Page 117 of Bound To Be Mine

“Nervous?” I asked.

“Not about marrying her. Just about everything else. The ceremony, the reception, making sure it’s perfect for her.” He looked at me. “Which reminds me, thank you for convincing Mandy to take it on. Bernadette’s been so much more relaxed since we met with her.”

“Mandy’s good at what she does,” I said.

“She is.” Sebastian studied me for a moment. “How are things going with you two?”

“Good. Complicated, but good.”

“Complicated how?” Dash asked.

I took a drink, considering how much to say. “The distance is harder than I expected. We keep trying to talk, but our schedules never line up. Time zones suck. And I miss her. More than I probably should after only a few weeks.”

“You love her,” Sebastian said. It wasn’t a question.

“Yeah. I do.”

“So what are you going to do about it?” Sebastian asked.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said,” I told Adrian. “About the LA office. About being out there to coordinate the expansion.”

Adrian set down his drink. “And?”

“And I think I want to do it. I’ve spent the last few days delegating my workload, clearing my schedule. I’m trying to carve out some time to go visit her first, make sure we’re on the same page. But if she’s open to it? Yeah. I want to move to LA.”

“Holy shit,” Dash said. “You’re serious.”

“I’m serious.”

“Briggs Blackwell, the most New York person I know, is moving to California.” Dash shook his head in disbelief. “I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Neither did I,” I admitted. “But here we are.”

“We’ll cover whatever you need,” Adrian said. “You focus on getting out there and talking to her.”

“Same,” Sebastian added. “I can take on some of your client meetings if you need me to.”

“I appreciate that.”

“Look at you,” Dash said, grinning. “Having a heart. Being in love. It’s almost like you’re a real person now.”

“Fuck off.”

“No, seriously. I’m proud of you. You’ve been wound so tight for so long, I was starting to worry you’d forgotten how to be human.” He raised his glass. “To Briggs. May he finally learn to relax and be happy.”

“To Briggs,” Sebastian and Adrian echoed.

I clinked glasses with them. This was good. This was right.

“So when are you going?” Dash asked.

“Hopefully next week. I’m still working out the details, but I think I can get away for four or five days.”

“Make it a week,” Adrian said. “You’ve earned it. And honestly, you need it. You’ve been carrying too much for too long.”

“A week,” I repeated, testing the words. When was the last time I’d taken a full week off? I couldn’t remember.

“A week,” Adrian confirmed. “Go be with your wife. Figure out your future. We’ve got things covered here.”