s.” Mick gestured to me. “But let me tell you about it.”
He launched into a rundown of the features with blinding speed.
I was exhausted just watching Mick’s pitch.
“Are you still that excited after selling the same floorplan to sixty people?” I mused after the man left.
“That’s the gig, Ethan. You don’t have time for hand-holding with this many units to sell.”
I didn’t detect a hint of duplicitousness in his words. And he was probably right. The idea of spending every ounce of my time crossing the same cookie cutter units off a board like days off a calendar wasn’t the least bit appealing.
I’d landed the one of the biggest deals in town. Proved to myself I could succeed on my own terms, and I didn’t need Gia to do it. Maybe at first I’d been doing it to spite her, but Gia had gotten on with her life. And I was ready to get on with mine too.
That was the irony. The gig I’d chased, sacrificed for, pinned all my hopes on? Now I wasn’t even sure I wanted it.
An idea formed in my head. Or rather, the origins of one. It hatched, grew, transformed.
I hoped to hell I wasn’t drunk right then, because I might regret this in the morning.
“Olsen,” I said slowly. “What if you could have this?”
“The fuck are you talking about?” Mick’s face hardened.
“I mean, I might have made a mistake. I think I like my—how did you put it? B-list clients and their grandmas.”
Mick handed his glass off to a passing waiter and stepped closer to me, crossing his arms over his chest. “What are you proposing?”
“I’d step back from the deal. It’d be yours, if we can get Barlow to go for it.”
“Are you fucking kidding? What are the strings?”
“No strings. But,” I warned, “I need you to get Barlow to agree to one thing first.”
36
Jordan
Newark is the headquarters of a lot of this, a little of that.
And one Briggs furniture company.
I’d been planning to take the same flight as Ava and Lex to Napa for the wedding. But I’d realized I had a stop to make first.
The few days in New York had given me time. Time to think about my life. About Travesty.
And time to work up the nerve to show my face at Evergreen. I’d spent two days wracking my brain for a way to fix it. Sitting in all my favorite problem-fixing spots. Playing guitar. Anything.
I hadn’t come up with any epiphanies. Except one.
Even if I couldn’t fix it, I could own up to it.
“I’m so glad you came,” Brit said as she ushered me in the side door. The office building was attached to the factory that produced all kinds of couches, chairs and tables. “Even if it’s for one last hoorah. When was the last time you visited. A year ago?”
“Yeah.” I glanced back toward the parking lot. “What’s going on today? There are a lot of cars outside.”
“I have no idea. All the execs are in a meeting. But I told a few people you were coming. They’re excited to see you.”
“Brit.” I grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. “I’m sorry. I probably put you in this situation.”
“Sweetie, that’s nice of you to say. But it’s not one person’s fault. And we were lucky to have you. During your time you definitely did more good than harm.”
She continued down the hall to the kitchen I used to eat in. I lifted a hand half-heartedly to some of the staff I used to work with. I prepared myself to go inside when a conference room down the hall opened.
“Jordan.”
I glanced back at the sound of Colton’s voice.
“Give me five minutes. In my office.” Executives streamed out of the conference room, talking animatedly as they funneled down the hall in the other direction.
Colton jerked his head down the hall.
“I’m here to see friends.”
“This isn’t personal.”
I turned back to Brit. “Can you guys give me five minutes? I’ll be right back.”
I followed Colton down the hall and he shut the door behind us. “How could you not tell me about this?” he demanded.
About me showing up? “It was last minute.”
“Obviously. This is a massive contract. HR’s going mental figuring out how to hire people back.”
I frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb. The builder. In LA. They’ve ordered enough furniture for models and common areas of their new condos to keep the lines running around the clock for the next year. They’re also listing us as a preferred vendor and put
ting us in their catalogues. That could keep us running for another year.”
“LA,” I repeated slowly.
He named the company. The blood drained from my face but Colt didn’t notice. “I didn’t even know we had a relationship with this company, Jordan. I was completely blindsided by this. Is this what you were doing in LA for the last month?”
“Ahh—not exactly. Wait, so what does this mean. No one else is losing their jobs?”
