ChapterEleven
What If
I had to wait until Liam was back at his dad’s tohold the meeting.
I sensed it wasn’t going to go well when my sister struttedin, eyes on me, asking, “So, you’re talking to me again?”
But it was Toni, who was stretched out on my couch with amartini in her hand, who answered.
“She might be, but I’m not.Everyone knows, it’s sistersbefore misters.”
“Spend two seconds with that man when he’s with his son andget back to me,” she retorted.
Toni rolled her eyes and sipped her drink, after which shemumbled, “Whatever.”
“Not whatever.I did the right thing!”Lena cried.
I cut in.“We’re not here to talk about that.”
“So I’m not here to hear your apology?”Lena asked me.“ThenI’m out.”
“Lena, please sit down,” I requested.
“I lied to you, babe, but you also lied to me,” shedeclared.
“Yes, I did.I had my reasons.You had your reasons.Iforgive you.If you forgive me, we can move past this and you can help mefigure out how to win Darius back.”
Lena’s eyes went huge.
Toni took her legs from the couch and sat up.Such was herhaste in doing this, she sloshed martini on her blouse.And such was herabsorption in what I just said, she didn’t go for one of the cute cocktailnapkins I’d laid out to dab at the wet.
“Say what?”Toni asked.
“Pour me a martini.”Lena was snapping at Toni.“I gottacatch up.”
Toni’s chin went into her neck.“When did I become yourbartender?”
“The pitcher is right there.”Lena pointed to the glassmartini pitcher that was resting in a bucket of ice and the empty glass I’d setout for Lena with two fat olives on the silver toothpick with its kick-buttswirly end already set into it.All of this was sitting on the coffee tableright in front of Toni.
Yes.
Seriously.
Darius had set me and Liam up.
I had fancy silver toothpicks for my drinks.
And a sophisticated martini pitcher and ice bucket.
And no, I hadn’t blinked before buying either of them.
“Holy hell,I’llpour your damned drink,” Imuttered, moving to do that.
Lena sunk into an armchair and accepted the glass I pouredwith a loaded, “Thank you,” and a side eye to Toni.
“Please, you two, let’s get along while I use you to hashall of this out,” I begged.
“You’re going to try to get him back?”Toni asked.
