Eight years my junior, she’s always seemed so young, but it’s obvious she’s not a little girl anymore. Fuck, I need to keep a close eye on this firecracker.
“We waited almost two hours!” She punches my arm with her little fist, then shakes it in pain.
“Really?” I ask, checking my wristwatch, unfazed by her attempt to physically harm me.
Shit, I didn’t realise.
“You’re too absorbed in this job, darling,” Mum says, giving me a hug next. “We won’t let you ditch our special tradition for work.”
“You’ve weaselled your way out of too many of them. We hardly see you anymore!” Dad says, ruffling my hair the way he’s done since I was a child. He’s the only person I know who makes me feel short. “Your sister is in a leadership role as well, and she has a life outside of it, right, Silvia? She’s even taking an entire year off for the baby.”
“I know, and I’m thrilled for her. Such a privilege to be able to do that,” I say, and leave it there. It’s not something that everyone can do. With the time I need to spend in the office, I’d make a terrible partner and father.
The thought comes out of the blue and hits me in the gut.
That’s not how I’ve thought about it before. What I meant to think was that I’d rather focus on my work. Wouldn’t I? Although … a certain someone has pulled at my attention lately, and I’ve not missed the late-night emails.
“Hi,” Rey squeaks from behind me, and I’m shaken back to the present.
“Everyone, this is Rey.” I gesture to her, and she steps closer. “Rey’s one of our concept artists. I was on my way out and saw she was working late and completely lost track of time.”
“I’ll leave you to it,” Rey says with a smile, and flings her purse over her shoulder.
“Please stay, darling,” Mum chirps. “We brought food from the restaurant. There’s too much.”
“Oh, I?—”
“Stay,” I say. “You must be hungry from working so late. And you won’t win an argument with Kate Becker. Trust me.”
Rey gives me a sheepish smile. “Okay, thank you. I’m starving, actually.” She puts a hand to her stomach, and I’m hit by a wave of anger at my company for letting her work late and not providing food. I need to correct that.
“Hey, man, happy birthday,” my brother, James, says and pulls me into a hug. “Don’t you dare ‘lose track of time’ onmybirthday,” he adds.
“Of course not. The big thirty,” I say, slapping his back. “What have you got planned?”
“Nothing different. I just really want us all together. I want to play Becktionary and beat your arse.”
Ten minutes later, we’re all gathered in the bright breakout area; a loud, weird group of people spread out on the vast pink couch around a low coffee table filled with take-away containers.
Before digging into my food, I hang my jacket on a chair and roll my sleeves up. It takes a lot of willpower not to look at Rey as I do so, because I can sense her eyes on me.
Do I have to roll my sleeves up?
No, but I’ve noticed she appreciates my arms, and I relish any attention she gives me that’s beyond our boss-employee status. It reminds me of how she could look at me if she knew the truth.
When I finally let my gaze find hers, she looks away, and I hide a smirk.
“Can someone tell me what Becktionary is?” Rey asks through a mouthful of bread and labneh, and I wish I knew what she’d been thinking before that. “I’ve heard it mentioned a couple of times now.”
“No,” I say and stare James down before he can talk.
“Come on,” Fern says. “Don’t be such a downer.”
“Excuse me?” I say and glance at Rey, who’s obviouslypretending not to listen to our sibling bickering while taking a long sip of her water.
“Becktionary is a game that Dad invented with Mark and Violet when they were little,” Fern says, holding my gaze in spite before turning to Rey. “It’s a mix of Trivial Pursuit, Articulate, and Pictionary. Sounds nerdy.”
“Itisnerdy, Fern,” Silvia interjects. “Because we’re a bunch of nerds.”
