"But you know something else I like to eat," I whispered in her ear. Her face went beet-red, and I grinned.
"Tonight?" she asked, her voice cracking a little.
"Rain check, unfortunately. I have a meeting tonight. It’s a family thing."
Speaking of painful family memories. I had a dinner scheduled with my older brother.
* * *
Owen was waitingat the bar when I arrived later on that evening.
"Are we drinking our dinner tonight?" I asked him as I sat down. He raised his glass in greeting.
"How are the Svenssons treating you?" I asked him. His firm and Svensson Investment were collaborating on some projects.
"Can't complain," he said.
"Of course you can't, Mr. Bitcoin billionaire extraordinaire," I said.
Owen looked angrily at his drink. "Belle is the one who made it happen," he said. "I hate Christmas."
"Tell me about it," I said as I signaled to the bartender to bring me whatever my brother was drinking.
"Have you talked to her?" I asked him.
"Nope. I think she hates us."
"Can you blame her?"
We were silent. Belle had left right after Thanksgiving two years ago. My brothers and I kept thinking she would come back, but she never did. Then she sent out that email saying she didn't want anything to do with us, that she was tired of enabling Mom and Dad to have the perfect family, and that she was done with us forever.
"Have you written her?" Owen asked me.
I shook my head. "I figure she didn't want to hear from me after that email she sent. Belle will come find us if she wants to talk."
"If," Owen emphasized. "She talks to the youngest two."
"Not often, though, it sounds like," I said. We were silent for a moment.
"Friend of yours?" Own said, jerking his head towards the large window at the front of the bar. A Santa stood on the sidewalk, watching us.
"Maybe," I grimaced. "I've been paying a homeless Santa to be my security guard. It's just because—"
Owen held up a hand to cut me off. "I don't even want to know. So why did you want to meet?" he asked. "Wait, let me guess: it's that tower."
"I'm not asking for money, I just need the Svenssons to give me more time," I pleaded. "Or maybe you can at least help me find tenants."
"You know, Jack, sometimes you have to let things go. You're always so emotional."
"I'm not emotional," I argued.
"Yes, you are. You have an emotional connection to that tower."
"I spent a lot of time on it—"
"And it didn't pay out," he said, "so you need to walk away. That's what Belle did."
"Please, I just… Maybe you could buy a condo there?"
