“Brunch.Tomorrow.My place in Manhattan.Bring bagels and the dude who’s been seen with you at the most random events over the last…almost six years, but nobody in the family has asked you about.”
“And you’re not telling Judith.”
“I don’t see why my sister has to know about two cousins having brunch, or why it’s important, but I’m not telling her.”
And as she ended the call, brushed her fingers against a plastic ombré binder and a huge pile of printouts, she felt a little bit better.
At least betterenoughto go back to bed.
Chapter Eight
Friday, May 2nd
There was coffeeand Naomi on the other side of his long nap; he didn’t care what time it was.It was also a Friday, or last he checked.It didn’t matter; he’d given himself time and space to readjust to home and family before making his next moves.
“You busy tomorrow?”
The question felt like it came out of nowhere while Naomi had paced, watching and cleaning as he cooked for her.There had been something on her mind, and he knew, as he plated the eggs, that the best thing wasn’t to ask her what was up, but to let her tell him.
Now that she had, he was curious.“Why?”
She didn’t answer him right away; she poured coffee into mugs and brought them to the table, the smells intermingling in ways that warmed his heart.
“Going to my cousin’s for brunch.Samuel’s going to be there.”
Samuel, one of the members of the poker group, was a good guy, but also a guy who spent more time running his mouth than he should.“Serious business, hm?”
She laughed, and he wondered what was running through her head.“She’s pulling out all the stops.”
He nodded, as he brought the plates to the table, after adding the potatoes that had been frying.“What’s the agenda—hers I mean?”
“In exchange for the contracts that the vendors for the wedding will have to sign…”
“For your new business, right?”
She nodded.“Yes.For now, just for the wedding, but it’s what I’m going to be working with in the future.Anyway, yes.She’s writing me the vendor contracts and giving me her silence.In exchange for all of that, she wants the inside scoop on our relationship, whatever it may be.And whatever she thinks it is.”
Interesting.Very interesting.He knew they were an object of speculation.But the kind of words he wanted weren’t from Ash or his brother or anybody else but her.
He asked, “Our relationship is that much of a hot commodity?”
“You didn’t realize my entire family thinks we’re dating?”
“Really?”
She shook her head.“Yeah.They discuss it constantly when I’m not around.And deliberatelydon’tdiscuss it when I’m around.”
He had suspicions; he was also confronted by people who deliberately did not discuss the fact she was the only woman he’d brought anywhere near him in social and professional settings without an explanation.
But all he said was: “Interesting.”
“As if interesting is…what?Good or bad?”
He sat down and watched as she took the chair next to him.“We’re a topic of discussion, if notthetopic of discussion in family group chats everywhere.I think that’s something to consider.You know.In terms of making moves.”
“I have no idea where you’re going with this,” she said as she took a sip of coffee.“But why should we consider their opinions?”
“Well,” he said after thinking for a moment.It was important that he not mess this up.“So, they talk about us; they focus on us.Think we’re dating.”
