I think it’d been seeing him with his young friend, her, too, in flip-flops and shorts. Though, she was at home. There was just such a simplicity about her too, a vibrancy in her youth.
Never in my life had I been envious of someone younger than me, but in that moment, I was. I didn’t know why.
“Yes.” She took my hand, formally shaking it. Then did one better when she hooked an arm around me too. I had the cheesecake bites, so it was a maneuver.
It made us both laugh, smile when she came away.
She pushed hair out of her face. “And gratefully, this time I’m wearing clothes.”
Laughter again from all of us, this meeting between us all so different and when the door widened, even more of that difference.
December’s husband came in, a ridiculously beautiful man with the features of a prince and the jawline to match. Blond, he squeezed December’s shoulders from behind before reaching out to help Ramses with some of the beers.
He shook his hand.
“Mallick.” He squeezed, a polish about him that differed from his casual wife. He stood taller, stance straighter despite wearing a Pembroke hoodie. This guy was basically huge. But not nearly as tall as Ramses. He smirked. “Good. We can get things going, and you can shut Knight the fuck up. He keeps going on about LJ and some deal. I’m about to goddamn kill him.”
Whatever this reference was made Ramses bark a laugh. He waved a hand over his head. “I’m sure,” he said before introducing me. “This is my girlfriend, Brielle. Brielle, Royal. I’m sure you saw him at the wedding. Royal, Brielle was a guest.”
I was shaking his hand, too, when he offered it. “Nice to meet you.”
“Same here.” Royal shot a thumb back. “We taking this inside? Seriously, I’m about to fucking kill Knight. What the hell is he going on about?”
“Business, which I don’t do in my free time.” Ramses chuckled, shaking his head. “I’ll talk to him, though. His boxers are probably just in a twist because his boy, LJ, is about to make a name in Maywood Heights.”
Royal grinned. “I heard and can’t fucking wait. These two are hilarious and so damn competitive.”
“There ain’t nothing to compete with!” came from inside. Then the guy I assumed was Knight appeared at the door. If Royal was big, this guy was a building. All big shoulders and thick arms.
He had a blond under his arm, a little thing that barely came up to his chest. I assumed this was their friend, Greer, his girl apparently.
“Mallick, brother.” Knight shook Ramses’s hand. “Glad you’re here. We can talk shop and why there ain’t no competing when it comes to Reed Corp.”
Royal dropped an arm around Knight, patting his chest. “Keep telling yourself that, brother.”
The two jostled each other like a couple of actual brothers, making their girls scoff and Ramses laugh. Ramses once again emphasized he didn’t discuss business outside of the office, and I assumed these other boys were just as affluent. I mean, I knew Royal was. I’d seen his last name Prinze all over the town, and I’d definitely heard the name Reed Corp.
Between these young men, there was a nice little empire going, a building or two named after the Mallicks on campus, and I’d seen the name Reed, as well.
Something told me there was probably a connection, and after meeting Knight and his girlfriend, Greer, who turned out to be super sweet, we all did take the party inside. The other
s headed immediately in with the things Ramses and I had brought, and when they got ahead of Ramses and me, Ramses hooked my elbow.
He held me back at the door, an inquisitive look to his brown eyes. He was searching for something in my direction. Not surprising considering the car ride.
“We can leave when you want,” he said. He pinched my chin. “If you’re uncomfortable.”
Once again, he had no reason to assume anything else.
And I hoped it’d stay that way.
As the night kicked off, Ramses may have called Knight and Greer, December and Royal’s friends, but the way he fit in with them, the way they all fit together in a snug little community of kinship, read nothing but friendship. He was friends with these people.
He fit with them.
From their jokes, to their laughter and exuberant delight. Knight did try to talk shop with Ramses. Ramses did fight him, and Royal fought laughter in the center like the poorest referee. There were finger foods tossed in mocked rivalry. There were smiles exchanged over conversation and video game controllers. There were young people having a good time and living life. There was no drama. There was just fun.
I sat in the middle watching it all, under Ramses’s arm on a couch and in a room that held a similar layout to his own. His duplex basically mirrored December and Royal’s, neighbors from the high brick walls to the wide windows. They all sat around on various couches, constant glee and laughter in the air. It felt so overwhelming.