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“I’m going to find a lanternfly and put it on your front door,” Reed said as he walked past me.
“You can get back into your Olds covered in mud,” I told him. “You’re not using my shower.”
He flipped me off and kept walking. There was no way Reed would get into his restored Olds 442 as he was.
I thought he was going to walk to Slater’s, but he turned and took a running leap, jumping into my pool.
“You asshole!” I yelled and ran after him. “You’re going to skim the water for that!”
Casper and Slater joined me, but they jumped in after Reed. Fuck it. What was one more?
I jumped in and started another fight in the pool, this time splashing each other while Romeo and Tristan kept a safe distance to watch. Romeo got a few more photos of us. I wanted nights like this forever.
25
TRISTAN
No matter which color I chose, nothing felt right. It wasn’t good enough for what I was trying to do. Jordan was being extremely patient with me, to the point I was waiting for him to yell. Every time he spoke, I flinched.
“Tristan,” he murmured.
I raised my eyes from the patterns and colors in front of me. “Yes?”
“I’m not going to hurt you. I do have patience. You’ve probably heard things about me beyond what Romeo has said. I don’t hit or abuse the ones I care about.”
“You… You care about me?”
“You’re important to Romeo, which means you had my favor even before working for me. I don’t discuss feelings, but I will say, you are doing a good job. Relax your shoulders, let your mind calm, and you’ll be better able to focus on the task in front of you.”
“None of these seem right. You asked for a new suit, and these aren’t it.”
“Then keep looking.”
“But you want to stay local.”
He nodded. “I do. Just because the ones you’ve chosen aren’t it, doesn’t mean there isn’t someone else out there who has yet to be discovered. New designers pop up all the time. Dig deeper.”
I had done a search online and most of the local designers didn’t make suits. They were for wedding dresses or high-end casual wear. They weren’t looking to dress heads of the mafia. I also had no degree, no skills outside of the work I did in retail. This was new to me. I felt like I was failing, and it was only the first week.
My finger went to my mouth as I worried my nail and tried to relax. “There’s a designer who asked who my client was and wouldn’t give more information beyond that.”
“Did you tell him?”
“No, I wasn’t certain if you wanted me to or not.”
Jordan had set me up with an email account that wasn’t traceable, nor was I using my real name. I signed every email with T.L. for Tristan Loft. My name wasn’t in the email address. It was a way to keep me behind the scenes.
“I’m not just the person everyone believes me to be. I’m also a business owner. I have multiple prominent buildings in East Dremest and employ many people. Use my name. If the designer in question doesn’t want to be associated with me, that’s their decision. But it won’t be for lack of trying on your part.”
“Okay.” I’d send the email after he left once I felt like I could breathe again. “Are you open to more colors? I chose these since they’re what I’ve seen you wear, or at least similar to them.” The swatches were dark colors: gray, black, navy, and variations of those. Some had pinstripes, some were plain. They all blended after a while.
“If you’re asking if I want to walk down the street in a neon green suit, the answer is no. But I wouldn’t mind pops of color, say in the shirt or in the pocket square or tie. I like to stand out, but I also need to blend in.”
“What about casual clothes?”
“Casual?”
“For when you’re sitting at home, not having a meeting, or expecting anyone. What do you relax in when the guards are out of sight and you’re alone?”
