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Before I could stop her, she dialed Brandon's number. He, of course, picked up right away. I watched, half-horrified, half-delighted as my best friend eviscerated my boyfriend.
"Hey, Moneybags," she said. "How's it hanging? Hey, a bit of a PSA for you: boyfriends don't get to cut in on girl time, especially not when said girls now live a thousand miles apart. Haven't you heard of 'chicks before dicks?'...Yes, it was last minute...Yes, we are going out tonight. It's Saturday night, and I'm not a shut-in... Yes, I plan to get some act––wait, that is none of your business, Sterling!"
Jane looked to where I was watching, utterly transfixed by her end of the conversation.
"Uh-huh," she continued. "Uh-huh. All right, fine. But if he's a dud, I'm kicking you out. Only one of us gets to sleep in Skylar's bed tonight, and if she has to choose, she's choosing me...Great Scott...Starts at ten...And before you try to butt in there too, no, you can't come for dinner."
With that, she held the phone out to me with a somewhat dazed look on her face.
"I think your boyfriend just cross-examined me into inviting him out with us and Eric tonight," she said. Then an evil smile spread across her face. "Oh please, let me tell Captain Chlamydia that he gets to party with his boss tonight."
I took the phone and put it to my ear with a grin. "Hey. Sorry about that. What are you up to?"
"No apologies needed." Brandon's voice was low and warm over the phone. "You just provided a welcome interruption of a golf game."
"You play golf?" I made a face at Jane, who immediately started fake snoring.
Brandon chuckled. "Only sometimes, I promise. Usually when I have deals with old men to close."
"Is something important happening today?"
"I can neither confirm nor deny that statement," he said good-humoredly. Which meant yes, and also that it was likely related to his upcoming IPO of Sterling Ventures.
"What did you say to Jane?" I asked. "I think you broke her."
On the other end of the line, Brandon laughed, a deep, throaty sound that made me thrill from top to bottom.
"I can be very persuasive when I want to," was all he said.
"So you're going to come to the show with us tonight? Do you have time for that sort of thing?" Brandon was one of the busiest people I knew. His calendar would rival the President's.
"I've barely seen you for two months," Brandon said. "I'll make time. I'll meet you there around ten."
"Sounds good," I said, even though the reminder that we couldn't be seen around together dampened my enthusiasm a bit.
"Bye, beautiful."
I put my phone back in my purse. Jane stood up and stretched her tall frame to the sky, muttering "motherfucker" under her breath with mild bemusement. Then she turned to me.
"He must be an absolute terror in court," she said. "Shall we head back? I'd like to get a bit more studying in before we go out tonight. Secured Transactions is kicking my ass."
Now a bit more energized, I was ready to get my work out of the way so I could enjoy myself. But I still glanced behind me as we left, thinking of the big, gray-stone house that stood beyond the trees, and the man inside who was waiting for me to come back to him completely.
~
