Page 144 of Whispered Sins

“Thank you,” I said as I watched her write our names on our cups, adding a few birthday doodles to mine.

I left a twenty in the tip jar and followed Brody to the end of the counter to wait for our drinks. It was early. We still had about thirty minutes before we needed to start the workday at the office. It was Brody’s idea to go for coffee beforehand.

“So,” he said, eyeing me cautiously as we waited.

“What?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

I knew that look. That tone. He wanted something, but was afraid to say what.

“Since it’s your birthday…Freddy and I…”

“Nope.” I shook my head.

“You didn’t even let me finish.”

“I don’t need to. I have plans tonight. My couch. Pizza. Beer. The last thing I want to do is go out and party with you two.”

Brody groaned. “Come on, man. You never go out anymore. You’re so mopey. In fact, Freddy and I call you that. You’re like the eighth fucking dwarf, except instead of being holed up in a cottage with a hot chick, you’re holed up in your penthouse.”

“I like it.” I shrugged.

The barista called my name and slid our drinks across the counter. Brody grabbed his and I wrapped my hand around the paper cup covered in balloons and confetti. A slightly embarrassing display that I was one year older.

Birthdays never bothered me before. I enjoyed the parties. The attention. Every year seemed to get better and better. I felt like I had my life figured out. I could have retired five years ago. Hell, maybe even ten. To everyone else, I’m sure I looked like I had it made. I thought so too at one point.

But then I met Heart and everything got flipped on its head.

I had a taste of what a real relationship was like. I saw a glimpse of what my future could possibly look like as a father. While it had scared me shitless at first, now it was all I could think about. Now my life didn’t seem so full.

“What if we just keep it low key?” asked Brody, taking a sip of his coffee.

He wasn’t letting up. Knowing him, he already had the night booked and planned. This coffee date was just his way of trying to get me to go. Freddy probably put him up to it.

I looked up at the ceiling, exasperated. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Fine. Low key. Just the boys. Whatever you probably already have planned, cancel it. I don’t need strippers popping out of cakes or bottle service girls coming home with us.”

“Aww. But it was so fun last year,” he chided.

I shot him a look. “Fine.” He rolled his eyes and headed toward the door as I trailed behind him, feeling annoyed.

The workday was filled with mostly meetings and going over the final designs for the launch of our product with London. It wouldn’t be out until next year, but we had to finalize the colors and fonts for our newest AI software. The tech magazines were already talking about it, since we purposefully leaked bits of information. Our plan worked, and the hype was already building around it. It was the most anticipated release in the tech world.

After the final meeting of the day, I sat back in my chair and sighed triumphantly. We had finally nailed down the final look of everything, and come to a solid agreement with our associates in the UK. Not an easy feat when there was an ocean and a drastic time change between us.

Brody rolled in a bar cart with a bottle of champagne on ice and two glasses.

“What’s this?” I asked, leaning back in the chair of the conference room and eyeing him curiously.

“Just a little celebration.”

He popped the cork from the champagne, the sound echoing through the empty room. He was careful not to let it spill on the floor or the conference room table as he poured two generous glasses before handing me one.

He raised his glass.

“To London. Our biggest launch ever. And to you, brother. One of the youngest billionaires in the country, even with it being your birthday.”

He really was trying. I couldn’t fault him for that.

---