Meredith slapped the futon to get my attention and mouthed, “Say yes,” at me, over and over. I frowned at her and turned away.
“You don’t have to be a member,” he replied. “Lessons giveyou access for the session and thirty minutes on the courts afterward.”
“Huh,” I said as I ran depressing calculations in my head. “How much is a lesson?”
“Private lessons come in four-packs, for six hundred.”
“Dollars?” I squeaked out before I could stop myself.
Owen chuckled, and it sounded almost like he was embarrassed. “Yeah, sorry. I don’t set the price.”
“That’s a little out of reach for me,” I admitted. “But thanks anyway. I really appreciate the offer.”
“What if I give you the injured-friend discount? Ten percent off.”
He sounded so hopeful that I wanted to say yes, and not just because of his Kai proximity.
“That’s kind of you, but I just can’t swing it right now,” I said. “I wish I could.”
“Got it, no problem,” he replied affably. “But my offer stands if anything changes on your end.”
“I appreciate it. Thanks again for everything.”
“Yeah, thanks from me as well,” Meredith shouted from the couch.
Owen chuckled. “I heard that. No problem, tell her I said heal fast. And you take care, Brooke.”
He hung up before I could say anything else.
“Well, that was super nice of him to check in personally, but I don’t think it was all for me,” Meredith said with a teasing lilt in her voice.
“Itwasnice.” I ignored her subtext as I settled back in front of my laptop.
“So how much are lessons?” she asked.
“Way too much.”
“Private lessons with me at Harmony are one twenty-five per hour,” she offered.
“It’s more,” I said as I tried to refocus on the last paragraph I’d written about a visit from Austin’s veterinarian ex-girlfriend.
“Hmm,” Meredith said as she reached for her phone. “I mean, private instruction ofanykind in Manhattan is pricey. Wanna learn how to roll sushi? Teach your kid violin? Arrange flowers? Pay up.”
“Remind me again why I live here?” I grumbled as I cupped my chin in my hand and stared at my blinking cursor.
“Because you love everything about this city.”
It was true; I did. Even the relentlessness of summer, which perfumed the air with hot garbage.
A few seconds later, a text pinged through, which reminded me that I needed to silence my phone. I reached over and tipped it with one finger so I could see who it was from, because picking it up fully would lure me into scrolling.
I turned around and asked Meredith, “Why are you texting me when I’m right here?”
“Read it.”
I clicked on the link in the message. “What?You bought me the lessons? I can’t accept this!”
She Cheshire cat grinned at me. “I said yes for you.”
