Page 27 of Enemies with my Bestie’s Brother
I roll my eyes at his terrible attempt at humor.
“You’d think after all these years that a sense of humor might have rubbed off on you.”
“Man, you sure are grumpy. Did you wake up on the wrong side of the troll cave or something?” His brow crinkles with confusion.
I know I’m being a bit crabby, but I can’t help it. Whitney leaving this morning, combined with my phone dying on the way here, put me in a foul mood that I am having difficulty getting out of.
“Sorry, I didn’t sleep well last night.”
“You know, you can talk to me about whatever is really bothering you,” he says seriously.
Sometimes being a twin is irritating because he can read me like a book. One time, we watched a documentary about twin telepathy and it was honestly terrifying how accurate the whole thing was. It’s not going to win today, though, because I need to keep this secret.
“Really, it’s work. This whole tech startup thing is a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. It has a lot to do with AI, which is an ever-changing industry while it is still in its infancy. I try to keep up as much as I can, but sometimes it still leaves me feeling kind of moody.”
It’s almost comical to me, referring to myself with the word that Whitney uses to describe me. I don’t want it to be accurate, but it seems to be undeniable that it is.
“Be honest. Is it working with Landon? I bet that’s hard, especially considering how rigid he is with dad’s company.”
The look on Preston’s face is surprising, especially since I didn’t know that he thought along those lines.
“No, actually, working with Landon has been pretty good. He singular focus makes work go by a lot quicker.”
Preston examines my face for a moment. He clearly doesn’t believe me, but it’s not like he can drag the truth out of me. He will just have to settle for all my lame attempts at lying.
“So, tell me more about this startup and what it does, anyway. I’m actually pretty curious.”
He leans back as our food is set down on the table. My stomach growls at the sight of stuffed French toast on my plate.
“How’d you know I wanted French toast?” I ask instead.
“Seriously? What good would twin telepathy be if I didn’t know what you wanted to order?” He laughs.
I shake my head and give my first genuine smile of the day. I cut off a square and take a bite before answering his previous question.
“You make a great point, little brother,” I smirk as he rolls his eyes. “And, in all honesty, I’m not quite sure how to describe the specifics. But, AI is becoming huge at the moment, dominating the tech industry in multiple companies. Landon and I thought it would be a good idea to get into an area where the opportunities are endless and the market is hot.”
“That’s smart. I’ve heard a lot about the use of AI too, specifically with regard to marketing and stuff like that. Big stuff is happening with the robots. Hopefully they don’t take over one day.” He smirks, as he is referencing a movie we watched in our youth, which was about a house that becomes sentient and locks its inhabitants inside.
I snort as I take a sip of the coffee in front of me. Delicious and mood-lifting, just the way that I like it.
“So, where are you headed off to this time? Maldives, is it?” I change the subject.
I’ve had enough work talk, to be honest. It almost feels like it’s all I think and talk about. Well, work and Whitney. The two W’s that rule my life.
“Well, before we talk about that, we need to talk about the birthday party that Penny is planning for us. Has she mentioned it to you yet?” He shoves some eggs in his mouth.
I shudder at the idea of their rubbery texture. I mentally go over all the conversations I’ve had with Penny over the past month, and I don’t recall any of them being about a birthday party.
“No, I don’t think she has, actually. Isn’t she awfully busy, though? She’s planning that charity. Plus, with Baby J…” I start, and Preston nods along with me.
“I know, that’s what I was thinking. I told her that she should just let Mom plan one of the events, but she wouldn’t hear it; you know how Penny is. She wants to prove to everyone that she doesn’t need help and can do it all herself.”
“Well, it is respectable at least. Way better than someone who pushes all their problems and duties off on another person.” I shrug.
I don’t know anyone like that, but I do know that they exist. The bad manager type, I would assume.
“It is Maldives, by the way,” Preston says suddenly, and I know that he’s ready for the subject to change. “It looks so nice this time of year, and the resort that I found is incredible. The second night includes a four-course dinner cruise!”
