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In the end, she came to me for advice. She didn’t even think she was going to get any investment assistance out of it, definitely not without condition. She came here because of something awful that happened to her and wanting to do something about it. It was purely a business from her perspective, and that’s how it was going to stay.
The spark of attraction and chemistry between us was something that just happened. It didn’t need to define the rest of our interactions with each other. I would do what I was meant to do, which was handle her Investment portfolio for her. I would work hard, and if there was a pang in my heart when I saw her name… well, I just didn’t have time to worry about that.
I pushed myself so deep into working on Bryn’s investments, I didn’t even realize how much time had passed. By the time I looked up, I had already missed lunch. Putting everything aside, I headed for the kitchen to assuage my growling stomach. When I got there, I found Peter standing at the refrigerator, staring into it.
I watched him for a few seconds, and he didn’t move. He just kept staring like he thought something he wanted to eat would spontaneously appear.
“Worked through regular lunchtime, too?” I finally asked, walking the rest of the way into the kitchen.
The younger man startled slightly and looked over at me. It took him a second to process what I’d asked him, but then he nodded. “Yeah. This one client kept me on the phone for three hours. I tried to convince him to just come into the office to meet with me because it would be easier for both of us, but he wouldn’t do it. Said he was too busy and needed to maximize his time.”
I chuckled. “You’ll get a lot of that.”
“But I’m pretty sure I heard bowling in the background,” he said.
“That’s better than when you can hear them golfing. Keeps things interesting,” I said.
He looked back into the refrigerator. “I wish I had enough money that I could think of going golfing as being too busy to meet with an investor.”
I didn’t want to break his heart by telling him I had the money his clients did and had never in my adult life been golfing. Something told me he wouldn’t count the kind with the brightly colored balls and animals on the holes.
He let out a sigh as he took out a container of takeout and closed the refrigerator door.
“You know, if we were at my family’s compound, this whole place would be full of food,” I said.
He looked at me quizzically. “Compound? Are you part of a cult? I’m sorry. Is that offensive? Are you part of a cooperative community based on shared principles and sheer terror of the outside world?”
I laughed at the earnest expression on his face. “Not that kind of compound. We don’t live there. It’s where the family business is run. We own Freeman Racing.”
“I didn’t realize you were from that Freeman family,” he said. “I figured the whole family was involved in that.”
“Yep. That’s me. The black sheep of the Freemans,” I said with a laugh. “My three brothers stayed to work with the company, but I wanted to do something else.”
“Your family owns a motorcycle racing company and you left for the high-thrills world of investing? Yeah, I can totally see that,” Peter said.
“I’ve heard that a lot. But that was what I wanted. And I’m happy with it. I like that I have my own career, my own business. And I’m still involved with the family company. I help with the races and whatever else they need me for,” I said.
“It didn’t upset your parents that you didn’t want to stay?” he asked.
“No,” I said, pulling my own food out of the refrigerator and bringing it to the microwave to warm up. “They wanted me to go my own way if that’s what made me happy.”
“Sounds like you’re close,” Peter said.
I nodded. “We are. All of us. We still get together at least once a week for dinner. It used to be just the six of us, but my brothers have families now.”
“All of them?”
“Yes. Quentin and his wife, Merry, have a baby girl. Darren and his wife, Kelly, have a little girl and are expecting their second baby. Vince is actually with my best friend, Lindsey. They’re raising her son, and I’m pretty sure they’re having a baby of their own soon. I’m the only one left,” I said.
“And I’m sure you don’t ever hear a word about that,” he said.
“Of course not,” I said with a laugh. “My parents are totally fine with that. Actually, I think my father probably is. He doesn’t really push about things like that. He always says he just wants us to be happy. Which, now that I think about it, is probably his way of telling me I need to find a woman.”
