He pulled the phone from his pants pocket, only to see it was Naomi Nachman on the line.He’d been wanting to pick Naomi Nachman’s beautiful brain for years.Now he was going to do just that…as long as he had the opportunity.Conversations about the status he didn’t want to have in the family business or his brother’s future plans for it would have to wait.“No,” he said and walked into the closest room, which was the bathroom, before closing the door.“Hello?”
“Jason.Naomi Nachman…”
“Right.”Playing it cool had never been his strong suit, but he was doing it now.And he’d offered to help her with the bat mitzvah her cousin was sharing with…his best friend.He’d say Asher was the closest thing he had to a brother, but that opened multiple cans of worms that he didn’t want to deal with.So best friend was it.“Your cousin, my best friend…”
“Best friend?”
She seemed surprised; something must have gone on.But asking about his best friend and his love life wasn’t on his agenda.Talking to Naomi was.But more importantly, she had to be aware of who he was friends with.“Asher.”
And then the pause.“Oh.”
That was interesting.“Are you observing some kind of code?”
“I don’t know,” she said with a laugh.“What did you think I was calling about?”
“I wasn’t sure,” he replied.And then he decided to be honest—a very rare choice on his part.“Could be a bunch of things.”
And that was what cued the sigh.“I’m calling about the party, and whether you think it’s a good idea to…”
“Pull favors to try and convince Abe to cater?”
“That amounts to it.Would he do it?”she asked.
Jason paused, settled down on the tile floor of his brother’s bathroom.Some of the information he had was private, some was public knowledge.“Thing about Abe,” he finally said, “is that he’s learning he’s better off on smaller stages.I think, at least.I don’t know for sure.I don’t know him well enough to make that deduction.”
“Makes sense,” Naomi said.“He would have opened the restaurant a few months ago if he was going to.I mean restaurants aren’t a permanent thing, but like…”
Jason nodded even though Naomi couldn’t see him.He loved seeing up close and personal how her mind worked.And as the conversation continued, there was a knock that didn’t sound like a polite investigation into whether someone was in the room.This was something else.The kind of something else he had to answer.
And that meant he’d have to kill Steven.
But Naomi didn’t need to listen to him yelling at his brother about how he wanted nothing to do with his brother’s grand plan to take Greenblatt’s into its next era.
All he said was, “Siblings.Gotta go.”
She laughed.“You love them, you’re proud of them when they succeed, you know you can count on them when you’re in trouble, but they’re capable of making you feel the most guilt…”
Jason was so, so lucky she got it.“And,” Jason said with a laugh, “they have the worst timing ever.”He paused.“I’ll keep you posted on who says what.”
“Thank you,” she said.“I look forward to it.”
And as he ended the call, he found himself amazed that the conversation between them was so easy.He also looked forward to the next conversation they would have.
Chapter Two
Five years and four months later
Naomi Nachman hadbecome the closest friend he had; the one he trusted to let off steam over dinner, movies, anything that he could figure out.The one who understood his ridiculous schedule and didn’tneedanything from him except his friendship.
But right now, over a gorgeous cheese fondue, he’d managed to get himself together and ask for her advice.“So,” he said.“Honestly.”
“Yes?”She lay against her sofa, arms crossed.The signs she was ready to spring up and dive into the food he’d made were clear in her expression.“What?”
“What is it you think I need?”
Which was the question of the hour.The minute, actually.He’d been reaching for something for the past few months, and he wasn’t sure what it was.And now, in the seconds he waited for her answer, he was scared he was going to find out.
“Time,” she said.“And you’re not taking it.”