“Not at the moment. Do you even understand what you’ve done?” Instead of pleased, he looked angry. “This is pretty fucking dramatic. Especially for you.”
I shook my head slowly, my brain feeling like cotton. “Dramatic.”
He cursed. “Yes, that’s what I said. Dammit, Jordan, how come you come off looking like the rock star and you don’t even work here anymore.”
“I don’t know.” I snapped out of my trance. “This is good, Colton. I’m glad we had this conversation. I’m going to have lunch with some of the staff now.”
“What then? Then you’re going to go brag to your father?”
“No, actually. I have a flight to catch.”
37
Ethan
Weddings make me think of three things: money, cake, and rooms full of relatives you haven’t seen since you were young enough to pick your nose.
The day of my brother’s wedding was sunny and beautiful. It felt like the entire world was smiling down on them.
And maybe it was.
“You OK, big brother?”
I glanced up from my phone to find Dylan leaning against the wall, watching me. I shoved the device in the pocket of my suit jacket. “I’m supposed to be asking you that.”
Dylan grinned. He looked relaxed and happy, despite the formal clothes.
“How’d you get so smart?” I asked, adjusting my bowtie. The tailored tuxes were a favor from a friend in LA who’d done half the Golden Globe winners the year before. “You’re the youngest. But you have it all figured out. The college degree. The job in New York starting next month. The girl you know is it.”
A bit of his smile faded. “I’m sorry Jordan didn’t show up for the rehearsal dinner last night. Apparently she had a late flight out of New York.”
I shrugged. “Whatever.” It didn’t matter what she was doing. Even if I’d been checking my phone every ten minutes like I thought it might detonate. “Wait—is it that fucking obvious?”
“That you’re miserable? Yes. That Jordan’s the one you’re miserable over? Ava might’ve filled me in.”
“Yeah, well. Today isn’t about me, or her. It’s about you.”
“No. Today’s about family. And you’re mine.”
My chest tightened. No matter what our issues were, I was lucky as hell to have the family I had.
“You know what you’re going to say?” I asked Dylan.
“Yeah. I’ve got the vows memorized.” He shot me a knowing look. “What are you going to say?”
“What do you mean?”
“To Jordan, when you see her in about five minutes.”
Dylan’s words had my stomach tightening. “First things first, little brother. We’ve got a whole ceremony to get through. Besides, she’s not interested.”
If she was, she would’ve called me when she’d found out about the deal Mick had talked Barlow into doing with Evergreen.
“Right. But if she was?”
“If she was, I guess I’d tell her I fucked up. And that I want to go all in.”
“Maybe you’ll have your chance,” he said.
“Ready?” The officiant stuck his head in. Dylan gave me a last smile, a hint of the nerves sneaking in, then followed him away.
The sunset ceremony was happening in a gazebo behind the main building. I did my part, assembling the groomsmen on the back porch. The guests were already seated in the hundred chairs lining the grass in an open space surrounded by rows of vines.
“Game faces, people,” Ava barked as she came and took her place next to me. In front of us were Nate and Lex’s step-sister Chelsea. Then Kent, with no one beside him.
I felt Jordan before I heard her, scampering across the floor as she reached for Kent. He leaned over and murmured something in her ear and I stiffened as she turned to look up at him, her mouth pulling at the corner.
“Relax,” Ava whispered.
I stared at the back of Jordan’s head. Her silky hair was pulled back in two twists, the rest hanging down the nape of her neck. It was too short to pile on her head like the other girls’.
Why isn’t she towering over Kent?
That’s when I noticed. The other girls wore heels but she had flats in the same shade of pink.
My mouth twitched at the corner, even as my body ached.
Fuck, I missed her. All week I’d wanted to make things right between us. But more than that, I just wanted to be with her. To hear her voice. The low laugh that stroked down my spine.
Jordan did her duty, taking careful steps. Looking straight ahead, like she was on a mission.
Me?
I stared at her.
As they walked down the aisle.
As Ava and I did.
As I took my spot on one side of Dylan.
Until Lex appeared at the top of the porch stairs.
