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Declan steps aside, answering for him when he catches sight of my flip-flops, “Believe me, he doesn’t.”
“Get in the car, dammit.” He swats at me when I shove him into the back, and Javier snickers as he takes the driver’s seat.
“Be straight up. Do you think she’ll like this?” I ask my friend, tugging at the bottom edges of my shorts once we’re seated.
He flashes an arrogant grin. “Is someone feeling vulnerable?”
“I’m being serious, dickhead.”
“You’re asking me if the woman who refuses to wear shoes and shops exclusively at stores just like that one will like your bargain-brand outfit?” He pats my knee before relaxing back in his seat. “Probably not. But hey, at least you tried.”
“It gets tiring calling you an asshole all the time.”
Declan offers me a wink. “What do you mean? This is our love language.”
True enough.
My fingers drum on my knees when Javier pulls onto the main road that leads to the eastside apartments.
“You’re really nervous about this, aren’t you?” Declan asks.
Fuck yes, I’m nervous. Penelope doesn’t know I’m coming to pick her up, but I’ve been planning this whole thing since we left the group home on Saturday.
“I just want tonight to be perfect.”
Ida is setting up dinner in a private cove near Honey Hollow tonight, and a lot of strategic planning has gone into the surprise I’ve got waiting for Penelope.
She’s never cared about grand gestures or material possessions. She craves action, not pretty promises or empty words, and that’s exactly why I’ve decided to speak with my father about the future of Seaside.
Declan’s genuine for once in his life when he says, “It will be.”
“Dad should be calling any minute. Once I get that out of the way, it’s smooth sailing.”
He pops the top of the candy container with Pen’s cinnamon chews and funnels a handful into his mouth. “Good fucking luck.”
When I told Declan my ideas this morning, he was cautiously optimistic, but supportive. We both know what a hardass my father can be.
My phone vibrates in my back pocket. “Right on time.”
I get more nervous each time he calls, and hiding from him has become an agonizing feat. As it stands, he holds the key to my future with Summit Estates. It’s too new of a business to survive without his funding, and I’ve been paranoid that if he finds out about Penelope, or even that I’ve been sneaking off to Honey Hollow, he’ll strip me of ownership completely.
But my conversation with Pen yesterday was like a cattle prod to the ass.
It’s time to make some CEO moves.
My palms sweat as I raise the phone to my face. “Hey, Dad.”
He squints, bringing his screen closer. “What the hell are you wearing, son?”
Fuck.
I shift in my seat, scrambling for an excuse for my attire. “Oh, this? It’s nothing. Just fucking around with Declan.”
Across from me, my friend waggles his brows, and I flip him off behind the screen.
“I see. Is that what you were doing Saturday when you weren’t at the office?”
My pulse flatlines for half a second before recycling. I haven’t heard from him much since we saw him at the market. “I took the day off.”
