I decided that holing up in my office was best for all concerned and spent the morning reviewing the résumés we’dreceived for personal security positions. By noon, I’d narrowed the field down to five viable candidates. We had enough business for all five, but Michael would have to do thorough background checks, and Marco would want to interview them in person before we made final decisions.
I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my eyes. It was a good time for lunch. Maybe I’d feel better after eating something. I’d just gotten my jacket on when Michael opened the door and poked his head in. “Hey, Tony. I was about to ask you to go to lunch with me.”
My brother’s invitation immediately lifted my mood. “Sure. How about that Irish pub up the street?”
“Sounds good,” he replied. “Let me get my coat.”
The walk to the pub was short, and the weather was noticeably warmer than it had been the previous week. The place was crowded, but the host found us a table near the back of the restaurant.
After the server took our drink orders, Michael leaned forward and asked, “What’s wrong?”
I stiffened. “What do you mean?”
Michael rolled his eyes. “Don’t give me that. Liz told me your only conversation this morning was a grunt and the order to hold your calls.”
I sighed. I should have known he’d hear about it. Liz was a mother hen. “I was just having a bad morning,” I grumbled.
“Is it Marco’s engagement?” he asked.
There was no accusation in his tone, but that didn’t mean I didn’t feel guilty. “I’m happy for Marco. I really am.” I shook my head. “I’m just frustrated. I thought by now I’d have someone to build a family with. All I’ve gotten so far are guys who want me to be their sugar daddy or a guy who’s great, but only wants hookups.”
“You mean Greg?” Michael asked.
“Yeah.”
“Maybe you should break it off before you get too deep.”
We stopped speaking when the server came back with our drinks and took our food order. I took a healthy swig of my beer before responding to my brother. “I thought about it all morning. In between looking at résumés for personal bodyguards.”
“And?” he prompted.
“I don’t know. On the one hand, I like him. I like spending time with him. We have fun. We seem to have a lot to talk about. Last night, he invited me to go to an Off-Broadway show with him.”
“That sounds a lot like a date,” Michael said in confusion.
“Tell me about it,” I groused. “But he made sure I knew it wasn’t a date. We split dinner and our drinks afterward.” I blew out a frustrated breath. “I took him back to my place, and we had great sex.” I drank some more of my beer. “He left as soon as we were done.”
He nodded. “He’s pretty serious about there being no strings.”
“Yeah.”
“So what do you want to do?”
I shook my head. “I still haven’t decided.”
The server brought our food, and we spent a few minutes quietly eating. Finally, Michael said, “Let’s talk it through.”
“Okay.”
He counted off on his fingers. “You like spending time with him, and he seems to enjoy your company as well, although I’m not sure why.”
I flipped him off. “Ha-ha.”
He snickered. “Apparently, the sex is good.”
“Definitely.”
“But,” he said, holding up his other hand, “you’re looking for a long-term relationship, and he’s not.”
