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Her friend sipped her wine as Alina’s frown grew deeper. “What am I going to do with you?”
Taylor’s response came quickly and with a smile. “Love me.”
23
Dereck’s intention was only to change his clothes and leave again, but as he walked into his apartment, he noticed a diversion.
“I told you to call when you were coming,” he said to Dina, who was flicking through channels on the television in his sitting room.
“What?” she said, stretching her short legs on the coffee table. “I’m not allowed to surprise my brother?”
“What if I had company?” Dereck dropped his shoulders.
Dina spread her arms out along the back of the chair. “Then you have company. No big deal. I could wait.”
Dereck’s eyes went to the glass of wine and the bottle resting next to it. “I see you’ve already made yourself at home.”
“Well, you did say I can do that back in Connecticut.” Dina flew out of her comfortable position. “You didn’t change your mind, did you, now that you made back up with Alina?”
Dereck walked over to his sister and dropped himself next to her. “Of course not. You’re welcome here anytime. Just call the next time, OK?”
“Fine,” Dina smacked her brother on the shoulder. “If you insist.”
“How long are you staying?” He takes her glass and drinks out of it while Dina glares at him.
“A week. I’m only here to ensure everything is in order for the construction to begin.” Dina shifted on the couch.
“How’s mom and dad?” He asked, reluctant for the response.
Dina sighed. “The same as always. They’re insisting that I let you take over the New York project. They can’t get you to agree to take over the company so they are trying a different approach.”
Dereck took another mouthful from his sister’s drink. This time, she tried to swat him away. “They never learn, do they?”
“Nope,” Dina said and chugged down the rest of the wine.
Dereck got up and walked through his sitting room towards the kitchen, turning on the coffeemaker. As a doctor, he made a decent salary, but as a man who barely spent any time at home, he rarely invested that money into the apartment. His sitting room consisted of two couches and a massage chair. There was a large flat-screen television mostly used for watching sports whenever his friends came over. Other than the coffee table, his sitting room was bare.
His kitchen was no different, consisting of bare essentials. And since he was barely home, he did not consider food products essential. Dereck didn’t have to worry about his sister, though. She would be more on sight than in the apartment and would most likely eat out. This was something they were accustomed to as children of the owners of five-star restaurants.
“I don’t think they’ll stop until they’re dead or you give in.” Dina refilled her glass. “Whichever comes first.”
Dereck groaned but said nothing.
“Hey bro.” Dina got off the couch and came to the kitchen, leaning against the blacktop counter. “Have you already eaten? Let’s go have dinner. I’m starved.”
“Then you really shouldn’t be drinking on an empty stomach,” Dereck warned.
“Hey.” Dina slammed her hand against the table. “If I wanted someone to nag, then I would have called mom. Now let’s go to dinner.”
She turned around, but Dereck’s words swirled her around again.
“I can’t,” he said, pouring coffee into a mug. “I already have plans with Alina. I just came home to get changed.”
Dina’s jaw became tight, and her nose wrinkled. Dereck noticed the slight smirk on her face before she concealed it. “Well, this is actually perfect,” she said, clasping her hand together. “The three of us could have dinner.”
Dereck eyed his sister with a raised brow and she went on. “It will give me a chance to apologize for my behavior before.” She came around the counter and grabbed her brother’s hand, flashing him a pitiful look. “I really want to start over with Alina. I know you love her and it is important to you we get along. The welcoming side of our family is something I want to show her.
Dereck thought it over before he responded. He didn’t want two of the most important women in his life to have friction between them, and if Dina was willing to mend the relationship, he wasn’t about to stop her.
