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“Well, Andy,” he said, “I guess it’s time we thought about getting you home.”
“Aw, really?” whined Andrea. “But I’ve just met your sister. He’s told me all about you,” she added.
“Has he now?” I said, looking at Sam and grinning evilly. I was enjoying turning the thumbscrews on my bigger brother.
“Anyway, it was super nice to meet you,” she said cheerily and leaned in to kiss me on the cheek. The scent of her perfume was intoxicating, and the fumes practically made me feel light-headed. “Sammy, don’t you worry about driving me back when I’ve had a long flight. I’ve called an Uber. Nighty night, y’all!”
After Andrea had gone, I sat motionless at the table. Sam came back in from the hallway.
“What?” he said, a little defensively.
“Nothing,” I replied. “Sammy.”
He pointed a finger at me ominously. “This is exactly why I don’t ever introduce you to anyone.”
“You sure it’s not because of the age gaps?” I replied. I’d kind of always known my brother had a thing for older women. Actually, meeting one of them has finally confirmed my suspicions.
“It’s not like that!” he said. “Besides,” he added stuffily, “she’s not a lot older than me.”
While Sam made his excuses, I’d held up my hand in the shape of a sock puppet and began to mime along with him as he spoke. It was an old childhood joke of ours that had somehow gone on into our adult life.
“STOP THAT!” he wailed and threw a kitchen towel at me. I caught it in my sock-puppet hand and giggled. “Relax, Sam,” I said, in between peals of laughter. “I think she’s really nice. And I think you have good taste.”
“Okay. Hey, look, at leastoneof us is seeing someone at the moment.”
I smirked. Sam still had no idea that Jake and I had been seeing each other, obviously. And I wasn’t about to tell him. But now seemed like as good a time as any to bring it up and test the murky waters. I had no idea how he was going to take it when he found out that I was carrying his billionaire best friend’s baby!
“How do you know I’m not seeing anyone? I could be having an affair right now, and you wouldn’t know.”
“Gross. I don’t wanna think about that. Besides, who would it be with.”
I pushed my tongue into my cheek and folded my arms.Here goes nothing.
“What if I were going out with someone we both know? Someone from work?”
“Like who?” scoffed Sam. “Old Jim Jennings?”
“No, silly,” I responded. “Maybe … Jake? Jake Ryder?” I phrased it like a joke, but secretly I was seeing what Sam’s reaction would be like.
There was a pause.
Then, slowly, Sam began to laugh.
“No way,” he said. “I wouldn’t believe you. No freakin’ way.”
“Why not?” I asked. “Don’t think I could pull it off with a billionaire?”Shows how much you know, Sam.
“If I found out that Jake Ryder was going out with my little sister,” Sam said, “trust me, there would be hell to pay.”
“Why?” I said incredulously. “That’s crazy. He’s your best buddy.”
“He’s also a mental mess,” said Sam. “Like, in the head.”
“What?” I replied. I wanted to know what Sam knew about Jake that made him such a bad choice for me.
“Jake didn’t exactly have a normal life growing up,” explained Sam. “His dad was a drunk or something. I don’t know. It’s not my business, really. He took off when Jake was small, and his mom died when Jake was a teenager. The guy’s screwed up. And you better believe it—Jake Ryder is going to be a bachelor for the rest of his life, I promise you. So, you know,” he said, “don’t get any funny ideas!”
I wasn’t finding the conversation funny anymore. “Just because someone’s had a rough start in life, doesn’t mean they’re damaged forever.”
