"I was debugging code.”
"The couch has a you-shaped dent."He pulls up another slide."Look, I get it.Breakups suck.But at least something good came from it.The modifications we made based on the Cascade View data?Game-changing."
I stare at the screen showing system improvements, each one tied to something that went wrong at Sage's inn.
The smooth jazz incident led to better audio controls.
Buttercup's escape artistry inspired enhanced pet-friendly protocols.
Even the shower disaster prompted better emergency response integration.
Every success reminds me of her.
"I'm heading to The Summit," I announce, standing abruptly.
"It's almost nine."
"They're open until midnight."
"Luke—"
"I need a drink, Kenji.One drink.I'll even order a car so Daniella doesn't stage an intervention."
He looks like he wants to argue, but something in my expression stops him."Fine.But maybe try talking to your friends instead of your whiskey?"
"My friends are all disgustingly happy in their relationships," I mutter, grabbing my jacket."I need someone who understands that love is a construct designed to make smart people do stupid things."
"That's the spirit," Kenji says dryly."Very healthy."
Twenty minutes later, I'm at The Summit, grateful for once that the bar is nearly empty.
November weeknights aren't exactly peak socializing time for Seattle's elite, which suits me fine.
The last thing I need is?—
"Sterling.Fancy seeing you here."
I turn to find Killian Greer at the bar, looking like a magazine ad for expensive depression.
His suit is impeccable, his whiskey is neat, and his expression suggests he's been exactly where I am mentally.
"Greer," I nod, taking the stool beside him."Drinking alone on a Wednesday.That's either celebration or catastrophe."
He raises his glass."Anniversary."
"Of?"
"Would have been twenty-one years today."He takes a sip."Instead, it's eight months since the papers were signed."
“Fuck.I’m sorry.”
"Don't be.Fiona's much happier with husband number two.They're in Cabo right now.She posted photos."He pulls out his phone, shows me a picture of a woman who looks professionally happy on a beach."That's him.My former CFO."
I wince."That's..."
"Predictable?"He signals for another round."The wife falling for the business partner?Tale as old as time."
The bartender brings my usual without asking, and I realize I've become a regular at a billionaire's bar.
