Page 10 of Ghosted
He rubs his chin, long fingers rasping against the five o’clock shadow. “Yeah, for the most part. My eldest brother Adam is… overbearing sometimes. He’s older than the rest of us by quite a bit, so I think he ended up taking on a parental role by default.
Unfortunately, he never stopped mother-henning us. It makes it hard to be close to him because it always feels like he’s judging or parenting. The rest of us, Grant, Luke, myself, and Clara, are varying degrees of closeness. I would say I’m the closest to Grant and Clara. Grant, because we are very similar in personality and in the same business, and Clara, because we’re total opposites, but we get each other on a fundamental level.”
I try to imagine what it must have been like to grow up withseven people constantly around and just…can’t. My little family of four already felt constrained in some ways. I can’t imagine adding an extra three people to that dynamic. “Wow. That must have been a really interesting way to grow up,” I say.
He shrugs. “I guess. It’s just something you get used to. I can’t fathom only having one sibling. What happens if you’re mad at each other? Then you don’t have another sibling to talk shit with. You just have to”—he shudders—“deal with it.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Yeah, when Wren and I get genuinely angry at each other, it’s cataclysmic. It’s only happened two or three times that I can remember, but those were dark days.”
“You guys never fight?” Now it’s his turn to look bug-eyed.
“Of course we do! But it’s always over stupid things that don’t really matter. Minor annoyances. Despite our very different personalities, we just get each other. Similar to you and Clara, I guess.”
“Rae, I’ve got two hot chocolates for you!” Misha calls from the counter.
“I got it,” Dean says, springing to his feet before I can even think about standing.
When he gets back, I ask, “So what made you want to be a lawyer?” It’s something I’ve been wondering about because I couldn’t imagine willingly going into a profession where you have to read thousands of bland legal documents. Especially because Dean seems like the least stuffy person I’ve ever met.
He laughs low in his throat, and the sound gives me instant goosebumps. “That is a long story. One for a different day.”
“Ah, this is your way of trying to get a second date, isn’t it? You’re hoping the mystery will keep me coming back,” I tease.
“Is it working?” he asks slyly.
“Maybe a little. Can I get the short answer?” I take a sip of my hot chocolate and sigh. All is right with the world. If it wouldn’t rot my teeth from my skull, I’d drink Misha’s hot chocolate all the time. It’s sweet, but not overly so, and has a complexity of flavors that is hard to pin down. Not to mention it’s the perfect thickness. Divine.
“Well, since my charm is working, I guess I can do that.” He pauses to think it over, taking a sip from his own to-go cup of hot chocolate. “Holy shit. This is the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth,” he says, staring down at the cup like it just solved all of his problems.
“I know, right?” I nod and tap my cup against his.
“Okay, the short answer is that my great-grandpa was a lawyer. And ever since, every man in my family became a lawyer. Other than Adam and Luke, anyway. I’m in the same practice as my dad, actually. He and my grandpa founded it. Some went into different sectors, but being a lawyer was non-negotiable.”
“Until Adam,” I clarify.
“Right. Until him. When he decided he didn’t want to do it, and then encouraged Luke to follow in his footsteps… Well, it was impossible for me to ignore the pressure. I’m a chronic people pleaser,” he says with a rueful smile.
“I have a chronic desire to be helpful, if it’s any consolation,” I offer. I don’t want him to feel like he’s the only one opening up. We can probably relate more than he thinks. While my Gift isn’t exactly a choice, I’m following in the footsteps of more ancestors than I can even conceive of.
“Two peas in a pod,” Dean says, placing his arm along the back of the couch. It’s barely skimming my shoulders, but theintent is clear. While the move is very high school, I have to say it’s working for me.
“Smooth,” I say, gesturing to his arm. He grins in a way that shows off the slight dimple in his left cheek again, and brings his arm fully around my shoulders. He looks at me with his brows raised in question, but rather than answer, I lean my head against the crook of his shoulder. I bask in his warm, clean scent and the feel of his expensive jacket against my cheek. His hand brushes softly up and down my shoulder, and I feel content for the first time in a while.
We sit there like that for a while in companionable silence, sipping our hot chocolate. I’m amazed by the fact that I’m not feeling the desire to fill the quiet. I’m not nervous at all anymore. The urge to tell him my biggest secret has also faded. It’s like my brain knows the time will come when it’s necessary. I’m allowed to just enjoy this date. Wren is right again, dammit.
“As much as I’m not ready for the night to end, I have to get going,” Dean says quietly after we polish off our hot chocolates. He doesn’t move his arm, but loosens it a bit so I can look at him. “I have to get into the office kind of early tomorrow.”
“On a Sunday?” I ask.
He rolls his eyes. “I know. I hate it. One of my firm’s biggest cases to date is set to go to trial mid-week next week, and we’re sort of all-hands-on-deck. There’s a rumor that whoever provides the most useful evidence could be in line for a promotion to partner.” It sounds like a good thing, but the way he says it is less than enthusiastic.
“Is that something you want?” I ask.
I feel more than hear his sigh. “Isn’t a promotion what everyone wants?”
I decide not to pry into his non-answer. We don’t know each other well enough yet for me to figure out if he’s the type to enjoy someone prodding for more information. I also don’t want to seem like I’m upset that he has to work tomorrow. For all my talk of being freaked out by the mention of anniversaries, I definitely can’t pull the “don’t go to work, stay with me” card on the first date.
“Okay, I totally understand,” I say, gently disentangling myself from his side. We both stand and stretch, a bit stiff from sitting in the same position for a long time.
