Brother’s Best Friend

by Kaylee, Katy

  “If only he’d harass me.” She gave Rosco a knowing look.

  “What can I get you Sof?” Rosco asked, putting a napkin on the bar.

  “Seltzer water with lime.”

  He nodded and headed off to get my drink.

  “Should I have asked him to give you an orgasm?” I bumped Gina with my shoulder.

  She snorted. “I dare you.”

  “Careful, you know I will.” But I didn’t when he set the glass in front of me. We ordered two flatbread pizzas for lunch before he headed off to take care of another customer.

  “Any word on the apartment hunt?” she asked me while we waited for our food.

  I blew out an exasperated breath. “Millions of apartments available in this city but they’re either too expensive or cockroach-infested.” I turned to her. “I did look at one clean place. It was a closet…less than a hundred square feet with a communal bathroom in the hall. Sixteen hundred dollars a month.”

  “Yikes, that’s tiny, but cheap.”

  “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m running out of time.” I had what I already thought was a small studio of seven hundred square feet, but it was in Murray Hill and had a sweet low rent. I felt like I’d won the New York housing lottery when I got it. Unfortunately, the owner of the building sold it and the new owner was planning to convert all the apartments into condos with million-dollar price tags. Until I was at Duff Goldman status, I couldn’t afford to buy a condo, much less one that was a million dollars.

  “I wish I had room—”

  “I know and I appreciate that you want to help me,” I said.

  Gina rented a townhouse with six other people. They were crammed pretty tight and while I wasn’t averse to having a roommate, having five of them didn’t seem like a good situation. The stories Gina told about her living arrangements made me surprised none of her roommates had killed each other yet.

  “You should come to the firm’s anniversary party with me tomorrow. Free food and booze.” Gina was a paralegal for a law firm in the city. The lawyers covered a variety of fields such as family law and real estate, but their claim to fame was in entertainment and intellectual property law.

  I laughed. “If only that would solve my housing problem.”

  “It could.” She leaned back slightly when Rosco placed her flatbread pizza in front of her. “Thank you, handsome.”

  “My pleasure, Princess.” He winked at her and then gave me my food.

  “How could my going to your firm’s party get me an apartment?” I asked her, getting back to her comment.

  “Because, there are many rich lawyers that work in real estate and housing law. And if they don’t have leads, you could marry one and solve all your problems. Sometimes the celebrity clients show up. Maybe you could marry one of them.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You sound like my mother.” Still, the networking aspect could be a good idea. “Do you really think anyone there would be able to refer me to a place?”

  “Sure.” She took a bite of her pizza. “And if not, at least you’ll have a good time for free.”

  I shook my head at her, but at the same time marveled at her ability to have a good time without spending a dime.

  “I’ll think about it.”

  “You’ll go. Wear that pretty red dress you have. You’ll have several marriage proposals by the end of the night,” Gina said confidently.

  I laughed, so happy to have a good friend like her. She was always positive, which I needed because I didn’t want to have to move outside the city or, heaven forbid, back home. I loved my family, but living with them and commuting to the city would be a nightmare. Especially since they never really got over my leaving the restaurant.

  After lunch, Gina headed back to work and I took the subway back to my apartment. I walked in to all the boxes that were packed and ready to move as soon as I had my new place or was evicted and thrown on the street. The only things that weren’t packed were my baking goods. I eyed one of the larger boxes. I was a small woman; perhaps I could live in it.

  Pushing my housing dilemma aside for now, I took my usual afternoon nap. Thirty minutes later, I woke up refreshed and ready to finish the day. I fired up my laptop to check Internet orders for Sofia’s Sweet Treats, my online baking business. My side business was what allowed me to afford to live alone in a studio in the middle of Manhattan. The only downside was my yum yums were limited to what I could either deliver in person or ship. So it was mostly cookies, bars, cake pops, macarons and other tasty treats.

  Most orders today were for cake pops and one for macarons, which was about par for the course. Two orders paid extra to have customized cake pops, one for a child’s birthday and one for a baby shower. I could make those in my sleep. I’d made so many cake pops for parties back home, including my brother and Vera’s baby shower, and then for their baby, Tony Jr’s first birthday and again for their next son, Frankie’s first birthday. I made them for my friends, all of whom were married and having babies too, including Mary.

  Every time I went home, my mother made a comment about my becoming a spinster. I thought she was nuts. I was only twenty-six. But then I read Persuasion by Jane Austen, and her character, Anne Elliott, was considered to be unmarriageable at twenty-eight. Surely, in the twenty-first century, I had more time.

  I put my red apron with white polka dots on and got to work on the macarons, since they’d need time to sit and dry. I decided to make another two dozen that I could take to Gina and she could share them at the party. Her co-workers would ask about the tastiest macarons they’d ever had, and she’d tell them about my business. Maybe I wouldn’t find an apartment or a husband, but I could find a customer.

  I laughed as I remembered Gina’s comment about a husband. I knew she didn’t mean it. She was like me, a woman who had hopes and dreams to fulfill before settling down with a family. In her case, she wanted to be a lawyer. She was saving money to attend an evening law school starting in the fall. We’d already decided that when she was done, she could be my business lawyer when I expanded and franchised my business. Okay, so maybe I wouldn’t get that big, but it was nice to be with another woman who knew what it was like to come from a small town and a traditional family, but wanted to dream big.

