“So he’s not heading out east again?” George asked.
“No. He’s staying in the city. His sisters are moving out of the house in East Hampton this week and going to Palm Springs for a while.”
“What happens to the house?” Freddie asked.
“My aunt handled the rental, so she’s already working on subletting it.” Will nodded to him. “Why, are you interested?”
Freddie’s expression became sardonic. “I said I want to move back east, but not that far east.”
The rest of lunch passed as it usually did, with the three of them talking specifics of the upcoming deal, interesting leads for others. Freddie was still contemplating a move back to the city and complained that the real estate market in lower Manhattan was worse than Malibu. George tried to sell him on the Upper East Side, which inevitably led to discussing his girlfriend Emma’s aversion to moving in with him.
Will listened to it all, trying to ignore the itch in his brain, the thought that kept trying to snag his attention. It wasn’t until they had paid the bill and put Freddie in a car bound for JFK that he figured out a name for it.
Doubt. Yet another feeling Will hadn’t felt in years. But here it was, roaring to life in his chest, making him feel jittery. He thought he’d made the right choice keeping Charlie away from East Hampton. But now it felt more like a mantra to justify a bad decision. One that barely masked his ulterior motive, the one he was only beginning to realize himself: he had needed to escape a Bennet woman, too.
The thought stuck with him as they walked uptown. They reached George’s office first, though Will barely noticed.
“Let me know about that call next week,” George said over his shoulder as he turned toward the entrance.
Will nodded absently.
His friend stopped. “What?”
A moment passed as Will considered. “Can I ask you a question?”
“I’m already concerned.”
Will glared at him, then continued, “Am I overbearing?”
“Ah, so it’s a trick question,” George said with a smile.
“I’m serious.”
The gravity in Will’s voice seemed to settle in then, and his friend’s expression became serious. “I’ve known you since college, Will. I’ve watched you build your company in record time and save your friends from some awful situations while you were at it. You did that by stepping in and taking charge of whatever room you entered. And, yeah, that can be overbearing, but that’s not a negative.”
“No?”
“No. Because you’re always right. It’s one of your worst traits.”
Will was surprised by the smile at the corner of his lips. “Right.”
George chuckled. “Seriously, Will. You always put everybody else first. And, yeah, you might not be smooth about it, but it always comes from a good place. We all know that, including Charlie.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
“So you’re not heading out to the Hamptons again, either?”
Will paused. “Why?”
“I was just wondering what was going on with the house.”
“I told you. Birdie is looking to sublet it.”
“No, your house,” George clarified. “If she’s out there dealing with Charlie’s, I assume she’s still trying to convince you to sell the Montauk house.”
He was right. Birdie was eager to put their family home in Montauk on the market. Years of less-than-subtle hints andover-the-top offers had punctuated almost every conversation with her. Now, with the renovations almost complete, he was sure her efforts would double.
Will sighed. “I’m heading out there next month, so if she mentions it, I’ll let you know.”
