“Oh, it might have something to do with you buying your wife flowers, wine, and cupcakes every Friday like clockwork.” She smiles widely as she hands me the colorful bouquet and bag with the wine and cupcakes.
“Too predictable?” I cock my head to one side as I hold the bag in one arm.
She shakes her head, still smiling. “Totally romantic. Abby is a lucky woman.”
“I’m the lucky one.”
“I hope someday I find a guy as romantic as you.”
I almost choke on my tongue. Lauder and Hunt would never let me hear the end of it if they were privy to this conversation. “You deserve a guy who will worship the ground you walk on. Never compromise.”
“Those kinds of guys are few and far between.” Her brow puckers, and pain glints in her green eyes. I know that look, and I wonder who broke her heart. “I generally have the worst taste in men. I’m always drawn to the bad boys who promise me the world and leave me clutching my battered heart in fragile hands.”
“Just point them out, and I’ll take care of that for you.”
Her face transforms in an instant, the wide smile returning. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
I’m conscious a line is forming behind me, so I move off.
“Tell Abby I said hi.”
“If you’re going to Pulse later, you can tell her yourself.” We have bumped into Emery a few times at the popular bar in the past. We haven’t been there in a while though, but all the gang is in town for the weekend, and we’re celebrating Jackson’s F1 signing and Charlie’s CEO promotion, so we decided to catch a few drinks after dinner at our place. Abby and Shandra are currently making a mess of my kitchen, no doubt. But I can’t complain, because nothing beats a home-cooked meal and hanging out with my friends on a Friday night.
“I’ll see you there!” Emery says as she waves goodbye.
“Looking hot, Lauder,” my wife calls out as Jackson steps into our living space with Nessa tucked under his arm.
“What am I? Chopped liver?” I holler, narrowing my eyes at Abby.
“You’re a sexy beast, my love, and you know better than to get jealous.” She blows me a kiss. “I’m just saying success agrees with Jackson.”
“My manisfucking hot,” Nessa says, pressing a kiss to the underside of Lauder’s jaw. “And the sexiest Formula 1 driver to ever grace the track.”
“You are so getting laid later.” Lauder grabs his wife’s ass as he slams his lips down on hers.
Hunt rolls his eyes as he walks into the room with Xavier. I exchange a look with my buddy as we cover our ears in a preemptive strike. But Abby’s ear-piercing shriek still penetrates my eardrums as she abandons the stove to race across the room and throw herself at Xavier. She flings her arms around him as he bundles her into a big hug.
“Lucky we’re not the jealous type,” Hunt says, and I snort out a laugh.
“Lucky he’sgay,” I correct because it’s the only reason I’d ever let my wife cling so possessively to any other guy.
Charlie and Demi arrive next, closely followed by Drew. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Shandra glancing at him before she quickly looks away. There was a time I thought they might get together, but after years of an on-and-off-again relationship, they are very firmlyoff.
Shandra is relocating permanently to New York at the end of July to take up a new position with a top-five auditing andmanagement consultancy firm, while Drew will be here running Manning Motors. At least she’ll have Nessa and Jackson for company as our other friends are going back to The Big Apple too. It’s where Lauder’s F1 team is based. Nessa is completing further study, and she’s set to start at Cornell in a couple months. Of course, Rick and Rebecca are in New York too, but both are super busy with their careers, and I doubt our crew will see much of them.
Hunt gravitates to the kitchen to help Shandra and Abby plate up while the rest of us congregate on the patio for drinks. We decided to eat outside tonight because the views of the ocean are stunning from the rear of our property and it’s a balmy night.
“Are Joaquin and Harley coming?” Nessa asks, sipping one of the mocktails her husband rustled up for her and Demi.
I shake my head. “Joaquin is working late, and Harley is taking Hannah to Giorgio’s for dinner.”
“Those two seem hot and heavy,” Charlie says, circling a protective arm around his pregnant wife.
“It’s serious.” Harley met Hannah one month into his freshman year at RU and it was love at first sight. They are both studying architecture, and they literally do everything together. “He asked her to move in, and she agreed.”
Jackson chuckles. “I wonder how long that’ll last when she realizes it’s party central every Saturday.”
“Our brothers have their own wings at the house. I’m sure it’ll be no more than a minor inconvenience.”