  When my macarons were piped out and sitting to dry, I started on the cake for the cake pops. It made me think of my brother whose birthday was coming soon. I would need to contact my mother to see if she wanted me to make a cake. Usually she did, but if she was feeling surly about my leaving home, she’d say, “I don’t want to bother my busy city daughter with such a small order.” Mothers!

  I wondered if maybe I should call Vera instead. I’d need to know how many people were coming. It was a tradition started by my grandfather, that family celebrations were held at the restaurant. While it was convenient, I think it was more due to the fact that he worked every day. My parents continued that tradition because they too worked every day.

  Over the years, my brother’s parties at the restaurant changed. While he had a few friends from his childhood, most of his new friends were families that had moved into the area to escape the city. Thinking of his childhood friends made me think of Jake Dunne, and with it, the remnants of mortification.

  With the passage of time, I’d seen that even at twenty-one, I was still naïve and sheltered. At least more so than I’d thought at the time. After all, I had been a virgin. But I’d also equated sex with love or at least affection. I understood now that my time with Jake had been a simple hookup. A part of me was angry at him for that, and yet, I remembered clearly how hard I’d pushed him when he’d tried to avoid me at first. Mortification then turned to a sense of female sexual empowerment; I’d seduced Jake Dunne.

  On occasion, I’d think about finding him and apologizing for crashing his interlude with the older lady, but after five years, what were the odds he’d forgotten me? Pretty high. And I didn’t need the added embarrassment of his saying, “We had sex? When?”
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  So, I didn’t find him and instead I put my crush on him in the rearview mirror of life. Sure, he showed up in a few sexy dreams, and on occasion, when I was in the tub and taking care of my own pleasures, but only I knew about that.

  Several hours later, my macarons were baked and filled, my cake pops rolled and dipped, and all were packed in their respective boxes ready for me to send tomorrow on my “lunch” break at nine in the morning.

  I checked my closet for the red dress Gina I suggested I wear. It seemed like I should wear black to a law firm party, but she was right; I looked good in it. Maybe I wouldn’t find a husband, but perhaps I’d find an investor for the bakery I still hoped to open one day.

  2

  Jake

  “Ms. Kincaid will see you now, Mr. Dunne.”

  It was about damn time. I smiled at my mentor’s secretary as I stood and adjusted my coat. “Thank you.” I walked past her to my boss’ office door and opened it.

  “Ah, Jake, come in.” Val Kincaid stood from behind her desk looking like the queen of the world. She was the epitome of the ultra-successful New York woman with sharp angles and lines from the blunt cut of her short salon-created blonde hair, the triangle shape of her face and tailored cut of her skirt and coat. She was smart as hell and the only real ally I had at my law firm since my uncle died two years ago. He’d helped me get the job at Gordon, Wallace and Dunne, and assigned her to help me pass the bar and mentor me to success. And she had, which was why I was in her office now.

  I took a seat on the couch hoping I looked relaxed, even though I was keyed up.

  “I know why you’re here,” she said, offering me a glass of her favorite Kentucky whiskey, then sitting in a chair across from me with her own double shot.

  “Then I don’t have to ask.”

  She sighed. “It’s still a no, Jake. I’m sorry.”

  Fuck. “I don’t get it, Val. I work my ass off. I bring in more business than most of them. I deserve a partnership.”

  “I know, Jake.” She patted her hand in a downward motion my mother used to do when she thought I was getting too riled up. “But there’s nothing I can do. You just need to bide your time.”

  “That’s just wrong. What reason did they give this time?”

  “It’s the same. Too young. Too inexperienced. Oh, and they added unsettled.”

  “Unsettled? What the hell does that mean?”

  She made a ffftt sound. “It’s ridiculous. They worry that, being so young still, you might do something immature or reckless like young men often do.”

  I shook my head, baffled. “Like what? I’m never immature or reckless with the law.”

  “Not the law, in life. You know like you might do something to embarrass the firm at a strip club or something. I don’t know. How do I know how men think?”

  For a moment I could only gape. “When do I have time to be immature and reckless in life? I’m too damn busy bringing in business to this firm.”

  “Jake. I know. You don’t have to get mad at me.”

  I blew out a breath. “I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at those fu—ass—” I downed my drink.

  She laughed at my attempt to control my language. “They are fuckers and assholes. And if you want to know the truth, they’re jealous and power-drunk; that’s why you’re not being made partner.”

  “How’d you do it?” I sagged in the couch as all my anger dissipated into defeat.

  “I was a woman. When I thought they’d given me one hoop too many to jump through, I mentioned something about sexual discrimination. Unfortunately, being a white male, you don’t have that card to play.”

  “I shouldn’t have to play any card. My work should speak for itself. I could get an offer elsewhere and bring all my clients with me.”

  “You could bring some, but not all without getting sued. Even so, you’re right. They’re just being assholes because they resent your uncle bringing you in, and you’re younger, have all your hair, and make them look lazy.”

