“It’s not just any birthday, brother.”Dex raises his glass.“This is big.”
Rio clinks glasses with him.I reluctantly touch my glass to theirs.
“Look, guys, can you just … just lay off this, please?”I beg.I’m finally at a great place in my life, and I want to be left alone to enjoy it.
“Why are you so reluctant?”Dex thunders.
“Why are you so desperate for me to do something?”I toss back.
Before Dex can push further, Enzo appears beside us, and I immediately relax.
“This isn’t where you usually hang out,” I say, giving him a quizzical look.I’m starting to worry that Jett will show up next, then Matteo.I’ll have walked straight into a complete fucking ambush.
Enzo claps me on the shoulder.“I overheard them.Thought you could do with the support.”Then, to the others, “Ease up.He’s not one of your projects.”
Dex raises his hands in exasperation.“We’re celebrating.”
“You’re interrogating,” Enzo corrects, then looks back at me.“How are things at Stella?”
Stella?That’s something I can talk about.“Good,” I say.“Actually, very good.”
Enzo nods, satisfied.“Told you.”
“Told him what?”Rio pipes up, looking from Enzo to me.“What are you two planning?”
“Who says we’re planning anything?”I wink at Enzo.
Dex swirls his whiskey around.“Tell me, how are things with the housekeeper’s daughter?”
“Her name is Maya,” I growl, jaw tight.I remind myself that these two just want to rile me up, probably hoping to wear down my resistance and get me to do something on my birthday.I take a slow and measured sip of my gin martini.“She’s excellent at her job.”Better to say something than stay silent, because that would only raise their suspicion.
“I have yet to meet this woman,” Rio states.“I’ve heard good things about her.”
He and Dex exchange a look and my gut hardens.I hope Dex hasn’t been running his mouth.The thought of him saying anything dismissive about Maya sparks something hot and prickly in me.I’d punch him without hesitation if he did.
Dex leans in, conspiratorial.“You still keeping quiet about it?”
I don’t respond, because my mind blanks.How do you keep something like this a secret?How do you put words around what we have?Around the terrifying, exhilarating truth that I want her in my life, and I’m afraid to even imagine where that might lead.
Enzo steps in smoothly, like he always does.Quiet and observant.A calm counterweight to the rest of us.He has an innate gift for defusing moments without taking sides and he gently reminds us that not everything needs to be picked apart.
“Why don’t you gossip columnists leave him alone?He’s got enough on his plate.Although,” he adds casually, “a birthday celebration might not be a bad idea.”He looks at me, trying to gauge how his suggestion lands.
I’m vehemently against it.“I don’t want a party, or anything like that,” I push back.With this new situation between me and Maya, I don’t want to push anything on her, and I don’t know enough about her thoughts to gauge how she might feel about this.
“The old man won’t be around,” Rio says.“He’s abroad on business.We could all have an awesome time.Think about it.”
His words get my attention.
Dad’s not going to be around?This changes things.It makes everything simpler.
“Where’s he going?”I ask, casually.It’s not so much where he’s going that I’m intrigued about, but for how long.
Rio shrugs.“Europe.Asia.Somewhere he can command people from a boardroom.”
“He’s going to South Africa,” Dex says tightly.
“South Africa.Huh?”Hell, if he’s going all the way there then he’ll probably be gone a while.The tightness in my chest loosens.Of all the people I’m not ready to reveal a thing to, as far as Maya is concerned, it’s my father.I wish it weren’t like that, but we’re not a normally functioning family.Things would have been so different if Mom had been around.I love my father, despite all his faults, but even I know to keep my private life separate from him.
