Page 31 of Why Not Both?

“These numbers look good,” I say as I flip through the pages.

“They are good. They’re great, in fact. And Dad gave all the credit to Tanner.” She sneers as she says the name and I do everything in my power to suppress a grin.

“Was he at dinner last night?” I ask, handing back the report and getting my own shoes.

“Yes. And he was his usual cheerful and charming self.”

I don’t laugh. But I do remind myself how Tanner, Vic, and I had all been good friends in university. She hadn’t had a problem with his charm back then—though she’d always found his cheer a little annoying. Then I remind her who she should really be mad at.

“Look, Vic,” I say, opening the front door and following her into the hall. “You’re my best friend. You’ll always be my best friend. And so, when you decided you hated Tanner, I got on board. But if we’re being honest here, Tanner just applied for a job and now he’s doing it. Your father is the one who hired him instead of you.”

“I don’t need your reasonable opinions. I can hate whomever I want for whatever reason I want.”

We ride down the elevator in silence and then step out the front door and cross the street to the Seawall.

“How was the dinner otherwise?” I ask and Vic tells me all about it.

She mentions how her brother skipped it, again, in favour of going out to a club with his friends. Who goes clubbing on a Thursday night? Liam Sterling, the man who has his daddy pay for everything, that’s who. I hate all of it for Vic—the obvious favouritism, the patriarchal drama, the fact that her parents have never really gotten on board with her sexuality. They keep hoping she’ll settle down with a “nice boy” and forget all the women she’s dated. Which, I believe, is one reason she keeps going back to Emily: her parents hate her.

By the time we reach Blue Vista, Vic has run through the evening’s events but seems as tense as before.

“Hey,” I say. “I’ve got everything here. Why don’t you go relax for a few hours? Go watch the seals.”

She looks unsure. Vic’s favourite place in Vancouver is the underwater viewing area at the Vancouver Aquarium, where she sits on a bench and watches the seals swimming in circles. She always has an annual pass and every year, Blue Vista makes a sizable donation to the Marine Mammal Rescue Society.

“There’s a rehearsal today,” she says.

“I’ve handled rehearsals before. The wedding is the main event and it’s tomorrow. Go to the Aquarium, sit with the seals, relax, come back ready to help me kill it tomorrow. You put me in charge of event coordination for a reason.”

“You put yourself in charge of event coordination,” she reminds me, dryly.

“Yeah, when we came up with the business plan in school. But when you decided to make it a reality, you didn’t change the business plan and you could have.”

She rolls her eyes, but stares in the direction of Stanley Park. It’s still another thirty-minute walk to the Aquarium—longer if she decides to walk through the park—but she nods. “Okay. Call me if you need anything.”

I wrap her in a hug. “You are an excellent business woman. And one day, your portfolio will look better than anything Tanner Marcus can create.”

“That’s not a fair comparison. He started with a pre-built company. I’m starting from the ground.”

“Exactly. He cheated.” I like Tanner, but that doesn’t mean I can’t throw him under the bus if it makes Vic happy.

She huffs a laugh and I let her go.

“Get out of here. I’ve got this.”

She nods and continues down the Seawall, taking the long way to the Aquarium as I knew she would. I unlock the doors to the venue and head straight to the staff lounge to start a pot of coffee. Derek and Adalie arrive, grabbing mugs and heading to their offices. I stay in the lounge, but it isn’t until Lis arrives that I realize I’ve been waiting for her.

“Morning,” she says, pouring herself a cup of coffee and adding a bit of cream and way more sugar than should be necessary.

“Morning,” I respond. “Ready for today?”

She nods. She’s here much earlier than she needs to be—she doesn’t need to cook anything until dinner. But I know she wants to get things sorted for tonight and tomorrow. It’s her first wedding where she’s the head chef. And even though we’ve only known each other a few days—not even a week yet—I know she wants it to go smoothly.

I follow her as she heads toward the kitchen, stopping at my office. “You’ll let me know if you need anything?”

She turns to me with a small smile. “Shouldn’t I go to Derek? Since he’s the one who will get me what I need, if there’s anything missing?”

“Right. I mean, just…” I scratch the back of my neck. “If you need anything from me. Don’t hesitate.” I am so lame.

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