“What the hell is your problem?” My closest friend raises a brow. “I just asked you to be my best man. This isn’t the reaction I was hoping for.”
I listened to Brant talk about his pending wedding and potential move to Chicago less than two hours ago. It means I need to break in yet another new partner. I don’t know if I have it in me.
I was on my way home from work when Julian called and asked me to stop by his apartment. I expected Maya to be here, but she’s having dinner with Matilda.
I was about to tell Julian that I’d trade places with Maya in a heartbeat and then he threw the best man pitch my way.
He’s been engaged to Maya for more than a year. I half-expected the two of them to elope at some point given how busy they both are. Maya’s devoted herself full-time to real estate and Julian heads up his family’s hotel chain.
“What about Griffin?” I ask because I know Julian must have considered our mutual close friend, Griffin Kent, as a contender to stand next to him when he takes his vows.
“You haven’t talked to him?” Julian eyes me from where he’s sitting in an armchair.
I shake my head. “Not recently. The last time was two weeks ago.”
Griffin’s engaged too. It’s a running joke that I’m the guy no one wants. My best friends are clueless to the fact that I’m not about to ask a woman to make the unique sacrifices that are expected when you’re married to a member of the NYPD.
“His caseload has been brutal.” Julian scrubs the back of his neck with his hand. “I thought he’d find some time between court dates to squeeze in a quick call to you.”
Griffin’s a divorce attorney. His job was his life too until he met his fiancée, Piper Ellis.
“You two are obviously keeping secrets from me.” I cast him a look. “Am I not part of the club anymore?”
He laughs. “Griffin’s got a favor to ask you too.”
“A favor?” I blink. “What favor?”
“A once in a lifetime favor.” He glances down at his watch. “All I can say is you’re the best man we know.”
“For fuck’s sake.” I laugh. “You’re not saying that he’s going to ask me to be his best man too, are you? What the hell is this? What if I say no to you both?”
“You won’t.” Julian tugs his cell from his pants pocket. “You’ll say yes to us both.”
“You’re right.” I move to stand. “I hope I get a discount on multiple tuxedo rentals.”
He eyes the screen of his phone. “Maya wants us to join her and Tilly for dinner at Axel Tribeca? Are you hungry?”
I ate pizza at the station before I left work, but I’m not about to turn down an invitation to see my roommate outside of our apartment. “Count me in.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Tilly
“You almost had sex with a murderer?”Maya doesn’t even try and keep her voice at an acceptable level. Thankfully, no one seated near us seems to be paying attention to our conversation.
“No,” I correct her. “I said that I was considering having sex with a man who I found out was once a potential witness in an attempted homicide investigation.”
“Now you’re splitting hairs.”
I shrug. “What? How is that splitting hairs? He didn’t kill anyone, Maya. He may have been in the room when someone died, but that… never mind. It doesn’t matter. I saw the light and kicked him out.”
“You didn’t see the light, Tilly.” She takes a sip of her iced water. “Sebastian saved the day. You told me he walked in just in the nick of time.”
I swear my sister has selective hearing when it comes to me.
When I met her at this restaurant thirty minutes ago, the first words out of her mouth were about Sebastian. She wanted toknow everything that’s happened between the two of us since I got back from San Francisco.
I skipped right past seeing him naked to the night he walked in to find Donald sitting on the sofa waiting to take me out to dinner.
