I pull my mouth into the perfect grin and nod. “Sure, Hunter. Very nice to meet you all.” I find myself doing an inexplicable little bow before I back away from the table.
I head back to Charlotte, defeated and humiliated. Who the hell were those guys? And why am I so unhinged?
“I need a drink,” I say.
“I thought you might. I just ordered us both tequilas since my secondhand embarrassment is so strong I want to be unalive right now.”
“‘Angry people are not always wise,’” I say on a sigh. “Austen was right.” I clamp my hand over my mouth. I want to take back every syllable. “Charlotte, I’ve lost my goddamned mind.”
She nods like I just told her I have athlete’s foot. She’s all sympathy and understanding but doesn’t want to get too close.
“Am I becoming my mother?” I ask. I basically morphed into Elizabeth Bennet back there. Without the fine eyes. I think my mom must have passed it down in her DNA or something.
Charlotte gives a shrug that’s too close to “maybe” for my comfort.
“I’ve got to stop accosting people in public spaces. And when I saypeople, I mean Hunter. From now on, I vow to only scream at him in private. And,” I add at Charlotte’s cutting look, “rather than scream, I’m going to tone it down to a whisper-shout.”
“I’d say that’s real growth.” She tips her head to the side. “From your starting point. But it’s probably not your final destination. You could consider that he’s having as hard a time as you finding a place. Maybe he dodged your texts because ... well, first off, there’s so many of them, and secondly, because maybe he doesn’t want to disappoint you.”
I think back to Hunter, drunk at the engagement party. “I don’t think Hunter gives a rat’s ass about disappointing me. But that doesn’t mean I can scream at him in public.”
“For no other reason than it doesn’t seem to have any effect apart from ...”
“My own humiliation?” I suggest.
Charlotte holds up one of the shots that’s just been placed in front of us. “If the shoe fits ...”
Chapter Six
Hunter
I slide into the booth at Gardinier, my favorite Midtown restaurant, and allow myself to relax for the first time in a week. Lunch with Ed will be good. I’m going to lay my cards on the table. I’m going to tell him I’m pissed that he canceled only days before the meeting with FMCH. I’m going to say that I don’t mind picking up the slack for him while he’s busy with wedding stuff, but I can’t do it forever. It’s unsustainable. I feel like I’m a step away from losing my mind at any moment of the day. If he thinks getting married means this is how things are going to stay, then he better speak now or forever hold his peace. Because if things don’t change, I’m out. We need to close down Portis Investments, and I’ll go and get myself a job. The alternative is, I lose my mind and Portis goes belly up. I won’t let either of those things happen.
But at least I haven’t totally lost my mind. Not yet. That honor goes to the absolutely unhinged sister of the bride.
I can’t be sure, but I think Lucy called me “sir” in front of FMCH last night. I don’t know if she was trying to be polite, but she seemed like she was being all uptight. Victorian, almost. Like maybe she was having some kind of ... episode or something. Had she tracked me down at the bar? No, I haven’t answered her messages, but I’ve been busy trying to do Ed’s job on top of mine. Is she stalking me? I justsaw her outside Stranger than Fiction. And then in the bar? I’ve never run into her before, and now twice in one week. It doesn’t make sense. I know we work in offices next door to each other, but there are too many coincidences for my liking. Does Ed know the family he’s marrying into? Maybe Katherine’s the same as Lucy, but she hides it better.
I might mention it to Ed. I’ll just add it to my long list of uncomfortable conversations to have with my best friend.
I watch the door, cell in hand, half expecting Ed to cancel and cite a wedding emergency as an excuse. When I see him walk through the double doors, I exhale in relief.
He didn’t cancel.
I’m overthinking.
He’s still my best friend and business partner.
And then I see Katherine come through the door behind him, followed by my nemesis of the week: Lucy.
Perfect. This was meant to be a relaxed lunch between two friends to talk about business, not another opportunity to discuss-celebrate-mark Ed and Katherine’s wedding.
Ed greets me, all smiles. “Katherine came down with me and was meeting Lucy for lunch. It made sense to make it a foursome.”
Made sense to whom? Someone who doesn’t know Lucy?
“I do have some things I need to talk to you about regarding Portis,” I say.
“Sure. We can talk business, can’t we, babe?” he asks Katherine.
