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Bran rubbed his palms together, all swagger and confidence again. “I like me a breadwinner.”
“Gross,” I said in both mockery and agreement with Cecelia.
I should have known that the dinner conversation would turn to Aiden and the new job. My dad poured four glasses of wine.
“Kids drink atsixteenin Europe,” Cecilia complained.
My dad ignored her and raised his glass. “To Layla’s new job!”
Cecilia scowled, and my stomach dropped. We weredefinitelygoing to talk about Aiden. Four wine glasses and a water glass clinked, and I swallowed half the goblet in one go.
“Honey,” my mom said, alarmed.
“Chug, chug,” Bran chimed in.
“Sorry, just–I think I’m nervous about starting tomorrow.” I pulled an apologetic face at my dad. “Is it okay if we don’t–”
“Don’t be nervous!” His words bounded over mine like a golden retriever puppy. My dad was an emotional person, and he didn’t hold back on showing the love and pride he was feeling right now. “You are going to begreat. I told Aiden you didn’t need any favors, that if he got you an interview, you’d get yourself the job, and you did!”
“I sure did,” I agreed weakly. I wished my mom would stop watching me so closely so I could finish the rest of my wine.
“So tell us everything,” my dad demanded.
“Yeah, everything,” Bran agreed. I shot him a glare. He didn’t know why I was so uncomfortable, but he was happy to pile on. Payback for making him think Liv had a boyfriend.
“Yeah,everything,” Cecilia echoed sadistically. Just like Bran, she didn’t need to know why. She just needed to know how to make it worse.
“There’s not much to tell.” I poked at my goulash with a spoon and hoped that would be the end of it.
Of course it wasn’t.
“Did you get to talk to Aiden?” my dad pressed. “He said he was going to try to catch the end of your interview.”
“I did, yeah. I went up to his office afterward and said hi and thank you.”And undressed him with my eyes as the elevator doors closed.I think maybe he was doing the same? Maybe I just wish he was.
There was a beat while my family waited for me to elaborate. I took a bite of goulash. “Great job, Mom,” I said after I swallowed.
“And?” my dad waved his spoon at me.
“And Dad. Great job, both of you.” I took another bite.
Bran looked torn between laughter and sympathy.
“No,andwhat else? What are you going to be working on? Are you reporting directly to Aiden or someone else? Is the–” my dad rubbed his thumb against his other fingers and raised his eyebrows. “–good?”
“I think so, yeah.” It was above what a lot of starting salaries were, and I’d been pleasantly surprised. It wouldn’t be hard to pay my bills and even have alittleleft over for nights out and farmers’ market macarons. I took another bite of goulash and then laid my spoon down. I wasn’t getting out of this. “I’m going to be on the brand development team, and I’m hoping that I get to work with Blake Morten, their newest client.”
“The cat guy?” Bran scoffed. “He looks like a–”
“Bran,” our mom warned, nodding toward Cecilia, who was looking very pious and injured.
“–loser,” Bran redirected with a roll of his eyes. “Don’t work with him, Layla.”
“Work with whoever you can,” my dad disagreed. “Work hard, and Aiden will take care of you. I’m sure of it.”
I stared down at my goulash and tried not to think too hard about Aiden taking care of me. When I looked up, Bran was staring at me. There was a quirk at the corner of his mouth that told me he knew what I was thinking.
I kicked him under the table. He tried to kick me back and hit the table leg instead.