  I smirked at her attempt at levity. “So they should work harder, not hold me back. I don’t party so that unsettled thing is nuts.”

  “They think a woman gives a man stability, you know, to keep him from doing immature and reckless shit.” She laughed, clearly thinking it was as ridiculous as I did.

  “They’re a bunch of hypocrites. All of them cheat on their wives. What’s stable about that?”

  She shrugged. “You’re preaching to the choir, Jake. I don’t suppose you have any wife prospects?”

  Was she kidding? “When do I have time to see women? I’m always working.”

  She frowned. “This job can suck the life out of you. They’re not wrong that having someone or something outside of the job is important.”

  I laughed derisively. “What do you have?”

  “Well, I have my boxing class where I imagine kicking all the executive partners’ asses and I’ve got Joe on the sixth floor of my building.”

  I lifted a brow.

  “Sort of a friend with benefits. He’s in finance so he can’t have a real life either. When the urge comes, we help each other out.”

  I turned away, not wanting to discuss my mentor’s sex life.

  “So, you don’t have a friend like that?” she asked.

  I made a wanking motion.

  “That works too, but it’s not as fun. Maybe that’s what you need Jake. You need to get laid.”

  “Is this sexual harassment?” I was joking but maybe it would make her stop talking about my sex—or in this case, lack of sex—life.

  She sighed. “The point is, you can’t live your life for the job, Jake. You can’t let those fuckers upstairs dictate your happiness.”

  “What about what’s fair?”

  She laughed and looked at me like I was naïve. “You should know by now that life isn’t fair.”

  “So the fact that I’m about to land George Lipman as a client doesn’t hold as much weight as if I got married, is that what they’re saying?”

  Lipman was a well-known TV producer that had Emmy-nominated shows every year for the last ten years. I’d met him originally through my uncle, who’d been wooing him. When my uncle died, I’d taken over the job, and for the last two years had been developing a relationship with him.

  “If you did both they’d be hard-pressed to deny you.”

  I took a deep breath, set my empty glass on the table and stood. “Thanks for trying. Again.”

  She stood too. “It’s going to happen, Jake. Just not today.”

  I nodded and left her office. I headed to my office stopping by Gina Loretti’s desk.

  “Hey Gina, do you have that research for the Slater case?”

  “Yes, Mr. Dunne.” She handed me a file. “Here’s the draft of the filing for Mrs. Parker too.”

  I took the documents. Gina was the most efficient person at the firm I knew. Like me, she worked hard and had goals. In her case, she was planning on going to law school. I wondered if she was going to need a husband to get a partnership.

  “Thank you.”

  “Mr. Dunne? Will you be going to the office party tonight? Mr. Wallace wants me to give him a count.”

  “Yes, I’ll be there.” See, this was why I never got laid. I was too busy working or sucking up to partners.

  I went into my office, tossed the files on my desk and then went to look out my window. My office wasn’t bad. It was the last concession partners had given me when I pushed them to give me a partnership. But I was tired of being patronized. Sure, my uncle got me the job here, but I’d worked my ass off. I earned everything I had. Everyone knew it including the partners. But Val was right. They were a bunch of small-minded men who felt threatened by my work. Instead of working their asses off, they chose to keep me down. Fuckers.

  I wondered if that married thing was true. I should go out and find a wife just to shove it in their faces. I’d toed the line for nearly six years. Pass the bar, they said. So I did, not only in New York, but
in New Jersey and Connecticut too. Get your own clients. Okay, I got my own clients. Expand your practice field. I went from doing family law to adding intellectual property and business law. Now they said I needed to be married. How hard could that be?

  I shook my head. What the fuck was I thinking? My goal was to secure my financial future and be the best lawyer in the firm. In the city even. Getting married would only jeopardize that. I’d worked on enough divorce cases to know that marriage was costly, not just emotionally but financially as well. I didn’t need to make either of those payments, thank you very much. Nope, marriage was definitely not in my future.

  Pushing my irritation aside, I went to work, dealing with my current clients, and making an appointment to see George Lipman again. If I didn’t make partner after securing the big-name producer, then there was something seriously wrong with the partners of this firm.

  I worked until five-thirty and then I headed to the gym offered by the firm and rowed. Normally I preferred to run outside in the mornings, but I didn’t have time this morning and with the party tonight to celebrate the firm’s thirtieth anniversary, I definitely wouldn’t have time for a workout later.

  When I was done, I showered and then called a cab to take me to my apartment on the upper west side across from Central Park. It wasn’t big, but it was mine. My only debt was this mortgage. Another patronizing act the partners had done was to give me raise when they gave me the office. That raise helped me buy this little gem near the park.

  I was sure the partners thought I was greedy, but my demand for a partnership wasn’t just about money, although I couldn’t deny I liked that. I wanted the recognition and prestige becoming a partner meant. If I could bring a big dog like George Lipman as an associate, imagine what I could do as a partner.

  The party tonight wasn’t black tie, but it was nice. I pulled out a charcoal Brioni suit, pairing it with a pale blue button shirt and a blue, white and gray paisley tie. I combed my short hair back and re-trimmed my stubble. I stood and looked in the mirror.