He frowns.“It’s my name on the door.”
“Are you the one scoring the points too?”I joke.
He doesn’t smile.
“Everyone in this building serves at my discretion.When they no longer suit me, they will be removed.I don’t want us to be in that position.Do you understand?”
His words have the effect of a bucket of ice water over my head.
I square my shoulders and look him in the eye.
“Yes.Yes, I think I do.”
I’m starting to get the feeling this gala isn’t even about the team—it’s about him.
Mari looks up from the stove where she’s cooking.“Pass me the parmesan.”
I hand her the grated cheese, and she tosses a bunch in, then some more.
“I thought dairy caused problems?”I ask, surprised.
“Honestly, I’ve been craving it lately.”
“James was such a prick,” I say, waving my half-full glass of wine.
“Harlan doesn’t much like him either,” she admits.
“I figured.But I expected you to say something like, ‘Money makes the world go 'round, Nova.’”
She cocks her head, reaching for her own wine.“I don’t sound like that.”
“You do a little.”
Her eyes roll, and I find a smile.
“James is bored and trying to make his mark somewhere.His family made headlines for their business acumen, and he wants to see his name in the papers too.”
“I didn’t leak the photos.You don’t think James did it himself?”
“No.The fact that these got out without him knowing pissed him off, but probably more was the fact his name wasn’t mentioned once.”
“Then someone else must’ve done it, probably as a prank.”
When Mari asked me over for dinner, I jumped at it.
“I do have good news," I say."This gallery owner in New York wants to have an exhibition of my art.”
“Really?!”
“Mhmm.I wasn’t sure if I was going to take it, but with the way James is talking, I need to start figuring out my next steps.”
“You never liked an ultimatum.When we were six or seven, you were running around naked, and Mom and Dad told you to put your clothes on for dinner or you could swim in the lake the entire time we were gone and we’d pick you up after.You dove back in without a second glance.”
“It backfired.Even though there was a lifeguard, Mom went to get hot dogs, and all of you had to stay at the beach and eat on a blanket.”
“It was fun,” she says, grinning.“What made you stop being that girl?”
“A lot of things.”I take a big gulp of wine.“Mom and Dad dying.You always making the right moves.I started to feel like I wasn’t helping things by going my own direction.So, I tried to go with the flow instead of making waves.”
