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“Better not give our suite to anyone,” I tease.
“Already told him that was non-negotiable.” Ivan smiles.
“And please, for the love of God, get some good talent. JJ can’t keep holding the team down. Not sure if you know Teller Washington, but he and his brother Tristin are on the tail end of their contracts with the Miami Stars. The city would love them.”
Sienna’s brother, JJ, is going on his fourth year with the Trailblazers, and the only consistent part on the team. If you were to ask my opinion, I’d have requested a trade already if I were him, but Sienna says he loves the ’Blazers—it’s no secret he needs some damn help, though.
“Great to know.” Marcus gives a sophisticated nod. “You know, if you ever wanted out of the air, I could make a position for you.”
We all chuckle, the energy feeling light and brotherly.
“I think I’ll stick with the family business, but thank you.”
When the waiter finally comes with our buffet of meats, we fall into a hungered silence.
“So, how’s the tour?” Ivan asks, patting the corner of his mouth with white linen.
“It’s going well. I haven’t gotten the chance to check out the show, but from what I’ve heard, they’re killing it.”
And what I’ve seen behind closed doors has been enough to carry me over.
“Any eye candy?” he asks, giving me a knowing smirk.
More than eye candy—more like a honeyed delight that’s awakened the sourness of my soul.
A cough catches in my throat, and before I can answer, I have to rinse down my worry with water.
“You remember Fia, right?” I ask, cautious about saying too much. I don’t want to jinx myself.
For two years, my brothers have been relentless in asking me what was wrong. What had gotten into me. Asking what made me want to stop clubbing—what, or who, they could thank for finally knocking some sense into me—but I haven’t budged.
“Yeah, Sienna’s friend, right?” he mumbles through another bite.
“Yeah…” I hesitate, fiddling with my fork.
“What about her?”
“She’s, uh…she’s a dancer on the tour.”
Ivan’s eyebrows rise instantly, the fork he was shoveling to his mouth slowing in transit.
“That’s unexpected…”
“Yeah, unexpected it one way to put it. I’m just kind of helping her out with something, so that’s why I needed the studios.” My throat contracts. I don’t know why letting my brother into my arrangement with her, even if it isn’t fully, feels like it could jinx it.
“As long as Maddy took care of you, I don’t need an explanation.” With no judgement, Ivan’s eyes find mine between bites, and I nod. “I don’t even know if I want to know the details of what helping her out means, but I wouldn’t mind knowing what all of it means for the two of you.”
I pause, taking a sip of my cocktail for courage.
“I don’t really know what it means,” I answer honestly.
“Can I make a wild assumption that you like her?”
Like brothers do, he sees right through my uncertainty. It doesn’t take much for Ivan to find the root cause of anything I’m feeling, especially when helping a woman I had a one-night stand with two years ago is way out of character for me.
Hesitantly, I nod.
The din of the restaurant feels like white noise to our table, the two of us taking in the severity of a conversation we’ve never really had, for either of us.
