"I didn’t invite you."
"You never invited me. That’s never stopped me before." He looked around the penthouse. "You need more furniture."
"I have sufficient furniture."
"You have a couch, a chair, and a kitchen that looks like it’s never been used."
"It’s been used."
"Boiling water for tea doesn’t count as using a kitchen, Jace."
I sat in the chair opposite him. "Why are you here?"
Miles straightened slightly, like he’d been waiting for that exact moment. "The Miami Gaming Awards," he said, shifting into business mode. "This weekend. Hunter Interactive is nominated for three categories, including Best RPG. You need to be there."
"No," I replied immediately.
"You didn’t even think about it," he countered, brows lifting.
"I don’t need to think about it," I said. "A crowded auditorium, five hundred people, shared seating, communal surfaces. No."
"Jace…" Miles started, softer now.
"I said no."
"You’ve been saying no for five years. Five years I’ve gone up on that stage and accepted awards on your behalf. Five years of standing behind a podium saying ‘unfortunately Mr. Hunter couldn’t be here tonight’ while everyone in the room knows exactly why you’re not there."
"Then they understand."
"They don’t understand. They speculate. And speculation is worse." He leaned forward. "These are your games. Your success. Not mine. I’m the PR guy. You should be the one standing on that stage."
"Are you done?"
Miles exhaled. "For now."
"Good. And don’t get Mom involved. I know how you operate. One sad phone call from her and you think I’ll fold. I’m not going. Full stop."
"Ugh." Miles dropped his head back against the couch. "You’re impossible."
"Speaking of which." He grinned. "How did the Meridian meeting go?"
"Productive. The co-production framework is…"
"I’m not asking about the framework, Jace. I’m asking about your car ride with Anna. And whatever that was this morning."
"Whatever what was?"
"In her office. When you interrupted me and Anna talking. You looked at my hand like I’d committed a felony."
"I looked at your hand because you were holding my assistant’s hand during work hours. That’s inappropriate."
"I kissed the back of her hand. It was chivalrous."
"It was unnecessary."
"You changed the meeting assignment. You were supposed to take me and instead you took her."
"The meeting required different skill sets."
