Page 4 of Pretend for Me

Charlotte was my foster sister. She had been in my life since she was two years old. After all these years, I held up my promise to keep in touch with her.

“Oh not you too, smartass!” Charlie punched my shoulder playfully.

“Watch your mouth!” I scolded, still having that big brother instinct after all these years.

Rocky hurried out of the bedroom, barking as soon as he heard Charlie’s voice. He jumped on her in greeting.

“Ugh, get your mutt off of me!” Charlie swatted the dog away, moving behind the kitchen island so it could be a barrier between her and my dog.

I whistled and proceeded to give Rocky a treat from the glass canister on the counter. I inherited him, more or less, from an old friend, Beau who had passed away eight years prior.

“He’s been through a lot. Give him a break,” I defended the dog.

“He’s lucky you found him after Beau died,” Charlie remarked, grabbing a handful of chocolates off the counter.

My first few years after joining my father’s company, Adams Point Financial, were filled with nonstop traveling. I spent more time adjusting to time zones than doing work it seemed. Eventually I was stationed in the New York office.

Upon traveling to my family’s New Jersey home, I found a frail-looking Rocky in the middle of the road. Beau was “home-challenged,” aka homeless, but he always took care of his pet first, so I found it odd that Rocky was alone. Once I got out of the car to help the dog, I discovered my friend’s body.

“I’m the lucky one.” I huffed, remembering things that haunt me. Dogs really were man’s best friend.

Truth was, my parents disapproved of me taking in the dog, let alone insisting they pay for Beau’s burial. Liz, my adoptive mother, had just had heart surgery and tried guilting me intogiving the dog to a shelter. But the once passive and agreeable Matthew was nowhere to be found, so I refused to comply.

I snorted, thinking back on the manipulation tactics my parents used. I should have spoken up more often.

Maybe I wouldn’t be so miserable today. Sure, I had a job any guy my age would kill for. I had an apartment overlooking Park Avenue. I had friends, two luxury vehicles, and money from my trust fund gifted to me when I turned twenty-one. I even had Rocky and Charlotte. But when people asked me if I was happy, I couldn’t answer honestly because in fact I wasn’t. In reality, I was the furthest from it. The last time I was happy was withher.

I usually followed my parents’ orders with little to no resistance. My life was planned out for me even prior to getting adopted. All that was expected of me was to follow orders.

Buzz. Buzz.

“Fuck!” I muttered then looked at Charlie sheepishly. “Don’t be like me!”

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Charlie said with a shit-eating grin on her face.

I walked over to the intercom. “Yes?”

“Mr. McAlistar is here to see you. Shall I send him up?” Louisa alerted through the speaker.

“Yes, send him up.” I walked over to the dining room chair, grabbed my suit jacket, and proceeded to put it on. Once in front of the hall mirror, I adjusted it and fastened the button.

As I ran my fingers through my short hair, I got irritated. I used to get annoyed with my wild, long hair. Now I couldn’t miss the mess more.

“You look handsome! Where are you going? Hot date? On a Tuesday in the middle of the afternoon?” Charlie droned on and on, flipping through a magazine she’d grabbed from off the table.

“No,” I chided, giving her a pointed look, not liking her jokes. Charlie knew full well that I didn’t have a date. The only person I ever wanted to date ran away from me almost ten years ago to the day.

Charlie rolled her eyes for the fifteenth time in five minutes. If eye-rolling were a sport, Charlotte would have a gold medal.

The elevator doors opened, and a booming voice called out, “Yo Matt, I told you we couldn’t be late. Do you seriously want my balls to get cut off? Some of us want to be able to enjoy using them from time to time.” Holden gave me an incredulous look when I didn’t move any faster.

Holden was a friend of mine from prep school. He had transferred to Saint Joseph’s shortly after my adoption. His carefree and lighthearted demeanor was a much-needed reprieve when I was missing my old life. Holden’s dad was a marine biologist and traveled constantly, and his mother had passed away when he was younger so we had bonded over our childhood wounds.

“Seriously! He was primping, and I asked him if he was going on a date,” Charlotte added, bursting into a fit of laughter. Holden joined right in. Charlotte and Holden loved ganging up on me. It had become a favorite pastime since they’d met years ago.

“Both of you, shut up! God you’re worse than old women!” I shook my head, pouring Rocky more food and gesturing toward the door. “I’m ready.”

“Can I stay and chill while you’re gone?” Charlie batted her eyelashes.

---