Jeremy grins as soon as he sees me. 揌ere抯 the groom!?
I roll my eyes as I give him a hug and a slap on the back. 揚ass the bar yet, Brennan??
揔new I should have stayed in Boston.?His hometown抯 heavy accent saturates each word, sinking syllables in the lazy drawl. 揟hings I do for you, Kensington. Especially since I didn抰 get so much as a cigar from you for graduating from the law school that spews out presidents.?
That, I do feel bad about. I was planning to return to Harvard for Jeremy抯 law school graduation, not just send a gift. Back before my marriage became imminent. 揑抣l make it up to you.?
Jeremy shakes his head. 揑抦 mostly fucking with you, man. I know the job was you. Everyone in my year wanted the position at Kensington Consolidated. I owe you.?
揂ll I did was mention your name,?I tell him. It抯 true. We both know that抯 all it takes when your last name is plastered on the building.
揂ll the gift you need will be watching Crew try to manage his bride at the wedding,?Asher tells Jeremy, opening one of the boxes of pizza that抯 appeared on the granite counter of my kitchen island. 揊ucking hilarious,?he adds around a big bite of pepperoni and cheese.
I grit my teeth and reconsider opening a beer; mysterious activities be damned. Asher insisted on accompanying me to St. Patrick抯 Cathedral for the one joint wedding-related event neither Scarlett nor I were able to get out of: meeting with the priest. Neither of us have a wedding party. It was Scarlett抯 request, and one I was happy to go along with. I would have wanted to ask Asher to be my best man梬hich I guess he picked up on, given his hat梐nd would have been obligated to ask Oliver instead.
Since the lack of bridesmaids and groomsmen limits the number of people involved in the nuptials themselves considerably, the meeting also involved going over the logistics of the ceremony. Evidently, Hanson Ellsworth decided he didn抰 need any guidance on walking Scarlett down the aisle, so it ended up being just the two of us sitting and standing in total silence. I抦 surprised the priest didn抰 suggest couples counseling.
Asher didn抰 witness any of the awkwardness inside the cathedral. He抯 referring to the fact that Roman, my driver, pulled up outside the cathedral at the same time as Scarlett抯 car did. Meaning he had a front-row seat to the tense encounter that marked the first time we抎 seen each other since the dinner at my family抯 estate several weeks ago.
An evening meant to build bridges.
Between me and Scarlett, they burned.
揧ou remember Scarlett, don抰 you??Asher asks Jeremy.
Jeremy grins. 揝he抯 hard to forget. I had a class with her freshman year. Managerial Accounting.?He grins. 揝he gave the professor a run for his money. Only reason I understood cash flow analysis.?
揧ou talked to her??I ask, taken aback. During our college years, I was grateful my path never crossed with Scarlett抯。 Happy to fuck around with whatever梐nd whoever桰 wanted with no reminder of the responsibilities waiting for me following graduation. I never considered my friends might have talked to her. Done more than talked to her.
Jeremy shrugs as he grabs his own slice of pizza. 揂 couple of times. I mean, there wasn抰 a guy in that class who wasn抰 trying to tap that.?
My jaw clenches with something that feels a lot like jealousy.
揑 mentioned Crew once, trying to impress her,?he continues, then laughs. 揌ad the opposite effect. It took me until sophomore year to figure out why.?He glances at me. 揝till don抰 get the whole arranged marriage thing. Leave that to the royal family.?
揅rew isn抰 all that broken up about it,?Asher replies. 揥ithout lifting a finger, he抯 marrying the hottest woman I抳e ever seen.?
I look Oliver抯 way. He抯 remained mostly quiet as he munches on pizza. I抦 surprised he agreed to come to this. I抦 not surprised he抯 currently reading on his phone. Something related to work, no doubt.
We finish eating and then head out. Asher holds firm in his refusal to share any details of the evening抯 plans. When the elevator doors open to the lobby of my building, it抯 just beginning to grow dark outside. Asher and I follow Jeremy and Oliver梬ho抯 still on his phone梩oward the doors that open onto the street.
Halfway there, I notice a woman standing at the front desk. Her back is to me, but she抯 wearing jeans, a white blouse, and a pair of pink heels. I trail my eyes up from the splash of color, tracing her curves up until I reach the elaborate braid her brunette hair is pulled back in. Hair the same color as?
揝carlett??
The woman抯 shoulders rise and tense. Lower, like she抯 letting out a long breath. She didn抰 come here to see me, that much is obvious.
揘ever mind,?I hear her say before she turns around.