Page 49 of Finance Bros

I genuinely thought my father would stay married to Ryan’s mom Jill forever—their romance was a whirlwind, and theyseemed obsessed with each other for a solid few years, which left me and Ryan alone to become each other’s worlds for a while.

I wonder if Ryan knows why they called it quits. My dad only says stuff like “it wasn’t working out for us.” To my knowledge, he hasn’t dated anyone since Jill. He seems fine, though. Always in a good mood whenever I talk to him. He lives in Los Angeles now, so I don’t see him as much as I used to.

“Mal?” Ryan prompts.

“Um…we were talking about the podcast?” I ask, trying to replay the conversation that led to my sitting here.

“I was talking about stitching creators with bigger followings. You all right?”

“Yeah, yeah. No, I think that’s a good idea. Builds momentum. Did you ask that friend of yours?”

“Calyx?” he asks.

“Such a weird name.”

“I can ask him. I’ll see him at the gym today.”

Do I hate Calyx? I think I might hate Calyx. “What gym do you go to?”

“It’s by my apartment.”

“Where’s that?”

“Lower Haight,” he says with a scowl. “Why?”

“Yeah? Cool neighborhood. Is it a good gym?”

“It’s fine,” he says, but I get the sense I’m veering dangerously close to a firmnone of your business.

I change course. “Does your cat get along with dogs?”

Ryan arches a brow.

“I was just thinking if we need to meet up again—the three of us, we could maybe do it at your place since you both hate mine, and I don’t blame you. But Stephanie gets weird when I leave.”

“What does she do when you’re at work?” he asks, masterfully sidestepping the apartment topic.

“Day care,” I say.

He grins, but it’s not the kind of smile he was handing out like candy to other people. This one’s more mocking.

“She’s Kaylin’s dog,” I say. “I just follow the routine whenever I watch her.”

“Got it. Well, Bud weighs almost twenty pounds soStephaniewould be taking her chances.”

“She can hold her own,” I say.

“Can she?” His look has a challenge in it that I’m not sure is meant entirely for Stephanie.

I answer in kind. “She’s more open minded than you might think.”

He takes a sip from his water bottle. “Sure, we can use my place next time, if you don’t mind my roommate hanging around.”

Roommate?“Are they like—always there?”

“No, but I don’t know his schedule.”

I don’t know how to feel about Ryan living with another man. I have questions.

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