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Her brother’s grin was rueful. “He’s right, sis. It’s like pre-cell phone tower days when you go south. We hardly hear from you at all until you visit.”
She grimaced. Was he right? She called, didn’t she?
“I didn’t mean for it to be like that. I’m just busy,” she said after she processed that. Trying to remember the last time she called Aidan was too hard, which was proof in their favor.
“But that’s my point,” James slotted in silkily. “Busy doing what?”
“Marketing,” she rebutted, clucking her tongue. “I picked up an athletic clothing company last week. The account’s going to be incredible by the time we’re done with it.”
“That your biggest catch?” James asked, but there was no sarcasm in his tone. Nothing that said, ‘is that all?’ Still, she reacted like it was.
“No. I’ve hauled in three more accounts these last six months. I managed to hook them because of some slogans I crafted for them. I’ve brought in contracts worth thirty million alone this past eighteen months,” Hailey announced.
“Well done, sis, that’s awesome.” Aidan’s pride was evident. “I always knew that smart mouth of yours would get you far.”
She smiled at her brother but shot James an irritated look because she was certain she’d heard him make a faint moan at her brother’s unfortunate choice of words.
Smart mouth in a dirty mind took on a whole other meaning.
Deciding that changing the subject was imperative, she ruefully slotted in, “I’m putting weight on. I’m getting too used to eating at places like these. The company always insists I wine and dine my new clients in upscale restaurants.”
“And yet, you don’t look like you’ve gained an ounce of weight.” James’ words weren’t as bland as Hailey assumed he’d intended. His gaze traveled over ever visible inch of her until she was squirming in her seat.
“What are you doing checking out Hailey?” Aidan teased, nudging James in the side.
James grinned. “I’ve got eyes, bro. And, it would seem, she hasn’t.”
Aidan being Aidan—somehow as smart as Einstein and dumber than a Eugenics textbook—failed to pick up on that. Instead, he looked her up and down and declared, “He’s right. You look skinnier if anything.”
Hailey grimaced. “I gained weight over the summer, but I’ve shifted a few pounds recently.”
Stress, misery, and tension had a habit of biting into one’s appetite.
Not that she could say that. Not with him at the table.
Damn him for noticing, anyway.
“Why? You’re slender enough as it is.”
“James, shut up, would you?” she spat through gritted teeth. “Women always diet. It’s what we do, unfortunately, to please men.”
James frowned. “That boyfriend of yours better not have told you you were fat or something.”
She sighed. “I never said that, did I?”
“No, but the implication was there, Hailey. What’s going on?” Aidan demanded as he pushed his knife and fork onto the plate, having finished his huge steak and enormous side of swanky, rosemary salt-shaken fries.
“Nothing’s wrong, and nothing’s going on, Aidan. Stop looking for trouble where there is none. I’ve been working hard, that’s all. You know how it is when you’re feeling stressed.”
“You work too hard.”
She snorted. “You can talk.”
Aidan grinned. “I like what I do. It’s fun for me. I don’t find it at all stressful.”
“Well, what I do is fun for me too.”
James slithered in like a snake with his gambit, “But Aidan’s love of his job isn’t affecting his appetite.” He shot the large, empty, platter that Aidan had pushed away moments before and wryly stated, “As you can see, he eats for two.”
