I spot him talking toGriffinanimatedly near the boxing ring, a smile on his face and the remote flying around in his hand. It’s only when his eyes meet mine that he freezes.
Grayson doesn’t get the chance to take a step forward before I tackle him to the ground, hearing the deep laughter of our friend who’s dealt with our shenanigans over the years.
“Nate and Grayson, always up to no good.”Griffinshakes his head, heading in the other direction.
I rip the remote from my best friend’s hand and click the power button. Two women dressed in their nicest blouses appear on the screen, sitting around a large circular table and acting more interested than they should be in whatever they’re discussing.
My name, along with its crazy headline, rolls across the bottom, and I groan at the absurdity of it all. Somehow, they’ve landed onNate Archer Inspects Fiancée’s Mouth With Tongue During Engagement Party—Did He Miss His Calling as a Dentist?
Whoever came up with that one needs to be arrested for unhinged creativity. There were more important things in the world to report on. Not to mention, if they looked closely, they’d see there was no tongue in that kiss.
“Nate Archer has been the face of more than one controversy lately. From the spark at his firm’s most anticipated exposition to his association with a woman significantly more naive than he is. But do you know what I find to be the most fascinating?”
Pink Blouse takes a dramatic pause, glancing at White Blouse, who waits for an answer like they haven’t rehearsed this.
“The emergence of Crawford Aerospace following Nate’s most recent failures.”
Grayson stiffens under my arm, and my mind goes blank as I hear the name I haven’t heard in a little under a decade.
I turn the volume up a notch, needing to know what it is they’re saying about the man I once considered a friend.
“At a press conference earlier this week, Carter Crawford, CEO of Crawford Aerospace, announced they were coming out with a major advancement in the development of theirelectric airplanes—allegedly capable of exceeding the speed of sound. They have high hopes to have them approved by the FAA for commercial use in the next few months, something that he says, and I quote, ‘will not be sparking a significant amount of energyorcontroversy,’” Pink Blouse continues.
“Impossible,” Grayson mutters.
“What a great dig at Nate Archer, and I will say, very clever on his part,” White Blouse butts in.
“I could not agree more. Engineers around the world are calling this the greatest invention of the century, claiming that no advancements like this have been made before.”
Their lips move and move, spewing more information I don’t want to hear, but I hold on, hoping there’s something to look forward to.
“It’s worth noting that airlines are working toward a shift to renewable energy, which is why I'm wondering whether this would make Crawford Aerospace a contender for the SkyWay Airlines electric plane deal?”
“So far, there have been no comments from their CEO, Everett—”
The TV cuts off before the woman finishes her sentence. Only this time, I’m the source behind it. Not Grayson. Not the power outage.Me.
The last thing I want to hear is another second of their bullshit, or the name of the man I’m trying to get in contact with.
Carter motherfucking Crawford, on the other hand? He has no reason to speak of me that way, especially after all the grace I’ve given him.
I get off the ground, narrowing my eyes at Grayson. “Come on.” I put my hand out for him, nodding in the direction of the boxing ring. “We’re going again.”
My best friend’s eyes grow wide, his life literally flashing before them, but I couldn’t care less—I need to release my frustrations somehow.
CHAPTER 12
VIVIENNE
Another call straight to voicemail.
My lips purse as I look up at the golden, cursive lettering stretched across the shopfront.
La Brioche.
It's this charming little French bakery that recently opened. And with all the rave reviews it’s been getting, I’ve been dying to check it out.
The only things that have held me back for what feels like months now are lab work(naturally)and finances(unsurprisingly). At up to twelve dollars a pastry, the idea of splurging for a moment of sweet indulgence didn’t sit right with me.