She might not have been family—not technically—but I felt pride rise up in my chest. I snuck a glance at Dylan who looked like he was coming out of his skin.
The bride looked stunning. Her red hair was piled on her head in this style that was elegant and young at once. The dress was sleeveless but was lace on top, with a big satin skirt that trailed behind.
I glanced at my sister. Nice going, I mouthed. Ava smiled, and I could see tears in her eyes.
The ceremony was beautiful. I’d never seen my brother grin so much, and Lex couldn’t take her eyes off him. If I hadn’t been so full of other emotions, maybe I’d have felt guilty for not fully appreciating it.
Despite my vow to focus on the, well, vows, my attention once again pulled to the girl standing two down.
Jordan’s attention was intently fixed on the couple in question. She didn’t smile, or frown.
I wondered whether she’d been losing sleep like I had.
If she’d missed me.
Whether she’d wondered what I was doing.
Does Jordan want to get married someday? I’d never asked her.
I cared about everything that was going on inside her head, and wished I’d pressed her to know more of it. Because those moments when we’d talked together, when she’d opened up with me, had been special. She didn’t do it with people and it was only recently I’d appreciated that.
Hell, I craved it.
Clapping erupted, and my head jerked back to my brother and Lex, kissing. Relatives and friends brandishing cell phones competed with the photographer to take pictures.
After the ceremony, Ava half dragged me down the aisle.
“You’re not auditioning for the CW,” Ava commented under her breath.
“Huh?”
We tucked into the receiving line. Somehow she and Kent had both ended up between me and Jordan.
“You might want to wipe that brooding look off your face for the pictures.”
I did my job, smiling and remembering relatives’ names for the next fifteen minutes. Then the photographer announced they were going to start with the bride and groom but that we should stay close.
Now was my chance.
Jordan was already gone, swept up into the crowd spilling out over the grounds and toward the bar.
“Ethan?”
The woman who came up to me looked vaguely familiar. I waited for my Sherlock Holmes sense to kick in. Nothing.
“Sorry. Lots of faces today. Have we met?”
“Yeah. Amanda. We went to high school together.” She smiled, leaning in. “It’s kind of embarrassing, actually. We hooked up at a party senior year.”
“Right.”
“Are you…?” She look
ed pointedly at my finger.
“Married? No. But I am attached.”
“Lucky woman.”
“I don’t think she knows.” I looked past her, my attention latching onto a figure in the distance. “Excuse me.”
I lifted a rose from one of the decorations on the high-top tables, ignoring the expression of shock from the older couple there. Then I crossed the expanse of green to the other side of the bar.
Jordan was leaning against a tree looking out over the vineyard.
“Hey.”
She turned, surprised. Then glanced at the flower in my outstretched hands before taking it, carefully. “Hi.”
“When did you get in?”
“Last night, pretty late.”
“You’re staying at the hotel?”
“Yeah. What about you?”
“I am, though I booked too late to get a normal room. Had to upgrade to a suite.” Stop fucking talking.
She hesitated, her gaze working over mine. “Ethan, I need to tell you something.”
“I need to—”
“Don’t move,” the photographer interjected.
I could’ve killed him. Instead I stood where I was, my hand on the tree next to her as she reclined against it.
“No. Look back at her.”
It should’ve been easy but it was torture. The makeup made Jordan’s eyes look even bigger than usual. Her lashes that went on forever couldn’t hide the look in her gaze. My heart picked up as I stared into her eyes, big and full of something I couldn’t read but needed to.
She was close enough that I could smell her—not perfume, because she didn’t wear any, just her. Like fresh flowers and citrus.
What the fuck did she want to tell me? To stop looking at her with everything I wanted plain on my face? To stop interfering with her work?
Was she going to chew me out like my sister did at the rehearsal dinner last night?
Or was it something else…
I couldn’t resist and my gaze dropped to her mouth. When her lips parted a millimeter, my abs tightened in anticipation.
“Gorgeous,” the photographer gushed. My jaw clenched as Jordan looked toward him, snapping out of the trance. “We’re doing group pictures now.”