PRESENT DAY
ASHER
On Friday night, I stepped into the lobby of the Ritz Carlton, searching for Kelsey.
Since she was never late, I pulled out my phone.
Before I could call, a flurry of messages crossed my screen from a newly formed group chat.
The Brooks Wedding
Hey everyone! We’re so glad you’ve agreed to be in our wedding!
We’ve scheduled early tux and dress fittings for next week, so stay tuned for times.
We’re leaning toward early April for the official date(s), and…
We’re thinking TWO FULL WEEKS in Punta Cana instead of just one! (Yes, we’re still covering everything.)
I started to respond, but Kelsey was suddenly standing in front of me, her eyes wide as saucers.
“I didn’t know you were capable of being late,” I said. “Why does it look like you just saw a ghost?”
“It wasa ghoul.” She lowered her voice, handing me a folder. “Our latest referral is giving me dangerous vibes, and I can’t stand to be around him for another second.”
“So, why didn’t you just tell me to cancel tonight’s meeting with him?”
“Because I think it’d be best if you had the final call on helping Mr. Cutler. I’ll go with whatever you decide.”
“I trust your judgment ninety-nine percent of the time, Kelsey.”
“Exactly,” she said, stepping back. “He falls into the ‘point one percent,’ so find me outside whenever you’re done.”
Intrigued, I flipped open the folder.
From her research notes, Miles Cutler was our typical client.
Late thirties, long-term relationship with a few red flags he wished he’d noticed sooner, too scared to commit, but didn’t know how to end things.
“Kelsey, I don’t see anything problematic or—” I looked up and realized she was long gone.
Okay, then… I tucked the folder under my arm and walked into the attached bar.
Miles was sitting in the corner, sipping from a tiny silver shot glass.
With a straw.
Chalking it up to him being nervous, I strolled over and extended my hand.
“Mr. Cutler?” I asked. “I’m Asher Brooks.”
“Nice to meet you.” He shook my hand. “Very nice to finally meet you.”
I took a seat and gestured toward his drink. “You know you’re supposed to just knock shots back in one go, right?”
“I like to sip and savor a very small amount of alcohol,” he said. “It makes me feel like I’m not cheating on my Alcoholics Anonymous Group.”
“Right… Remind me, who referred you to me again?”
