“So I’m not invited?” The sparkle left his eyes.
Jordan couldn’t stand it. “Yes, you are.” She’d become fond of this guy. Shutting him out of their talk would be an icky way to end the day. “But considering the topic, I wanted to have the same number of women as men, so?—”
“You need Claudie, then. I’ll get her.” Rio took out his phone. “She’s good at hashing things out. What time?”
“Let’s say three-fifteen.”
“Got it.” He sent the text and seconds later his phone chimed with a reply. “She’ll be there. What’s the topic?”
“Luis and me.”
“Hot damn. I have so much to say about that.”
“Well, let’s go stand in Desiree’s line,” Cole said, “and you can tell me some of those things while we’re waiting. We can do a little pre-discussion brainstorming.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
As Cole passed by her, he leaned in close. “Thanks for saving my sorry ass.”
“No worries. This might be better, anyway.”
After they left, Luis stood looking at her, his hands in his pockets.
“What?”
“I know why you included Rio, which was kind of you. It’s also logical to bring in another one of my sisters, but why would having more people in my family make it better? That’s four Bridgers and two Sterlings. Not very balanced.”
“I’m more interested in balancing the male viewpoint with the female one than the number of family members. Having more members of your family doesn’t bother me. In fact, I like it.”
“Why?”
“Because I do want to keep in touch with them. I’m hoping that they’ll want to keep in touch with me even if you and I aren’t together. The more they know about me and the reasons behind my choices, the better.”
“I can’t argue with that. I want to know all about you.”
“Then it’s a good thing my brother showed up, because nobody knows me better than he does.”
“And vice-versa?”
“If you’d asked me yesterday, I would have said yes. But something’s going on with him and I don’t know what he’s thinking.”
“Is it possible something’s going on with you and he wouldn’t know what you’re thinking?”
“I doubt it. I’m still the same person I was the last time we got together.”
“No, you’re not.”
“How can you say that?”
“Because you’re not the same person you were yesterday.”
She had no comeback. He was right.
“Neither am I, querida,” he said softly. “Neither am I.”
Chapter Thirty-One
They’d finally made it inside the large fiction room created by knocking down the wall that used to separate two smaller rooms. Rance’s table was near the front window and Desiree’s was in the back. Her line of fans hid her from view but Andy was visible at his post nearby.
