Elise rolled her eyes. “So? She’s important to you, isn’t she?”
I hesitated to agree, but she wasn’t wrong. Catherine kept me running on a daily basis, and she was so easy to be around. I spent more time with her than any of my previous assistants.
“Yes, she is,” I admitted.
“Then I want to buy her a gift.” Elise turned to Saoirse. “What are you doing after this? We need to shop for the baby.”
Saoirse rubbed her hands together. “Yes, we absolutely do. I know the cutest little shop nearby. What’s she having, Elliot? Boy or girl?”
“I have no idea.”
Saoirse’s mouth dropped then snapped shut. “Why am I not surprised you haven’t asked? If it doesn’t make money or help you conquer the world, it isn’t on your radar.”
Miles cleared his throat. “I’m sitting over here, offended I wasn’t asked to join in on the shopping trip.”
“Do you know anything about babies?” Weston asked.
Miles slung his arm over the back of his chair. “They’re small. They shit and cry like it’s their job. On occasion, they start out cute, but usually they look like little angry old men until they get older.”
Saoirse nodded along with him. “You aren’t wrong.”
“Just missing a lot of very important details,” Elise added.
Miles threw his hand up. “Come on, Lisie. Bring me shopping with you. If I’m left to my own devices after this, I’ll get into trouble. Do you really want to be responsible for that?”
Weston nodded to me. “Elliot and I are going for a hike. You and Luca should join us.”
I held my breath, hoping like hell Miles would turn him down.
“Yeah, that sounds more fun than shopping for a baby.” Miles addressed Saoirse and Elise. “Sorry, ladies. I had a better offer.”
Fuck.
At least Luca would be there as a buffer. The Aldrich brothers were known for their bickering, and I didn’t have it in me to listen to two or three hours of it.
“Catch me next time,” Luca said. “If my wife is busy, I’ll go for a ride.”
Fuck again. I guess I’d have to search deep inside the well of patience I usually reserved for the egomaniacal men I dealt with at work.
Saoirse leaned into him, her bottom lip poking out. “You’re taking the motorcycle out without me?”
He kissed her cheek and dragged his nose into her hair. “Don’t worry, pretty girl. I’ll take you for a ride later if you want.”
“I want,” she murmured.
The waitress brought our drinks and took our food orders. The topic moved on, thankfully, and Miles and Saoirse began talking about the business they’d started together.
“We landed a new client yesterday,” Saoirse said.
I raised a brow. “You’re still doing that?”
This was mostly said in jest, but there was a kernel of truth behind my question. I’d known Saoirse since she and Elise had roomed together in college. She was a quality person—I wouldn’t have allowed the friendship to continue otherwise—but she’d never stuck to one thing, place, relationship, or job for any length of time.
Her and Luca’s marriage had been a complete surprise since neither of them had been known for their love of commitment. Then she and Miles—who I still viewed as the kid who routinely tried to pants me whenever I was forced to be in his presence—had started a business consulting firm. The past few months had been a strange upheaval of my friend group. Everything was changing at a pace that often gave me whiplash.
She flipped me off. “Yes, asshole. And we’re killing it.”
I raised both hands in surrender. “Sorry. I’m only kidding. I know you’ve been putting your blood, sweat, and tears into it.” Teasing Saoirse was all too easy, especially when she gave as good as she got. She and Miles deserved accolades, though. I knew firsthand what starting a business was like. It wasn’t for the weak.
I picked up my orange juice. “Cheers to Saoirse and Miles. Keep killing it out there.”
We toasted them, and as I tipped my drink to my mouth, my gaze slipped toward the sidewalk. I froze when I caught sight of Catherine walking in the direction of the restaurant. Our table was right beside the low picket fence barrier that marked the space. In moments, she would be passing directly by us.
“What are you looking at?” Elise swiveled in the direction I was staring. “Oh! Is that Catherine?”
“It is,” I confirmed warily.