Page 34 of Storm

“Hola, papá. Listen, I need to tell you something and you should probably sit down for it…”

CHAPTER 16

RICHARD

“Sorry for being late. I got held up by a meeting before leaving for the day,” Kevin says, sitting down across from me at our regular restaurant.

“Don’t worry about it.” I wave a hand at our server to let her know my friend has arrived, and she hurries over. “Can we get a couple of rum and cokes? Something top shelf, but the bartender can pick which one.”

“Not a problem,” she says, jotting down our order. “Would you like a few moments before ordering?”

Reading her nametag, I flash her a smile. “Yes please. Thanks, Katie.”

She hurries away, and I turn to Kevin. “I have a proposition for you, and I want you to hear me out before you immediately say no.”

He sits back and crosses his arms. “I’m all ears.”

“Victoria called me.”

Raising a brow, he doesn’t say anything at first, then asks, “She’s the one we were supposed to meet, right?”

“Yes. So, I know we normally wait a bit before we go, but she’s very on board with meeting us, and I’d like us to go.”

Leaning forward, Kevin opens his mouth to respond, but Katie shows up with our drinks. “You guys know what you want?”

Thankful for the interruption, I order a medium rare steak with their house potatoes and sautéed mushrooms. Looking at Kevin, I’m frustrated with the hard look he’s shooting in my direction.

“I’ll have the same thing,” he says, then hands over his menu and I do the same. As soon as she’s gone, he leans forward and lowers his voice. “By us, do you meanus?” he asks, waving a hand from him to me. “Or do you mean Ezra and Tate as well?”

Rapping my knuckles on the table, I take another sip of my drink to consider how I want to answer. “If you think they need another weekend up there, then we can send the invitation, but honestly, I was thinking just the two of us with her. Last time was… well, Ezra was a bit of a problem and Tate did nothing to help rein him in. “

“The last time was a bit of a different situation we hadn’t found ourselves in before. I’ll be honest; I’m not sure I’m up for another trip there. I don’t…” he trails off, considering his words, then admits, “The way things ended doesn’t sit right with me.”

I grow irritated, mainly because that whole weekend with Miriam has been bothering me. I’ve felt on edge ever since, and the only way I know to expel this pent up energy is to move on to someone new. My next words aren’t the ones I had planned to say. “She contacted me. Miriam.”

He seems surprised and gives me his undivided attention. “Really? Why?” I don’t miss the way he glances at his cellphone sitting on the table, which tells me he never received a call. That only piques my interest in why she’d have called me and not him.

Shrugging, I hate to admit that I didn’t bother to ask. “She called me at my office and I reminded her of the NDA and asked her to stop trying to contact me.”

“Butwhydid she call?” he asks, leaning his body toward me and it hits me. He fucking wants her again.

Matching his energy, I lean forward as well. “Get your mind away from her, Kev. It’s been like two months, and she was a bad decision to begin with.”

“Why? Because you didn’t vet her yourself? Jesus, Richard. She was the best we’ve ha?—”

“No!” I say louder than I should, drawing attention from others eating at the restaurant. “No,” I repeat, angrily whispering this time. It’s a lie, and we both know it, but I won’t back down. Miriam is a wild card I can’t control. Not that I need to controlher, but I don’t trust myself around her and that’s something I’m unwilling to bend on.

My friend clenches his jaw, working it side to side in frustration. “What did she call you for?”

“I have no idea, Kevin. I didn’t ask.”

I leave him with nothing to say, so he looks down. Katie, our waitress, brings over our meals and sets them in front of us quietly, obviously sensing the tension. I thank her, then pick up my fork and point it at him. “I want to go back to the cabin. Victoria has some time off next weekend, so I can fly her out like we had originally planned. The only reason we’re feeling off is because things weren’t wrapped up the way they usually are, and she lashed out.”

When he still says nothing, I try one more way, softening my voice so he can hear how sincere I am. “Please, Kevin. Come with me. I think we both need this. I’m struggling at work, anxious and restless, and I know you are as well.Thisis how we’ve always handled it.”

His fork is midway to his mouth, but he sets it on the table, seemingly disgusted by his meal. But thankfully, he concedes. “Alright. I’m not calling Tate or Ezra, though. If we’re going to do this, I’d rather have it be more low key. Next weekend?”

“Yes,” I reply quickly, growing excited quickly over the idea of emptying myself inside someone again. Flashes of dark hair spread across her pillow slam into me, but I bite my cheek and force my thoughts to turn blonde. Victoria is blonde, what I’ve always preferred.

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