Ben nods, “Yeah, with Janie. Went to Palm Springs first, then LA, not sure where else. I think they mentioned wine country.”
I smile wider than I have in days.
“What’s with the creepy face?” He asks me.
“She did it.”
He throws his napkin in my face, “Yeah, she left and what if she never comes back? What if you lost her forever?”
“I haven’t.”
He narrows his eyes, “You sound like your old self now.”
I cock my head, “A man can only change so much. I want her, I’ll go get her. Whenever she’s decided who she is and what she wants.”
“What aboutwhoshe wants! What if she falls in love in the bloody palm trees and gets engaged to a surfer.”
“Nah, unfortunately for her, she has a type.” He raises his eyebrows, waiting. I open my hands, “Rich, adventurous wankers.”
He chuckles and rolls his eyes. “Brilliant, what about smug?” I wave him off but he goes on, “Grumpy and long in the tooth?”
“I’m not that old—”
“Bit of a munter,”
“Munter! I was on People’s sexiest man alive list a few years back, asshole.”
“Gangly.”
I push my chair back, “Let’s go up a floor and see who can bench press moreright bloody now!”
He puts his hand up and laughs, and I can’t help but join him. Our food arrives so we pause, then thank the server. Then he glares at me and points his fork, “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Me too.”
“Damn it, Aiden you’re supposed to say,” he makes his voice gruff,“Of course I know what I’m doing I’m a Vanderwell, you wanker.”
“Sorry! Bill my therapist.”
“I will! I hear he’s good for it!”
We laugh again and eat our food and drink our whiskey. We mostly talk about his annoyingly perfect marriage. At one point we call his brothers just to remind them what big ugly knobs they are.
Lovely evening, really.
Ben stands to leave first, since he’s taking a chopper to meet Janie somewhere nearby. “I’ve got it,” I say.
“You do know my family estate is worth a good deal more than yours these days.”
“Tell me it wouldn’t feel totally and completely wrong for you to pay.”
He winces. “Yeah, would be a bit weird, wouldn’t it?”
“Get out of here,” I reply.
He gives me a small salute goodbye, then says, “You know Janie’s been posting their travels on Instagram, should you get bored.” He winks and walks away.
Instagram.
