Page 66 of Charm

“The real question is what made you choose to wear it, Rook?” I point at his shirt, which so happens to be an exact match to mine.

The fact that we both have on faded jeans only adds to our twinning look.

“I need to go shopping for new clothes.” He gives me a side hug before shoving the pizza box at me. “That, my well-dressed friend, is a pepperoni pie from Franzini’s.”

I’m not surprised. Rook knows the eatery in Brooklyn makes my favorite slice. It doesn’t hurt that one of the paralegals who works for Rook’s law firm is the sister of the guy who owns Franzini’s. I know Rook gets a deal whenever he places an order, but he’s a stellar tipper, so it all balances out in the end.

I glance past him. “Where’s Kirbs?”

“Still with Chesca,” he says. “I get her tomorrow.”

“So I’ll see you again tomorrow?”

“Of course you will. Come over for dinner.” He gestures toward the double glass doors of my building and the doorman standing at the ready to open them. “Do we need to make a beer run, or do you have some?”

“I have a few bottles in the fridge.”

“It’s time to eat.” He takes off toward the door. “Did you find some chocolate cigars we can surprise Declan with?”

Since I’m the one who brought up the idea of getting Declan cigars at the hospital during the wee hours of this morning, I need to get on that. Rook thinks it’ll be hilarious to presentDeclan with a box of chocolate ones. I think our old friend would prefer a real cigar to celebrate the birth of his son, but I’ll defer to Rook on this.

“I’ll get some,” I say.

“I know you will,” he calls back over his shoulder as he enters the lobby of my building after passing the doorman a few bills. “You’re the guy with all of the candy connections in this city.”

“What’s her name?”Rook asks as I walk into my main living area with another bottle of beer for him in my hand.

We finished the pizza within minutes after we sat down to eat. After that, we talked about Declan, Abby, and their newborn son. The look on Rook’s face during that conversation told me he’s as excited for our mutual best friend as I am.

I pass it off to him. “Who?”

“The woman who has you smiling like that.” He tilts the bottle in his hand toward me. “You haven’t smiled like that in years, Holden.”

I drink from the water bottle I opened for myself during dinner. “The smile is all about baby Gilbert.”

“Bullshit.”

I bark out a laugh. “Can’t a guy be happy for his best friend?”

“I’m your best friend,” he decides. “That’s how I know you’re not on cloud nine over the new baby. You’re crazy about someone, so who is it?”

“If there was a woman…and I’m not saying there is…I wouldn’t say I’m crazy about her.”

“So you are crazy about a woman.”

“Fuck you, Rook.”

“I’m a goddamn lawyer, Holden.” He tilts the bottle in his hand slightly. “I’m an expert at reading between the lines, and the lines here spell out great sex with a beautiful woman.”

“She is beautiful,” I say because I can’t argue that point with him. “I’m not talking about fucking her with you.”

“That means it’s the best sex you’ve ever had.”

“Leave,” I demand with a grin. “Just go if you’re going to keep pulling that.”

“What’s her name?”

“Greer,” I tell him. “We met in East Hampton.”

---