Page 10 of Already At Risk
“Yeah, she’s already landed, I think. I’m catching her art show tonight, and then we have plans to get dinner later this week.”
“Say hi to her for me.”
“Will do.”
It had been a few months since I’d seen my sister, so I was looking forward to seeing her. Collins lived in California with her real estate investment mogul husband, Beau, but they both traveled to the East Coast when time and circumstance allowed.
She had an exhibition tonight, but they planned to stay at their Boston home for the rest of the week, which was probably good. Seeing Collins and Beau would help take my mind off work and clients.
Or, more realistically, how badly I wanted one particular client.
“Your brain is anywhere but at this dinner, Cam. I’m beginning to think I should have gone with Beau to his fancy client dinner.”
“Fuck, I’m sorry.” I dragged a hand down my face, trying to shake myself out of it. But I knew it was no use; it had been this way all week. Ever since Natalie showed up at Gardner Law days ago. “It’s just this case.”
“It’s always a case,” my sister said with a sigh. “Sometimes I worry about you, you know.”
“Every job has its challenges.” Like the woman of your dreams becoming your client and then not being allowed to touch her. “It comes with the territory of being employed.”
When Collins gave me a disbelieving look, I doubled down and tried to focus on our conversation.
“You really mean to tell me that you don’t obsess over a painting for hours on end? That you don’t stress about your sales? That Beau doesn’t worry over numbers at his desk?”
“Have you met Beau?” Collins shook her head with a chuckle, her tight curls bouncing around her face. “Beau doesn’t understand the concept of stress.”
“When you let your phone die after that art show in Brooklyn and didn’t bother checking in with anyone, Beau called me like forty-seven times. I’m not even exaggerating.”
“Stress about work,” Collins clarified.
“Fine, ignore the Beau example. Your husband is an anomaly. He doesn’t count.”
I’d tried to be more critical of the man taking care of my sister when she first introduced us, but I quickly realized it was an impossible task. He gave her everything and moreandwas annoyingly nice about it.
Collins’ lips pressed together in a sheepish way that Irecognized from any situation where Beau came into the conversation. And then her expression morphed as she began to drive home her point.
“Painting and art is my passion, though, Cam. I obsess over a painting, but I love it.”
“Who says I don’t love my job?”
“I don’t know.” She gave me a scrutinizing look. “Maybe those bags under your eyes.”
Rude, but okay.
“These bags mean that I got shit done this week. Every time they get bigger means I’ve won another case.”
I probably should invest in a good eye cream, though. My thirtieth birthday just passed, so I had no illusions that the bags would be going away anytime soon.
Collins sat back in her chair with her wine. “I’m proud of you. Don’t think I’m not.”
“I know you are. You’re just being you.”
Sometimes it seemed like Collins grew up too quickly, became an adult too fast. As her older brother, I felt guilty about that. I should have shielded her more in the aftermath of Dad’s accident and death, shouldered more of the responsibility so she didn’t feel an ounce of it. We were both young, but she was younger.
It was one reason I was glad she had Beau in her life, though. He was successful and smart, but also fun and adventurous, and he breathed life into her while she brought him back down to Earth every once in a while. They were perfectly complementary.
“I’m the only sister you’ve got.” She pointed an accusatory finger at me. “I have a job to do, and I take it very seriously.”
“It’s appreciated, Lins.”
