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14: Selene
Things are quiet for a while after the conference in Denver. I’m busy acting as go-between for the marketing department and the sales managers, as well as keeping the dev team on track. I fall into a routine of meeting with Ronan over dinner more nights than not. Unless I have a time-sensitive issue, it’s easier to wait and go over everything at once. I try not to think about what Kylie said about office dating. We’ve simply found an efficient way to work together, and if that means we enjoy each other’s company while we eat several nights a week, there’s no harm in that.
Friday night, we finish up our meeting, and some very good Italian food. I’m anxious to get home. Sunday is my birthday, so tonight Braxton, Kylie, and I are meeting up with a bunch of friends for drinks.
I close my laptop and grab my phone. “Thanks for dinner. Again. I’m going to head out.”
“Do you have plans tonight?” Ronan asks.
I pause, suddenly wondering if I should invite him. “I do. It’s my birthday on Sunday, so I’m meeting some friends for drinks tonight. It’s just a casual thing, and the place is a little bit of a dive. But … you could meet us there, if you want.”
He lifts an eyebrow and his dimple puckers. “You want me to come out for drinks with you tonight?”
“It’s a group thing,” I say.
“Sounds kinky, but I’d like to keep you to myself,” he says with a wink.
I roll my eyes and stand. “Well, if you want to come, we’ll be at the Phinney Tavern around nine.”
“Is it really your birthday?” he asks. “How did I not know that?”
“Why would you know my birth date?” I ask. “And yes, it really is. On Sunday, anyway.”
He smiles, sending tingles down my spine. “I’ll be there.”
***
I keep glancing toward the front door, wondering if Ronan is really coming. The bar is busy, and most of our group is a few drinks in and feeling no pain. Originally I wanted to throw us a big party at my place—I love throwing parties—but our birthday kind of sneaked up on me this year. In the end, I decided it would be simpler just to go out, rather than try to plan something last minute.
Braxton has Kylie in a booth near the back, and I wonder how long they’ll end up staying. He’s always touchy with her, but tonight he hasn’t kept his hands off her. His mouth, either. He leans in close, and it looks like they’re talking, then he touches his fingers to her chin and kisses her. I’d be grossed out—he is my brother—but I’m kind of awestruck when I see them like this.
He loves her so much it makes my breath catch. He was never this way with any of the women he dated in the past. I wonder what it must have been like for him, being friends with Kylie for so long, watching her date other men. It must have been awful. Granted, he wasn’t exactly sleeping alone all those years. But seeing them now, I’m both incredibly happy for them, and wishing I was lucky enough to find both a best friend and a lover in the same person.
A hand on the small of my back startles me and I turn to find Ronan smiling at me. He’s dressed in a dark jacket over his button-down and slacks, and his hair has that slightly unruly look that makes him so intriguing. From the corner of my eye, I notice quite a few other women watching him. I’m hit with a little spark of jealousy, and a very strange sense of satisfaction at our no dating other people pact.
“Happy birthday,” he says.
He’s standing so close I feel like I can’t quite breathe.
“Thanks.”
He looks around, like he’s taking in the scene. “This is a nice place. When you said it was kind of a dive, I had a different image in mind.”
“Dive isn’t really the word,” I say. “It’s mostly just casual.”
“You didn’t think I’d like casual,” he says. “You still think I’m a snob.”
“No, I don’t think you’re a snob,” I say. “I just wasn’t sure if this is your kind of place.”
He laughs a little. “That’s kind of the same thing. But it’s your birthday, so I’ll forgive you.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small box tied with a gold ribbon. “Here, I got you something.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know. It’s just a small thing.” He holds it out to me.
I take the box and untie the ribbon. I lift the lid and find a thin silver chain with an infinity symbol in the center. “This is beautiful.”
He steps a little closer and lowers his voice. “You told me you lost your parents. But they’re never truly gone. They’ll always be a part of you. Forever.”
