Page 23 of Strictly Business

“Nevermind,” I say between clenched teeth.

“Good, let’s keep it that way, huh?” Finn folds the newspaper and tucks it under his arm standing from the table. “I have some errands to run. You can handle this, right?”

“You’re leaving?”

“Got shit to do, Shortcake. I expect…”

“Don’t call me that.”

“…a full report of what you did in the morning.” He tosses his jacket over his arm and slings his bag over his shoulder.

“You weren’t even here yesterday! How are we going to get this done if you keep not showing up?”

“According to Nina, you’re the expert. You figure it out.”

“You’re insufferable.”

“At least that’s something we can agree on.” He smiles and finishes his coffee. “See you in the morning, Shortcake.”

I snarl at the nickname, and it makes him smile before he leaves. He has got to stop calling me that. I let out a frustrated groan when he’s gone. I don’t know which is worse, Sheffield, the arrogant teenager, or Finnley Sheffield, the trust fund baby pretending to be a businessman.

This whole thing has to be a joke. Some kind of test. Nina cannot seriously think I can finish this project when the person in charge doesn’t even show up to get anything done. What infuriates me even more is the fact that if Nina were here this wouldn’t be happening. He’d be here every morning, ready and willing to do whatever it took. What irritates me more is the fact she won’t help me get him under control.

I might as well start packing up my office on Columbus Circle because at this rate I can kiss my real job goodbye. It's like she's trying to find a way to fire me. Is this her way of having an easy way out? No, no she wouldn’t do that. If she wanted to do it, she would just do it... Right?

“It seems like you guys are getting off on the right foot,” Liv says, leaning against the door frame. Her red lips are pulled into a smirk, and small copper ringlets escape from the bun on top of her head.

“I can’t do this, Liv.”

“Sure you can!” She encourages me through a smile, placating me.

“No, really, I can’t do this. I can’t work with him.”

“Funny, he said the same thing about you.” She giggles falling into one of the chairs next to me. “Can’t you guys put your differences aside long enough to get through this? And then you never have to see each other again.”

Ever the optimist. I won’t get away from him that easily, he’s still one of my brother’s best friends.

“Kind of hard when he doesn’t show up for his own business.”

“What are you working on anyway? I’ve been super curious since Nina started meeting with him last month.”

I pull up yesterday's PowerPoint and turn the computer toward Liv; there’s a curious shift in her expression. “Foster kids?” I nod. “Interesting, so this is like a nonprofit?”

“Guess so. It’s a company that helps kids find homes or reunite them with their families. Also, they want to take over one of the old buildings in Brooklyn and turn it into a type of housing and learning center. He’s calling it Sheffield House.”

“And this was Finn’s idea?”

I shrug, turning the computer back to me. “Wanna trade jobs?"

"As fun as that sounds... No.”

"What does he need to do this for, anyway? It's not like he needs the money. He has plenty of it in his trust fund. And foster kids — what does he know about helping foster kids?”

"Maybe he wants to prove he can do something on his own. Something good.”

I scoff.

"I'm just saying,” she lifts her hands, “we all have our reasons for doing things. Maybe you should try to figure out his. It might make this a hell of a lot easier."

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