Page 16 of Finance Bros

My fingers swirl through the hair beneath my navel, and I picture what his happy trail might look like—dark…silky maybe?

Goddamnit.Stop.What thefuck? I take my hand off my stomach and flip to my side. Do people need midnight dog walkers? Surely there’s a market for that. Night shifters? I could put up whatever small stack of flyers I can afford to print for fifty bucks in hospitals, I guess.

Okay. I’m spiraling. According to my therapist, the best way to manage a spiral is to take an action. So fuck it. I pick up the phone and call my stepmom.

Jill answers the call, breathless, panicked. “Mal? What happened?”

Oh wow. I totally just called my mom after midnight. Not cool.

“Nothing, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize what time it was.”

“You’re okay?” she asks.

“I’m fine. I just wanted to see if I could get Ryan’s number.”

“My Ryan?” Now shereallysounds alarmed.

“Yeah. Ryan. I don’t have his number, and we’re in an internship together. I had a work question I wanted to ask him.”

“You’re in the Marks & Baker internship?” she asks, like it’s the first she’s heard about it. Granted, I do consider her my mother, but in a distant way, especially since she ditched my dad. Not that I’m mad at her. I’m just not the best about keeping in touch.

“Yes.”

“WithRyan?”

Now I’m getting nervous. “Uh-huh.”

“Why didn’t I know about that?”

I dodge that question, not wanting to think about all the reasonshewouldn’t want to tell her. “Did I wake you?”

“Yes. Do you have a pen?”

I put her on speaker and open up my notes app. “Yeah.”

She gives me his phone number and asks again if I’m all right. I assure her I am.

“You’re not going to upset him when you call, are you, Malcolm?”

“I…I’m not gonna try to.”

“Because you know it doesn’t take much between you two.”

“I really just have a quick question for him.”

“Well, can it wait until Monday? Won’t you see him?”

“Maybe,” I admit. “I’m sorry I woke you.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay. You scared me.”

“Sorry,” I say again.

“All right, good night. Good luck with the internship. And don’t be such a stranger.”

“I won’t. Let’s catch up soon.”

“In the daytime,” she says.

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