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“Thank you for going with me.” Her face softened, losing some of the excitement. I knew she was missing her mom, and she didn’t have any siblings. Did she think I would’ve let her go alone?
I scoffed but winked at her. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world!”
She grinned again, which returned the excited look to her eyes, and sat straighter. Mackenzie reached for the bottle between us, topping off our glasses even though we’d only had one drink. Then she sat back, crossing her legs and taking a long sip.
“So how’s the new job?” she asked, and I cringed.
I loved the challenge and learning about a new industry. Phil had told us we would be getting to dip our toes in the water soon, and I was getting excited to swim. Everyone had warned me it would be difficult to be successful, but I was determined.
I always liked winning when somebody told me I would lose.
“I love it,” I finally said. “I am excited to have clients of my own and prove myself. Especially with people doubting me.”
She raised her eyebrows, setting her glass on the table and leaning forward. Her foot dropped back to the ground with a light thud. “Who is doubting you?” Mackenzie sounded appalled and like she was ready to go after whoever it was.
“Brys for starters,” I said, shrugging as if it should be obvious. “He doesn’t even think I can do it on my own.” I rolled my eyes.
Mackenzie gaped at me. “Are you serious? You don’t think he’s in your corner?” She reached across the table, grabbing my hand. “Amanda, that couldn’t be further from the truth. He’s so proud of you!”
I bit back the lump in my throat. Deep down I knew my brother was proud, but I wanted to hear it from him. “I wish he’d tell me that,” I said, lowering my voice, “rather than having his frustrating friend babysit me.”
When I crossed my arms and cocked my head, it felt like I was throwing a fit. Mackenzie didn’t deserve the backlash, and I knew she was going to tell Bryson later exactly how upset I was. She sighed.
“You know he’s not having Drake keep an eye on you because he doesn’t think you can do this, right?” She looked at me like she was desperate for me to agree with her, but I didn’t know that. I shook my head. “Amanda, you almost died. He thought he was going to lose you after your accident. We both did.” She squeezed my hand tighter, tears welling up in her eyes.
Phantom pains traveled my spine and settled in my neck, reminding me of the brace I’d worn for a few months. I wiggled my toes, remembering the way I hadn’t been able to move them when I first woke up in the hospital. I cringed.
“I didn’t think about that,” I said.
Mackenzie smiled softly. “He just cares about you, and real estate can be cutthroat. He figures having Drake in your corner wouldn’t be a bad thing.”
Dropping my head back, I sighed loudly. I didn’t care that we weren’t the only people in the restaurant or the tables were seated closely together. I didn’t want to have Drake babysitting me, even if it meant him being in my corner.
“He’s just so infuriating!” I whined, throwing my hands up in mock defeat. “Everywhere I go, he’s just there! I can’t get rid of him!”
Mackenzie winced, taking a desperate gulp of her wine. “So now is probably a bad time to tell you he’s the best man then, huh?”
I choked on my own drink, sputtering and hissing when some red wine dripped from my nose. “He’s what? Please tell me you’re joking.”
She shook her head, and I groaned. “He’s Bryson’s best friend, Amanda. Can you just promise to get along with him?”
This time I shook my head. She looked disappointed, like I’d just admitted to lying about something. “I won’t cause a scene, but that’s all I can promise.”
Chapter twelve
Drake
I stood in the doorway of the breakroom for five minutes watching her. Amanda sat there with her binder open and a disaster of sticky notes, pens, and highlighters surrounding her. The file everyone had been given earlier in the morning was sitting on top of the binder, and the papers she held in her hand were wrinkled on the corner she gripped too tightly.
Earlier this morning, Phil had given the entire class a copy of the same file. It was a copy of a real client’s file containing information on the type of property they were looking to invest in, down to details about locations and requirements for the building itself. The file also included other properties this client owned and the timeline they were hoping to maintain.
Phil expected everyone would take the challenge, presenting realistic options for buildings actually on the market. They’d present their option, and if we liked it, they would get to sit in on the initial meeting with us. Amanda had looked so excited grabbing the file, like she had just been gifted a new puzzle she couldn’t wait to solve or a new game she was dying to play. There was excitement on her face then that was nowhere to be seen now.
When she still hadn’t noticed me even after I cleared my throat, I stepped into the room. I pulled the chair out next to her, causing it to scrape across the floor. It startled her, and she jumped, dropping the file. Papers fluttered around us, scattering farther when she swatted her arms, trying to catch them from the air as they fell.
“Thanks a lot, jerk,” she huffed, not bothering to pause to look at me before she bent down to snatch at them.
I stared at her, leaning over to grab papers that had floated out of her reach. “That seems a bit harsh, don’t you think? All I did was pull out the chair.” I pointed at the half-moved chair before setting the loose papers on the table in front of her.
