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“Sure.” I swallow my embarrassment and work to shrug it off. It’s so easy for him to cut me down and make me feel two inches tall. I grab my water bottle from the fridge, as well as the fruit tray I prepared earlier. I set it on the counter and remove the cellophane. “In case you guys get hungry. It was nice to meet you both.”
Dallas and Roman murmur their thanks, and I leave the condo without a backwards glance at Tristan. But I feel his eyes on me. I’m not sure if I successfully made my point, but Tristan sure didn’t love my lack of clothing, so I’ll take that as a win.
I don’t go to the gym. Instead, I go to the courtyard, plunk myself on one of the super comfy chairs under a tree, and video call Essie.
“I need all the details,” she says in greeting. “What the hell is going on? Why haven’t I seen your face in five days?”
I smile at her familiar long dark hair, smooth tanned skin, and almond-shaped eyes. Her makeup manages to be dramatic and understated. She’s a magician with a makeup brush. “I miss you, too, Essie.”
“It’s hard living this far away from you. They need to develop a portal between Vancouver and Toronto, like stat.”
“Right? Why couldn’t we live in the age of interdimensional travel?” I wish I could reach through the screen and hug her.
“You can move here. Come live with me. We’ll find you a job.”
“So alluring, but you know you’ll find some guy and ask him to move in with you within the next three months. Then I’ll be in the same position I am now, minus my brother’s annoyingly hot best friend.”
“He really is hot, isn’t he? It’s not just about camera angles,” Essie gripes.
“It’s so unfair. He’s such an asshole. And he’s stupid hot. I can’t stand him.” I fill her in on what it’s been like living with my brother and his best friend so far.
“All the stuff in the media about Flip isn’t just fodder?”
I shake my head. “I’ve heard it with my own ears and seen it with my own eyes. My mother must be so mortified. I wonder if that’s why they moved out to buttfuck nowhere. So they wouldn’t have to witness all the shit he’s up to.” It’s not the reason. They moved north because my dad got a job offer he couldn’t refuse, and it’s way cheaper up there. And colder.
Essie’s bottom lip juts out, and her expression is all empathy. “Babe, I’m so sorry. I know you low-key worship the ground your brother walks on.”
“I’m all for sexual freedom, but his bed is almost never empty. I don’t know. It all seems so hollow.” If my situation were different, I might call him on it. But I don’t want to create unnecessary friction, especially when he’s letting me stay here rent free.
“The offer stands, Rixie. You’re welcome to come here. Book a one-way ticket so you can stay as long as you want.”
“Rent is three grand a month in Vancouver.” I did the research when she moved.
“It would be half with you here, though.”
It’s enticing, but Essie is a serial monogamist. She’ll have a boyfriend before long, and he’ll move in soon after. Then it’ll get awkward, and I’ll have to figure things out again. “I love you, Essie, but moving to Vancouver probably isn’t the answer. How’s your job? Tell me everything.”
Essie fills me in on the latest with her position as a makeup artist for one of the movie studios out there. It’s clear she’s happy. I miss the hell out of her, but I’m glad she’s chasing her dream. It makes me wonder what mine is. I love handling the meal prep for Flip and Tristan, but that’s something to do on the side. Accounting is a stable job with a good paycheck, and understanding money was paramount in a house where there was never quite enough. But the job doesn’t fill me with joy. Can I do it? Yes. Is it my end goal? Probably not. Maybe it was the wrong firm. Maybe there’s a better fit.
My phone buzzes with an incoming call. I check the screen and see it’s Dean and Sons Financial Management. Hemi sent me a posting for a junior accountant position at the firm and said I could use her as a reference, which I did.
“I have to let you go,” I tell Essie. “This might be a new job.”
“Oh! Shit. Good luck. You’ve got this! Text me later. I love you!”
She ends the call, and I answer the one from Dean and Sons.
Five minutes later, I have a job interview and less than forty-eight hours to prepare for it. I text Hemi right away, and she calls me five seconds later.
