I’m not on board with that. I need my morning coffee as badly as I need the air I breathe.
I take another approach. “Can you show me how to use it?”
He shakes his head as he adjusts the knot on his tie, even though it’s perfect as is. “No time for that.”
“There is always time for that,” I say with a smile.
He ignores my obvious craving for coffee as he drops his gaze to his watch. “How did you sleep?”
I know his time is precious, and carving out a few hours for me this morning is costing him money.
Sean is committed to the growth of Wells, but Declan has sunk his heart and soul into the company. I suspect, in large part, that’s for our brother’s benefit. He wants Sean to succeed as much as he wants me to.
“Fine,” I reply, even though I barely slept.
My mind was racing with thoughts about school, the side hustle that is paying for my apartment, and Harrison Keene’s cock.
Chelsie seemed excited to see it, so naturally, that left me wondering what it looks like.
“Fine?” Declan’s deep voice tramples over my thoughts, chasing them away. “Did you have trouble sleeping?”
“I slept,” I say because it’s the truth.
My brother doesn’t need to know that I closed my eyes for a total of ninety minutes.
“Have you thought about getting a job while you’re here?”
It’s a typical Declan question that I anticipated he’d launch in my direction. I’m surprised it took him this long.
“It would keep you occupied, and it’ll help cover the rent on your new place,” he continues without any prompting from me.
I stare at him, waiting for the inevitable pitch about to fly out of his mouth.
He clears his throat. “Why don’t you work at Wells? We can create an internship for you. You name the department you want to work in, and I’ll make it happen.”
As not-fun as that sounds, I can’t tie myself down to a job working in the same office as my brothers. I have worked hard this past year to establish the foundation for a career I hope will carry me to retirement. I plan on telling Declan and Sean all about it when the time is right. That’s not for another couple of weeks.
“I’m keeping myself busy,” I say with a smile. “I’m able to pay my bills. That’s all that matters, right?”
He laughs. “You mentioned that there’s a piano in your apartment. Are you offering private lessons, Ava?”
I shrug. “I might be.”
“I think I hit the nail on the head.”
Overconfident Declan is a sight to behold. He believes he knows everything about me, but my life has changed in many ways since I moved to London.
“Your inheritance kicks in when you’re twenty-three,” he reminds me. “Sean and I talked. We’re willing to sell a portion of the company to you then. You’ll be a silent partner, Ava. That way, you’ll reap the benefits without having to be hands-on. If you want to pursue a career in music, you’ll be able to do that without any monetary worries.”
Declan is always thinking ahead, but the fortune my grandfather left me is the last thing on my mind right now. I plan to hire a financial advisor a few months before my twenty-third birthday. If all goes well, I can donate a portion to organizations that need it more than I do. Then, I’ll invest the rest. I’m determined to earn a living doing what I love.
“That’s really generous.” I move to kiss his cheek. “We’ll talk about it when I’m twenty-two and a half.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” He wraps both arms around me.
The buzzer rings, signaling that the doorman is trying to reach my brother.
I step back from our embrace and clap my hands. “My luggage must be here.”
Declan scoops his keys up from a table near the door. “Let’s get down to the lobby. We’ll have it loaded into the company car that is waiting for us. Next stop is your new place, Ava.”
This is it.
I slip the strap of my sling bag over my shoulder and grab the backpack I had with me on the plane that contains my sheet music, phone charger, laptop, and make-up. “Our next stop is a café on the corner. Then I’ll give you a tour of my home for the next two months.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Harrison
I glance out of the window of the car. “What the fuck, Sean? We’re supposed to meet Graham and Bane in ten minutes.”
Sean doesn’t answer. Instead, he swings open the door next to him and exits the black SUV.
The vehicle is one of the perks he has for co-owning Wells. Jurgen, the driver, seems to always be at Sean’s disposal. I have a driver too, but I limit the times I use him because I prefer traveling through the city via foot or public transportation.
It was Sean’s idea to pick me up twenty minutes ago to head to dinner with our friends. I arranged it because it’s been a few weeks since the four of us got together, and I have a feeling Sean wants to spread the good news about the baby.
I follow Sean’s lead, but I take a minute to check for oncoming traffic. By the time I’m rounding the back of the vehicle, Sean is headed toward the glass doors of an apartment building.
We’re supposed to be entering the doors of the French restaurant where our friends are waiting for us in the private dining room, but this pit stop seems important to Sean, so I’m on board.
I catch up to him just as he keys something into his phone.
“What the hell?” I ask him. “What are we doing here?”
He holds up a finger to quiet me down as he brings the phone to his ear. “I’m here. Buzz me in.”
My brow furrows. “Who are you talking to?”
The lock on the exterior doors buzzes, so he gives it a tug to open it. “Be right up.”
He ends the call with a tap of his finger against the screen of his phone.
I follow on his heel because there’s no turning back now. Sean acts on impulse so whoever was on the other end of that call is someone he wants face time with now.
“Are you about to give another employee hell?” I ask as I trail him into the lobby. “Did someone steal underwear again?”
He lets out a deep-seated chuckle. “I forgot you tagged along when I fired Bryan. Remember how much of our product he had in his apartment?”
It was criminal. The guy was hired to work in the finance department at Wells, but he devised a scheme to steal hundreds of pairs of underwear and hide that with some creative accounting.
As soon as Sean realized what was happening, he headed to Bryan’s apartment. I went with him because it was a show I didn’t want to miss.
Bryan got his ass handed to him by my best friend. He was arrested two days later when Declan got wind of what was happening.
Sean jabs a finger into the elevator call button. “This is not an underwear recovery mission.”
I follow him into the lift as soon as the doors slide open. “What is it then?”
He adjusts my tie. “We’re checking out Ava’s new digs.”
The words come out of him easily, as if this is no big deal. It’s a huge fucking deal to me because I didn’t anticipate seeing her tonight.