They’re going to be full of questions I just don’t have it in me to answer.
My friends know I come from money. After all, it’s no secret, especially in this town, who my father and mother are. The Abbot-Fritzes aren’t just wealth. We’re Boston’s most elite family. Royalty to a certain extent considering the way this city follows my brothers’ lives. Particularly their dating lives.
But by and large, the press doesn’t care so much about me. I am Rina Fritz, sure, but I’m not a hotshot doctor. I don’t have a love life or much of a life at all for the public to scrutinize and gossip about. I stay under the radar.
It’s exactly the way I like it. The way I’ve manufactured it to be.
Even after what happened in New York, the press didn’t get wind of it. My family and Harrison’s family made it so. Money can buy a lot of things including silence.
Ice runs through my veins as a flurry of nightmares take their shot at infiltrating the barrier I’ve erected. I shake them off just as Halle’s head pops up and she spots me. A bright smile lights up her pretty face, her hand waving madly through the air as I approach. Laughter swells up my chest, a smile cracking past my drum exterior.
Once everyone else spots Halle greeting me like a child seeing Mickey Mouse for the first time, all heads swivel in my direction. The gang is pretty much all here with the exception of Drew, who Margot already mentioned wouldn’t join. But Aria and her boyfriend, Wes, are here. Aria’s BFF, Josh. Halle and her husband Jonah. Obviously, Margot too.
“She’s here,” Halle says. “We were wondering if you’d show up.”
“Hi, hi. I’m here. I made it,” I groan out dramatically, dropping into the seat beside Margot, but looking at Aria. “I’m sorry I’m so late. I had to meet my parents for drinks first.”
She waves me away as Margot slides an apple martini in my direction with a wink. I throw her a grateful smile in return. I knock Josh a fist bump and jut my chin in a what’s up at Wes and Jonah. I already saw Wes today at work, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen Jonah.
“I thought this was a girls’ night. Did I miss the big news?” I ask Aria as I take a sip of my drink that’s miraculously still cold and nearly full.
Aria gleams a smile, her blue eyes light and happy, and I immediately glance down at her hand. No engagement ring, so I’m guessing that’s not the news.
“Well,” she starts. “The guys all decided to join, and the timing worked out. But yeah. You did. Only because he was already here when everyone else got here.”
“Huh?” I tilt my head, my eyebrows pinching in as I steal a nacho, popping it into my mouth and crunching away. I’m starving. “Who are you talking about?”
No sooner are the words out of my mouth than someone pulls out the empty seat between Aria and Josh. A dark head of thick hair, face pointed down, slides in. Broad shoulders and barely disguised arm muscles give way to thick forearms as they land with a gentle thud on the table. My gaze snags on the black ink on his left forearm, creeping up until it reaches the hem of his heather-green tee.
“You’re new. I don’t think we’ve been introduced yet.” His voice crackles at the edges despite being smooth and deep. Like ice in expensive whiskey. Something about it makes me shiver unexpectedly. I realize he must be speaking to me and I look up, away from his tattoo to meet his eyes.
That’s when I pass out.
Okay, maybe I don’t actually pass out.
But I feel like I’m about to. Especially the longer I blink repeatedly like a mindless fool at the man sitting directly across from me. The one with the intense blue eyes. Like… Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pines had a lovechild caliber of blue.
And they’re staring right at me.
Into me.
With… zero recognition.
Fire swarms up my body, landing directly in my cheeks. My heart starts to pump unevenly and for the second time tonight, my hands shake. A smirk crawls up the corner of his full lips as he runs a hand along that stubbled, cut-from-stone jaw. He tilts his head in amusement, almost as if he’s waiting on something from me.
Did he say something to me? Oh right.
“Um. No.” Yup, that’s as good as I’ve got.
“Rina,” Aria cuts in, bless her. “This is my older brother, Brecken. He just moved temporarily to Boston from New York. That was the big announcement and why I wanted you ladies to come out tonight. I wanted you all to meet him.” She gestures to him with pride like he’s a display on The Price is Right complete with showgirl jazz hands and all I can do is continue to blink.
Older. Brother. No, that’s not possible. He can’t be related to Aria because Aria is my best friend and that would mean…
A strange ironic laugh flees my lungs, nearly escaping my lips before I drown it with a sip of my drink.
I’m tempted to point out that I don’t actually need an introduction since we’ve met before, but until this very moment, I didn’t actually know his name. I didn’t know anything about him other than he’s charming as hell, an amazing kisser, insanely talented with his fingers, and without a doubt the best sex I’ve ever had. Unfortunately, I think he’s even better looking now than he was that night.
“Rina,” he says with a little something extra while his eyes dance around my face. “Pretty name. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Uh-huh.” Again, that’s all I’ve got. Because flabbergasted has nothing on me. I’m gaping at him, doing a stunning impression of a goldfish while he seems completely unruffled.
“Where did my drink go?” he asks Aria, shifting away from me and it’s like the bubble is burst. Pop. I glance down into my drink, staring at the pale green color and taking another sip. Does he really not remember me?
“I finished it. You took too long coming back from your mysterious phone call.”
“Aria,” he growls. But he doesn’t waste time yelling at her. Instead, he pivots around, and I catch the corner of a flirtatious smirk. “Hey,” he calls out to a passing waitress. “Would you bring me another dirty martini as well as another round for the table while you’re at it? On me. And add yourself a thirty percent tip along with it.” The waitress simpers, batting her eyelashes at him and I don’t think it’s because of the tip he just gave her.
“You okay?” Halle whispers in my ear. “You look pale. Did the meeting with your parents not go well?”
Halle, there are so many things that have not gone well tonight I hardly nowhere to begin. “I’m fine. I just haven’t eaten anything yet,” I reply before lifting my glass and downing the rest.
“Um. If that’s true, you probably shouldn’t drink like that.”
“Probably not,” I murmur to her. “May I please have a cosmo instead of this next time?” I ask, holding up my now empty martini glass. The waitress swipes it from my hand with a nod, and I dive back into the nachos before Halle starts to scold me.
Dirty martini, appletini, now a cosmo. I’m like a bad Sex and the City episode.
“Sure,” the waitress purrs at Brecken. “Whatever you need.” She makes a point to touch his shoulder, her face flushed and her eyelashes still fluttering at him before she saunters off.