Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 78249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
I silenced that voice and headed home to figure out what the hell I was going to wear tomorrow night. Knowing my luck, Catman would take one look at my outfit choices and give me that judgmental one-eyed stare that said I was fooling absolutely no one - least of all myself.
10
ORION
The art gallery was alive with soft jazz and the delicate clinking of champagne flutes. The building used to be a Catholic church, and the stained glass windows along with the brick architecture made for a unique atmosphere.
All around, guests circulated the room and murmured their thoughts or appreciation of the art on display. My sister flitted from guest to guest, weaving her charm through the entire building like invisible threads that held everything together.
That was Remmy. She had a way of putting people at ease—of making them feel comfortable and welcome.
I didn’t have the luxury of doing the same for my employees, unfortunately. Employees who were at ease slacked off. Employees who thought their boss would go easy on them didn’t push themselves to their full potential. A company made up of people like that was rotten from the inside and doomed to fail.
I ruminated on my thoughts while I watched Remmy make her way around the dimly lit space, touching arms, paying compliments to artists, and occasionally stopping to give her thoughts on a particular piece.
I, on the other hand, was doing my usual thing: lingering at the edges and watching for business opportunities. I wasn’t here to enjoy myself. My role was to support Remmy and, if the opportunity presented itself, look for opportunities to help Foster Real Estate.
After all, several of our clients were present. There was a pair of sisters we helped build a bakery, an elderly man who used us to repair a historical building at great expense, and even Huxley Cane, who was openly accepting suitors for his project to build a 73-story apartment building in the next year or two.
Huxley was notoriously hard to please, and I was doing my best to let Foster Real Estate’s reputation speak for itself, rather than risk irritating the man by making too direct of an advance. God knew that idiot, Cole Northman with Northman Group was doing his best to charm Huxley. From what I could hear, the only progress he had made so far was in annoying the man.
“I see you’re having fun,” Remmy said, sidling up to me with her signature glass of champagne in hand. “Your brooding really elevates the ambiance. Keep it up, and somebody might mistake you for a sculpture.”
“I’m happy to be here for you,” I said.
“Mm-hmm,” she said, her gaze slipping past me toward the entrance. Her smile widened in a way that set me on edge.
“What?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
“Nothing,” she said, too casually. “Just wondering if you’ll recognize her in that dress…”
I turned instinctively, and there she was. Ember.
It wasn’t the version of her I was used to seeing outside my building every morning. The mis-matched mittens, obnoxiously bright red uniform and silly hat were all gone. Her usually hidden hair spilled over one shoulder in a black, glistening sheet of gloss. Her dress was emerald green, hugging her wide hips and showing a deep line of inviting cleavage. Worse of all was the effortless confidence she carried as she strode into the room.
Ember wore a faint smile and stood straight as she scooped a glass from a waiter’s tray, sipped, and scanned the room like a lioness surveying the field.
I had to make an effort to keep my expression neutral. Oddly enough, I was overcome by the alien desire to smile.
“Oh my God,” Remmy said. “You like her.”
“This isn’t high school, Remmy. I like when my employees follow proper protocol in their reporting formats. I like when I get emails that are short, concise, and to the point. I don’t like women.”
Remmy choked with laughter. “You want to bone her,” she singsonged. “Gross. But I think you should go talk to her. Maybe a real girlfriend instead of a fake one would be good for you. And if things go well, you two could even give mom that grandbaby she wants so badly.”
“Ember shouldn’t even be here,” I gritted through my teeth.
“She was invited,” Remmy said with an innocent shrug. “By me.”
“This is precisely why I let you believe I had a fake girlfriend. You’re always pulling shit like this. Sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”
Remmy rolled her eyes. “You’re my brother, Orion. I love you. And I want to see you happy. Besides, mom is right. You can’t make babies with your company. I think you’d be a great dad.”
I stared at her in disbelief. “Where the hell is this coming from? In what world do you believe I would want a child?”