We weren’t supposed to be here, and yet I can’t help but be thankful that I was on that flight. Thankful to meet my sweet Pumpkin.
“Miller,” my brother says, and I look up from my phone. “Do you have anything to add?”
He scowls at me, and I nod as I stand up from my seat. “Meeting is adjourned.”
I walk out of the boardroom without a backward glance, but I can feel my brother's eyes burning into my back. He takes things too seriously sometimes, and it’s my job to remind my twin that he’s got to let go every once in a while. Too bad it never works.
Frost and I share an office on this floor, and when I walk inside, I see the landscape of the city below. I step to the wall of glass and look out, wondering where Pumpkin is and what she's doing right now. I message the driver and ask for the address of where he dropped her off, and I don’t analyze why I want it so badly.
“What’s gotten into you?” Frost scolds as he closes our office door and goes over to his desk. “This is important, Miller, you can’t just fuck off at the finish line.”
“What do they care? They’re all making enough money that their generations never have to work again.” I wave a hand dismissively as he curses me in Russian.
“You’re obsessed with your phone.” When I look over at him, he’s cutting his eyes at me. “Is she texting you?”
I shrug and tuck it into my pocket. I’m not ready to reveal everything to Frost, which is unlike us. We don’t keep secrets. “Have you heard from our mother?”
He takes a seat in his chair and leans back, sighing. “She called and left a voicemail.” He tosses his phone onto his desk and then a moment later he hits a button and her voice fills the office.
“Hello, Frost, please let your brother know that I want to meet tomorrow to discuss important matters. Your father will be here, so I expect you both to be on your best behavior.” There’s a long pause as if she is summoning her patience. “You both owe me.”
Frost shuts his phone off, and neither of us says anything for a long time. I don’t know that we owe her anything, but there is a guilt that comes along with the favors she asks. She might not have been a good mother, but they did the right thing and sent us away, together. For a long time our father threatened to separate us, and I knew that would have killed Frost and me. He knew it too, which was why it was his favorite weapon.
“Do you think she wants money?” Frost finally asks.
“Why not just ask for it? She knows we would gladly pay it to not see her.”
Our relationship is complicated, and I hate that one phone call from her occupies so much of our headspace. Most of the time we never speak their names and don’t bring up the painful memories. But when our mother calls, it all comes back, and I can feel everything Frost does. The anxiety, the guilt, the longing. It’s all too much, and I don’t know how much longer we can do it.
“Thanksgiving is in two days, but she wants to see us tomorrow,” Frost says, and the statement makes me think.
Normally our parents throw lavish holiday parties, so it’s strange she would want us there the day before and not the day of.
“Maybe it’s a ploy to get us to attend.”
Vera knocks lightly on the door and steps inside. “I had a late lunch delivered.” She wheels in a tray, and my stomach grumbles as our office manager lays out food for us.
“Is Wyatt back yet?” I ask, and she thinks for a second and nods.
“I believe I saw him downstairs when I picked up the food. Do you need me to page him?”
“Nyet.” I shake my head and check my phone to see he hasn’t responded yet.
“You’ve got a conference call with the Australian team in twenty minutes,” Vera reminds us on her way out. “I’ll page you just before so you can log on.”
“How many more meetings do we have scheduled today?” I grumble as I grab one of the sandwiches.
“Six.”
I scowl at Frost, and I see a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. He’s enjoying this way too much.
My cell phone vibrates, and I look down to see a text from Pumpkin. I try to hide my excitement as I unlock and read the message.
* * *
Pumpkin: Made it home safe, thanks for checking on me!
Me: Are you free tonight for dinner?
* * *
I send the text without a second thought. I already know I want to see her again, and although we will be in meetings for hours, I need to have this settled before I’m finished. As I wait, I see the bubbles come up on the screen and then disappear like she’s typing but changing her mind. After what feels like an eternity, she finally sends a message back.
Pumpkin: I’m sorry, I have plans with my family.
My heart sinks, but I refuse to give up.
Me: Dessert? A late drink? Midnight stroll? Sunrise coffee?
My foot taps nervously as I wait for a response, and when it finally comes, I can’t read it fast enough.
Pumpkin: I’m not sure…
What are the dots? Why is she not sure? Did she not enjoy her time with me on the plane? She asked me to spend Thanksgiving with her family, and now she’s playing coy? Just then another text comes in from Wyatt with her address, and I can feel my sinister smile growing. All right, little Pumpkin, play hard to get.
Me: You will have dessert with me tonight. I will pick you up at nine o’clock. Wear a dress.
This time the response comes quickly.
Pumpkin: Okay.
I smile as I place my phone on my desk and look over at Frost, who has probably been watching me the entire time. He shakes his head at me as he eats his lunch and Vera calls in to tell us it’s time for our next meeting.
Perhaps today will turn out much better than I had anticipated.
Chapter Seven
Pumpkin
I toss my phone onto the bed like it’s a hot stone burning my skin.
“I said yes,” I tell Cookie in a panic, and her eyebrows rise but she sure as hell doesn't ask why I’ve had this change of heart. My voice is higher than it should be, so she knows something is up, and I’m trying to play it off. “I don’t even know this guy. He could be a killer searching for someone to cut his magazines into pieces and make ransom notes to send to the police. Or you know, become his next victim.”
“That would be stupid of him. First he demands to sit next to you so that asshole will leave you alone. Then he gets your phone number—if he didn't want to see you he wouldn't have asked for it. I say he’s more than interested, and he might be letting you lead. Some men don’t want to be pushy. I mean, look at how he dealt with that prick on the plane.”
“Is it terrible that kind of turned me on?” I ask sheepishly.
“Nope. He could just be obsessed with you.” I stop pacing to look at her. “Not like, murder-you obsessed.” She rolls her eyes at me like I’m the crazy one. “I think this is the sexy kind where he can’t keep his hands off you and he’s always calling and texting.”
“Are you trying to scare me or reassure me?” I push the obsession thing to the back of my mind. That’s not going to happen because we’re opposite in every way. Especially when it comes to appearances. I’m not saying I’m ugly, I’m just not on his level. At this very moment I’m wearing a shirt that says Dr. Pepper on it and leggings with ripped-up shorts over them. I changed when I got back home because here I can be me.