Dirtiest Little Secret

“He doesn’t know yet,” she said. “They’re going to present him with the news at the meeting next week. I’ll email you the date for the award ceremony when we find out.”

“Hot damn, Mom, that’s so awesome. Which bridge?”

She rolled her eyes to the ceiling, wincing. “Oh gosh… Let me see if I can say this right. Zhujiang Kuàdù?”

“Oh my God.” Isaac shook his head as he opened his beer, laughing. “You butchered it.”

She gave a good-natured shrug. “Well, I know it spans the Pearl River, and I know it’s in China. You two spent far more time there than I did.”

His months living in Guangdong running that project felt like a lifetime ago. Or maybe in a whole different life.

r /> He took a pull on the beer and let it bathe his tongue before he swallowed. “Man, I’m so happy for him. That bridge was a bitch, but she was amazing. He deserves that award.”

“He does. How’s business?”

“Busy. Real busy.”

“Did you find a replacement for Penny yet?”

He groaned at the thought of the sixth assistant he’d fired in as many months. “Let’s talk about something else.”

“You’re not going to grow if you don’t—”

“I know, I know. But I’ve also learned that hiring someone lousy only adds to my workload.”

“You know I’d be happy to help out until you find someone good.”

Isaac smiled. “That’s sweet, but Dad would kill me before he’d give up his entertainment goddess.”

“Pffft. It wouldn’t kill him to take his clients out a little more often.”

“No, but it might kill you. I know how much you love entertaining.”

“I love cooking. The entertaining part is a necessary evil.”

“Well, you’re damn good at both.”

She smiled wistfully. “Years of practice, son. Years of practice.”

“Thanks for the offer. I’ll find someone. I just need to keep looking.” He took another swig of his beer. “Honestly, I can’t believe the caliber of applicants I’m getting. The hourly is well above average, but I’m still interviewing women who show up in shorts, pop and smack their gum while we’re talking, and have to take a cigarette break every fifteen minutes.”

“Oh, honey. I’m sorry.” She gave him a sympathetic look as she tore lettuce for a salad. “But that reminds me—and you’ll never believe this—Carol’s husband is motorcycle hunting.”

“Little late for a midlife crisis,” he teased.

“I think it’s more like a bucket list. Would you talk to him if I gave him your number? Maybe share some pointers on what to look for?”

“Of course.”

A bucket list. Maybe Isaac should think about a bucket list. Only he’d have to add seeing Ava again to that list, and that would go against his promise to himself to stop thinking about her.

And then, “How’s Jerry?” came out of his mouth.

“Jennings?” his mother said with a little frown. “He’s having some heart problems. Marla says he’s going to retire soon.”

Marla and Delia had been friends since Dominic and Jerry started working together, decades ago.

“What’s he going to do with the company?” Isaac asked.