Chapter Nineteen
Weston
Why is this not working?I stare at the computer, unable to figure out why my code is throwing an error. My eyes feel incredibly heavy, and as the clock nears seven, I start to wonder if I’m going to be stuck here until midnight.
Please don’t let that happen.
It’s not that I have anything else to do, though. So if I have to stay and work, it’d really have no impact on my life. I sigh, then run my fingers through my hair, wincing at the tangles in my dark locks. My phone, which is sitting a few inches away from the keyboard, vibrates against the desk. The sound is jarring, and I startle, jumping sideways in my desk chair.
I guess that goes to show how often itdoesn’tgo off.
Instead of swooping in and picking it up, though, I just lean over, squinting down at the notification. I frown.
You’re invited to The Single’s Event at Mako Gallery!
Instantly, a groan slips from my lips. I used to see the invitations and get a little more excited about them. But now? Now I totally understand how Parker used to feel when I would drag him to these. Well, and also…
My letters from Brittany arewaybetter than any singles event.
And I know that’s bad. Iknowit is. She’s off-limits in every way, other than what we’re doing right now. And eventhatmight get me in trouble.
Yikes.
But it’s still one of the best experiences I’ve had in a long time, and I feel like slowly but surely, we’re getting closer. My eyes drift over to the calendar hanging over my desk, and I note that it’s been about ten days since I sent her the Saint Patrick’s Day letter. I smile thinking about it, then am startled again as a heavy set of knuckles thud against the doorway of my office.
“What the heck?” I spin around, not expecting anyone else to still be here.
Parker folds his arms across his chest, completely unfazed by the fact he scared the daylights out of me. “Let’s talk about your birthday. It’s coming up in just a few weeks.”
Right. My birthday. It’ll mark thirty-one years of … this.
“What about it?” I’m careful about my question, because, one, Parker never talks about birthdays, he just always plans some sort of dinner around the time of it. And two, reread number one. The wordbirthdayis not something that comes out of his mouth.
“I feel like we should celebrate it,” Parker begins, strolling into my office and pulling out the spare chair. “We don’t do enough of that stuff—I realized that recently.”
“You mean…” I huff. “Amy has changed your mind about avoiding all things happy and celebratory.”
“That’s valid, yes.” Parker chuckles, leaning his elbow against the arm of the chair. “I think we should throw you a birthday party this year. Amy loves to host things, so maybe we could do it at my place?”
I mull it over for a minute, trying to think of what a birthday party would even look like. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’ve been to them as an adult, but I can’t, for the life of me, imagineParkerhosting a party, for me, at his penthouse.
“I know it’s not our usual, but I thought it could be fun,” Parker explains. “I’m thinking I could invite Brittany too. I’m trying to get closer to her, but now that she’s back to her regular life in her new apartment, it’s been a lot harder to see her.”
“Yes, because heaven forbid you justaskher out to lunch. She lives in the same city as you, Parker. She’s in Manhattan, not Timbuctoo.” I ignore the little pang of excitement in my chest.Would she even come to my birthday party?
He glares at me. “Well, it might as well be Timbuctoo. I never go over there.”
“But you could,” I point out, trying to pull my mind away from the blonde pen pal I’ve grown attached to. “So, you’re pretty much just making excuses.”
“Yeah, okay.” He shakes his head at me, leaning back in the chair. “I get your point, but that doesn’t change your birthday party. We’re going to have it, and Amy wants to organize it. She’s stopping by this evening to talk to you about what you might want.”
“Like a theme? Like Superheroes or something?”
Parker makes a face. “I don’t think that’s something you do as an adult.”
“Wouldn’t know.” I hum, giving him a smirk. “I’ve never had a birthday party thrown for me as an adult before, just these weird secret dinners that seem to landrighton my birthday.”
He grumbles something incoherent under his breath, then lifts himself to his feet. “You know I was discreet. I didn’t want to remind you that you were getting old. That wouldn’t have been very generous.”
