“Did you not eat dinner?” I ask him.
“I did, but I’m a growing boy.” He pats his flat stomach.
Imogen laughs.
The elevator dings again, and a minute later, we hear Ford yell, “What the hell is she doing here?”
“I think Lena just arrived.” Imogen holds up her finger.
We all laugh. Lena is the Jacobs’ family PR rep, but pretty much her sole responsibility is Ford because he’s always “fucking up,” as Mr. Jacobs puts it.
I pull out my phone. “I gotta make a phone call.”
“Who to?” Imogen asks.
“Drake’s got a girlfriend,” Maksim says with a chuckle.
I crinkle my nose. “Yeah, she wears my letterman jacket and everything.” I shake my head at Maksim.
“I thought she wore Joran’s,” Maksim hammers back—fuck, how did I forget about Joran?
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Forgot about him, didn’t you?”
“I’ll be back.”
I walk into the Jacobs’ formal living room, which, if I had to describe it, I would say looks like an antique store. With a grand piano. Always the grand piano in places like this. I don’t even think any of the Jacobses play piano.
I decide that I don’t want to wake Saige, so I opt for a quick text to tell her where I am and that I’ll hopefully return to the room soon. Mr. Jacobs’ yelling and Ford’s talking back make me feel as though maybe I’m lying.
As I’m about to rejoin them in the kitchen, Mrs. Jacobs walks into the room. She’s in her pajamas and she sits on the couch, looking over a dark Central Park and the New York skyline.
“I’m going to be a grandmother,” she says. “I never dreamed it would happen at this age, but I suppose you boys are getting older now.”
I sit down in a chair. “This girl could be lying, or it could be someone else’s.”
She shakes her head and rests her hand on her stomach. “I’ve always trusted my gut, and my gut tells me this is it. Something had to happen before those two would rip each other’s heads off.” She nods toward the hallway that leads to the office where we can still hear Ford and his dad going at each other.
“How will a baby improve that?”
She smiles. “Because a baby bonds people. Doesn’t always keep them together, but it bonds them. Mr. Jacobs might seem harsh, but once he lays his eyes on his grandchild, their happiness will supersede all else.”
“Still, I’m not sure you should get your hopes up.”
“Oh, Aiden.” She leans forward and pats my leg. “Sometimes the best things happen as a result of the worst things you could imagine.”
I don’t know why the next words leave my mouth except that I need to talk to someone because I fucked up. But I don’t want to look at anything between Saige and me as a fuckup. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Always.”
“I’ve been falling for this woman, but she’s seeing my agent. I don’t think it’s serious between them or anything, but I slept with her tonight.” I throw my head back because all I saw was her and I forgot about Joran. I’m a total douchebag.
She pats my leg again. “You boys… the first question you need to answer is how much she means to you.”
“A lot. I haven’t felt this way—ever.”
“Then you challenge him to a duel.” She chuckles.
“A duel?”
“You fight for her. Your story is as old as time. Two men falling for the same woman. If she means that much to you and you honestly believe you’re the better one for her, then you need to fight for her. And just to clarify, I’m not talking about fists.”
I chuckle now. “I know.”
“Well, forgive me, but you know my son.”
I laugh and stand, knowing what I need to do. “I gotta go.” I kiss her cheek. “Thank you for the advice.”
“Any time, son, and please help Ford through this. He’s capable, but he’s going to believe he isn’t. Show him he is for me.”
“Definitely.”
I go into the kitchen to tell Maksim I’m leaving, and I say goodbye to Imogen.
Once I’m in a taxi, I text the first person I need to make it right with.
Me: Are you home or traveling?
Three dots appear just as I figured they would. He’s never without his phone.
Joran: Home. What happened? Is there something I need to know?
Me: No, just curious. I’ll talk to you in the morning.
Joran: You sure?
Me: Positive.
My next stop is the airport.
I figure seven o’clock in the morning is a respectable time to knock on Joran’s door. He’s probably been up for hours anyway.
He opens the door wearing silk boxers. “Okay, now I’m freaking out. What the hell is going on?” He ushers me in as though the police are looking for me and I’m a criminal.
“We need to talk.”
We walk through the kitchen toward the back patio by the pool and something in red catches my eye. A brunette in skimpy red lingerie is pulling apart an orange at the kitchen table.
“Viola, say hello to Aiden. Aiden, this is Viola.”
I stop in my tracks and tilt my head, making sure I understand the situation. “New roommate?”
Joran laughs. “Sure, man, come on.” He slaps me on the back to go outside.
Once we’re away from Viola, I don’t take a seat like Joran does. “Who is she really?”
“Have you been out of the game that long? Why do you think she’s here?”
“I think you’re fucking her.”
“Give the man a prize.” He claps. “Now sit your ass down.”
“You son of a bitch. How could you?” Before I can think better of it, I punch him in the mouth.
He holds his bloody lip, eyeing me. “Why the hell would you do that?” He stands. “Do you know her? Is she someone else’s?”
I point inside the house. “I don’t know who she is, and it doesn’t matter. What about Saige? You’re fucking around on her.”
He grabs a napkin and heads inside before coming back with some ice. I pace in front of the pool, my fists clenching at my sides.
“You’re gonna have to start from the beginning,” Joran says.
“You and Saige and now you and Viola. Did you tell Saige? Or are you just fucking around behind her back like always?”
He shakes his head. “Aiden, I’m not with Saige.”
I still and look at him.
He tries to hold both his hands in the air, but one hand is still holding his ice pack. “I’m not. I swear.”
“But she said…”
“She broke it off with me weeks ago. We’re very different people who want different things. I don’t have time for a girlfriend, and frankly, I don’t think she even wanted to be my girlfriend anyway.”
I crouch down and bury my head in my hands. “She lied?”
“I’m completely lost. Is this why you’re here so early? Because you thought I was messing around on her?” Joran sits down and holds the ice to his lip.