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With that, Ben excuses himself from the table, muttering an apology to Chris and me, and walks off to take the call in a more private spot.
From my seat, I can't help but overhear snippets of Ben's conversation. His tone is professional, but there's an underlying tension that piques my curiosity.
In a hushed voice, he says, “Yes, I understand it's a critical meeting, but I can't guarantee I'll be there in person. Look—I'veput a lot of effort into this project, and I need you to handle it on your own. No, I'm not backing out; just trust me on this one.”
I exchange a quick glance with Chris, who raises an eyebrow in curiosity. But, knowing that it’s none of our business, I decide to focus on my cards and continue the game, leaving Ben to his private conversation.
“So, Chris, any big plans for the weekend once we wrap up this game?” I ask him.
As I look at him from over my cards, I can’t help but think of how he looks like his sister. Emily’s gorgeous brown curls contrast Alex’s reddish hue, but they both have the same button nose and a slight overbite. On Emily, the feature is lovely. To my friend, it looks a little goofy.
He chuckles. “Well, you know me, Alex. Work never really stops. But I might take the boat out for a little spin tomorrow for some relaxing time. You want to come?”
I shrug. “Sure. Why not? Aside from managing a few things with the marina, my big plans are to catch up on some reading. Maybe I'll finally finish that book you recommended last month.” Then, I remember my conversation with Emily not too long ago. “Actually, I was thinking of picking upWuthering Heightsnext.”
Chris raises an eyebrow. He puts down his cards and scratches his chin. “Isn’t that a chick book? I think my sister likes that one.”
Busted.
That comment was too close for comfort. I’m thankful that Ben returns to the room, relieving me of avoiding any conversation about the forbidden woman I can’t get off my mind.
“Sorry, gentlemen,” Ben says. “Important client, you know how it is.”
Chris nods. He reaches for the communal bottle of whiskey and pours us all a glass. “Work never ends for men like us,” Chris says. “Never has, never will.”
I smile at the phrase. He’s right, of course. We might be wealthy, but only because we have to work hard for what we have.
“No worries, Ben. We were just catching up on weekend plans,” I tell him. “Alex here is thinking of taking his boat for a spin.”
Alex smirks. “Yeah, and I just invited Chris to join. You should come too, Ben, unless you're too busy raking in our poker chips.”
Ben chuckles. He picks up his whiskey and swirls it once in his cup. “Boating around, huh? Well, maybe I could use a break from winning. Count me in,” he says. “Now, can wepleaseget on with our game?”
Chris and I laugh. I raise my glass and say, “To a good game!”
We clink the glasses in unison before diving into an intense poker game.
Ben shuffles the deck of cards with a deft hand, dealing out a fresh round of poker hands. Chris leans back in his chair, his attention briefly diverted as his phone buzzes with notifications.
He excuses himself to take the call, leaving Ben and I alone at the poker table.
As we sit around the poker table, the cards in hand, Ben breaks the silence with a question.
“So, Alex, how did the interview with that woman from theMiami Timesgo?” he inquires.
I hesitate for a moment, considering my response, before finally replying.
“It went...well enough,” I tell him. “We had a discussion about the lights, as you would expect.”
Ben looks intrigued, leaning forward slightly.
“Did you agree to make changes?" he asks.
I shake my head, a hint of stubbornness and mischief in my tone. “I agreed to everything that Emily recommended.”
The taste of Emily’s name on my tongue is…bitter. I almost expect alarm bells to blare, revealing my secret.
Ben frowns. “Didyou?” he asks. “You’re going to get rid of the new light bulbs?”
