One day, Baz’s opinion would matter.Today, Aya’s decision to “keep Erika on our side because it’s dumb to go behind her back on a case this public” was final.The implication that he had only been entrusted with the case under certain, easier conditions stung.
Bzzz bzzz bzzz.
Eevee’s photo popped up on his screen.Fuck.He had been meaning to call her back, but so much had happened in the last twenty-four hours.He shot Aya a pleading look.
“You have two minutes,” she said and stepped out of his office.Baz turned toward the windows and watched the buildings reaching for the crisp blue sky as he pressed the green icon.
“Hey, Eve.”
“Finally!I’ve been calling you all night.”
Baz’s chest tightened.Yeah, he deserved that.Though, technically, he hadn’t broken his promise to come by after work, given that he hadn’t clocked out yet.
“I’m sorry.I got thishugecase yesterday, and I never went home and… Sorry.”
“I know.Nothing gets between you and your work.”Her sigh was loaded with something Baz’s brain didn’t have the capacity to question.“Are you free to talk now?”
“Actually, I need to go to a meeting.But I’ll call you later, okay?”
“Baz.”
What was he supposed to do, stop time?Quit his job to make small talk with his sister?They could celebrate after he had convinced Erika he was still the best person for the job.
“Later.I promise.”
“Yeah.You really need to learn to take breaks, you know that?”
Big words from someone who had been working a minimum of two jobs since her junior year in high school.Neither of them was experienced in taking breaks.
“I know,” he said anyway and checked his watch.Thirty seconds left of that two-minute deadline.
“I still got your sandwich from yesterday.You better get over here today before it gets soggy and disgusting.”
Baz smiled.As if Joel the Master Chef would ever let him eat a day-old sandwich, but message received.“Thank you.I promise we’ll talk.”
“We better.Love you, you workaholic.”
“You too.”
He hung up.The moment he turned, Aya started walking toward the stairs.He jogged to catch up with her.
Aya looked him up and down.“Okay?”
“I got bribed with one of Joel’s sandwiches to come visit.”
“Wish I got bribed with sandwiches.”
“Find yourself in-laws who can cook.”
Apparently, her ex-husband had been a real disappointment in that matter and Aya, despite insisting she made excellent koshari, had expressed her hatred for cooking on multiple occasions.However, being an only child, and with her many cousins scattered across Egypt, and, really, the entire world, she couldn’t outsource that task to family like Baz did.
“Can I just adopt your sister instead?”
“Sure.If you adopt me too.”
About time they had a parental figure of actual worth in their lives.
“Eh.”She scoffed as if that caveat was the deal-breaker.
