She hailed a cab around the corner. I had my driver follow it. Five minutes later, she got off in front of a bar. I got even more curious.
I thought Stella didn’t go to bars.
I follow her inside, half expecting to see her sitting alone at the bar. To my surprise, she’s at a table with four other people – two women and two men. I’m only interested in the man she’s talking to. Tall, with dark hair just like me but with a thin beard. And scrawnier. I don’t know what they’re talking about, but they seem to be having their own conversation apart from the group. They look absorbed in it, too, and Stella seems to be having fun. Her face is lit up. When the man beside her laughs, she does, too.
After I see her whispering something in the man’s ear that makes him laugh, I can’t watch any longer. Unfortunately, the image is still stuck in my head.
Fuck.
I thought Stella would at least feel a little miserable now that she doesn’t get to have sex with me. But it seems it’s just me.
I’m the only one who’s miserable.
I signal the bartender to refill my glass. As he does, I feel a pat on my back.
“What did I miss?” Asher asks as he slides on top of the stool next to me.
“My first two glasses,” I answer.
“Are we celebrating or drowning our sorrows?”
“Neither. Just drinking.”
I lift my glass to my lips. The bartender serves Asher his usual martini.
“Thank you.” He takes a sip then glances around. “Where’s Ryker?”
“On the phone,” I say.
He frowns. “I thought no phones are allowed during our drinking sessions.”
“That’s why he stepped out. It was urgent,” I explain.
“You mean it’s about Odermatt.”
I say nothing.
Asher gives me a puzzled look. “Isn’t that done already? I thought Odermatt signed the papers.”
“Yes, but there are still details that need to be ironed out and other paperwork that has to be done before everything becomes official.”
“The work never ends.” Asher sighs. “But hey, at least we got the files back.”
Again, I keep silent. I haven’t told him the truth about that incident. Or Ryker. They have no clue that Reuben’s sudden divestiture has anything to do with it. Best to keep it that way.
He takes another sip of his drink. “So, what sorrows are we drowning?”
I swallow another gulp of mine. “The usual.”
“Did Stella dump you?”
I nearly choke on my Scotch. What the hell?
Asher scratches his chin. “I’m not sure if that was a yes or a no.”
“It’s none of your business,” I tell him as I set my glass down.
In other words, I don’t want to talk about it. And if he doesn’t want a repeat of what happened last time when I lashed out at him and he walked away, he’d better shut up.
He doesn’t, of course.
“So it’s none of our business if you’re sleeping with someone and none of our business if you’re not.”
“Correct.”
He taps his fingers on the counter. “So you’re not sleeping with Stella anymore?”
I narrow my eyes at him in warning. And that’s the final one he’ll get.
“Who’s not sleeping with Stella anymore?” Ryker asks as he returns to the bar.
He takes his usual seat beside Asher, who flashes his eyes in my direction.
“Who else?”
Ryker glances at me. “You’re not?”
I give him the same warning glance.
He sips his gin tonic. “Anyway, it’s none of our business. Let’s just leave him alone, Asher.”
I send him a grateful smile. “Thank you, Ryker.”
Not just for this but for not having said a word about Stella since the night he saw her in my room.
“How did that call go, by the way?” I ask him.
“Good,” he answers. “Violet Cleary’s contract just needs some minor changes.”
That gets Asher’s attention. “Violet Cleary?”
“Yes,” I tell him. “The same Violet Cleary you were flirting with. She’s one of the Odermatt employees we’re bringing on board here in Chicago.”
“You’re kidding,” Asher says.
“Nope,” I answer.
“Why?”
“Because that’s what happens during acquisitions,” Ryker explains. “Some of the top executives of the newly acquired company get moved to the main headquarters of the parent company.”
“I know that. But why her?”
“Because she’s a top executive,” I answer. “And because I was very impressed with her back in Zurich.”
Asher looks at me. “Are you giving her my job?”
“Tempting,” I tease him. “But no. She’ll be working under you.”
And I have a feeling that’s going to make things in the Finance Department more interesting.
Asher seems to think so, too. He grins.
I lean forward so I can see my other brother. “Ryker, maybe you should ask Human Resources to put something in Violet’s contract about not sleeping with Asher.”
Asher’s grin vanishes. “What?”
The look of horror on his face nearly makes me laugh.
He glares at me. “Maybe we should ask Human Resources to add something in Stella’s contract about not sleeping with her boss.”