“Fine,” he shot back immediately, almost in challenge. “Let me know when it’s done.”
That old, easy playfulness crept back in between us with no regards for the history hanging over our heads like a storm cloud. It just slipped back into place so naturally, it almost hurt, but a moment later, there was a knock on the door and Alex popped his head back in.
“Are we about ready to sign yet?” he asked. “I have a lunch date with my wife and if I miss it, Jane will kill me.”
I glanced at Zach to find him already looking back at me, and something quiet passed between us before he turned back to Alex and nodded. “Yeah, we’re ready.”
And just like that, Zach and I were getting married.
At some point, anyway.
CHAPTER 21
ZACH
Taking time off felt a little illegal. I sat on the edge of my bed with my laptop open and my calendar pulled up, staring at the two-week gap I’d just carved out, and I couldn’t actually believe what I was looking at.
Two whole weeks ofnothing. No meetings or deals to close. No contracts, negotiations, or clients to pursue. There were a few one-on-ones with acquisition clients I couldn’t move, so I would have to come back for those, but that hardly counted.
Frankly, it seemed impossible that my calendar was as empty as it was. I hadn’t seen it like this since a week before I’d started working at W&S. Every single one of my brothers also seemed to have silently agreed not to question the break I’d scheduled, which was more unsettling than if they’d just told me how crazy it was.
Instead, Nate had just nodded. Jesse had been annoyingly supportive of the idea and Alex had simply said, “We’ll cover what needs covering. Enjoy it.”
With my calendar now cleared though, it was official. For the first time in my adult life, I would be away from the office for more than just a few days. I closed the laptop and turned back tothe suitcase on my bed. At the moment, it contained only three shirts and a running watch I hadn’t charged yet.
This is going well.
“Wow,” Theo said from the doorway. “You’re actually doing it.”
I didn’t look up. “I said I was going to, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, but I didn’t think you’d go through with it. Hang on. I need to grab my phone to take a picture. This is a historic moment.”
“Me packing a bag?”
“You taking time off,” he said. “Voluntarily. For more than twelve hours to come home, sleep, and eat before you head back in.”
“It’s two weeks,” I muttered.
He let out a low whistle. “Suddenly, documenting the moment for prosperity doesn’t seem like enough. Maybe I should alert the media.”
I grabbed another shirt and folded it. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”
“I do,” he said. “Right here. Watching history unfold.”
“You should really get a hobby.”
“Thisismy hobby.”
I shook my head and turned back to the suitcase, swiping up the watch so I wouldn’t forget to charge it. Meanwhile, Theo pushed off the doorframe and walked into my room. “So, I guess this means congratulations are in order. You’re engaged.”
“There hasn’t been an engagement,” I said. “Just a signing of the contracts. That means very little to me.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Dude, in our world, those contracts donotmean very little. You’re getting married.”
“Eventually,” I said. “Maybe, but she can still back out at any time.”
“So can you.” He dropped onto the other side of the mattress and leaned back against my headboard. “Do you think you will?”
