“I’m not.” I pat Sean’s chest. “You two have ignored me long enough, so I’m sticking around to remind you how amazing I am.”
That lures a chuckle from Sean but not from Declan.
He drops a hand on my shoulder. “Ava, we messed up. Work kept us from London. It was wrong. It won’t happen again when you go back. I’ll be there for the holidays.”
I won’t hold him to that.
“I want to see this apartment.” Sean sinks both his hands into the front pockets of his faded jeans. “When is move-in day?”
“Tomorrow,” I answer quickly. “Decky is helping me move my luggage over in the morning.”
Sean laughs again, but this time, it’s louder. “I fucking love that you call him that.”
“Declan,” Decky says, exasperation edging his tone. “You both need to drop that nickname.”
“I love you.” I gaze up at him. “I’m going to the kitchen to see if I can help Callie.”
I brush past Sean, but he tugs me into an embrace. “I’m so damn happy that you’re back, Ava. I missed you, little one. I love you.”
I look up into his eyes. “I missed you too, you big jerk.”
“You love me, right?” he asks with a smirk.
“Not as much as she loves me,” Declan says from behind me. “Now, let her go before you squeeze the life out of her.”
I glance at the dining room table, silently counting the place settings. I count again before I turn to glance at Sean. “There are only four of us here, but there are five…”
A knock at the apartment door sends my brother in that direction in a sprint. “Hold that thought, Ava.”
Anxiety nips at me because I wasn’t in the mood for a surprise tonight. Since Declan and I arrived an hour ago, both of my brothers have asked me if I’m seeing anyone in London. I answered with a shake of my head.
Declan seemed pleased with the answer, but it was Sean who took it to another level. He told me that there is a man two years older than me who works at Wells that he wants me to meet.
My brothers have never set me up before, and I’m happy to keep it that way.
If Richard, the accountant that Declan hired four months ago, is standing on the other side of the door, I might make a run for it. I don’t want to spend my time in Manhattan with a guy my brother thinks is perfect for me.
I keep my gaze trained on the door, hoping with everything that I am that the person on the other side of it is someone who doesn’t want to get in my pants.
As Sean nears the door, he calls out. “Secret knock, or you don’t come in, Harry.”
My stomach drops.
I glance to my left to where Callie is standing. She shoots me a megawatt smile that at any other time would be comforting, but she has no idea I almost slept with the man waiting to enter this apartment.
“I need to use the washroom,” I say quickly before I turn toward the hallway.
A familiar series of knocks sound behind me as I follow the direction of Callie’s pointed finger and her whispered, “first door on your left.”
I stand in the washroom with the door slightly ajar so I can hear Harrison’s voice as he enters the apartment. “It’s great to see everyone. Thanks again for the invite, Sean.”
“You’re in for a surprise, Harry.” Sean’s laughter bounces off the walls. “Ava is here. It’s been forever since you two saw each other.”
I suck in a deep breath as I softly close the door. I walk over to the vanity and glance at the large mirror that is hung above it.
Hearing the muted sound of voices, I stare at my reflection. “It’s just Harry,” I whisper. “Don’t make it awkward. Just eat, drink, and scram as soon as you can.”
It’s not the best advice I’ve ever given myself, but it’ll do. It has to.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Harrison
I have no fucking idea what the expression on my face looked like when Sean announced that Ava is in this apartment.
She has to be hiding because I haven’t gotten a glimpse of her yet.
I shove the bottle of wine in my hand toward Sean. “Here.”
He takes it, his gaze dropping to the label. “You’re a fucking show-off, Harry. Seriously. Why the expensive wine?”
I huff out a laugh. “Because I like it?”
Callie approaches and leans in for a kiss on my cheek. “Thank you, Harrison. We appreciate the wine and the food. Oh my god, the food. I had a little bite, and it’s divine.”
Callie has become a friend since she got engaged to Sean. Her interest in Food Harmony has given me another outlet for honest feedback. Whenever Jos has a new vision for a meal kit, she’ll put it together and send it Callie’s way. There are several other people she does the same with because she trusts their honest feedback.
This morning she had several boxes of one of our possible future seafood offerings delivered here, along with preparation and cooking instructions. When Sean invited me over to taste test, I couldn’t refuse even though I sampled each dish two weeks ago in our food lab.
“I’ll pass that on to Jos.” I smile. “I asked her to join us, but she had plans.”
“With Ross?” Sean perks both eyebrows.
“Russ,” I correct him. “She dumped him yesterday.”
“Good.” Sean pats my shoulder. “He wasn’t right for her.”
He’s right, even though he never met the guy.
I nod, searching the room for any sign of Ava. I come up empty again.
“I’ll pour the wine.” Callie takes off toward the kitchen. “I’ll have sparkling water. Ave can have my portion because I know red wine is her favorite.”
Apple martinis are a close second.
“What’s going on with you, Harry?” Declan pats the center of my back.
I thought I was overdressed for this casual dinner since I paired a gray V-neck sweater with my black pants. Declan’s gone all out in a three-piece suit.
“Were you working today, Decky?” I smirk.
He hits my back with some force. It’s not enough to send me forward, but it’s enough to warn me not to use the nickname he pretends to hate. He’s become like a brother to me over the past few years.
I chuckle. “Point taken, Declan.”
He smiles. “I had a brief meeting after lunch. Someone has to take care of business on Sundays.”
That comment is directed at his brother. Sean rolls his eyes. “Get a life, Decky. We have people who can deal with that shit every day of the week. You didn’t have to pull that thing out of your closet and take the meeting yourself. No one is handing out gold stars for your achievements today.”
Their bickering continues as the soft sound of heels hitting the floor pulls my gaze toward the hallway.
I finally see her.
Approaching me dressed in a pair of skintight jeans, a black blazer and, what looks like a T-shirt with a sparkly red print, is Ava.
Jesus. With her hair bunched up in a messy bun on top of her head and pink gloss smeared over her full lips, she looks like every man’s dream.
I tear my gaze away from her because she’s not my dream. She can’t be.