Page 35 of Mine To Take

TRISTAN

“I’m only in town for one night. I don’t care if you’re crazy about this girl. I’m taking you to a real party.”

I switch the phone from my right ear to my left. “Nope. Bro, I know you’re hopelessly in love with me, but I’m spending as much time with Cora as I can before I leave this weekend.”

Nick snorts. “Shut up. Does Cora know what an ass you are? Should I tell her?”

“You’d better sing my praises. I like her.”

“What’s the point?” Nick sounds genuinely puzzled. “You’re leaving in a few days. You live across the country from her…”

“Thanks for pointing that out, genius. It wasn’t obvious before.”

Nick chuckles. “Stop trying to bite my head off. Why don’t I pick you both up tonight? Cora will like it, I think. Don’t be selfish, keeping her all to yourself.”

Knowing Nick, it’ll probably be the kind of party where famous people pop up. Cora might like it. “I’ll ask her.”

“Great! That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“Fuck you.”

He laughs. “Looking forward to seeing you, bro.”

* * *

“Vineyards, villas, and now a party?”Cora is lying naked on my chest, in her bed. “Who’d have thought after months here I’d need a cute geek from Palo Alto to show me Florence?”

“You think I’m cute?”

“Of course that’s the part you heard.” She rolls her eyes.

“I’m not a geek.” My eyes go to a painting of flowers above her bed. Flowers here, a painting there, plants on the balcony. Little things that make the space all hers.

She sets her chin on my chest and smiles up at me. “You’re a geek.”

I sigh. “Maybe a little.”

“It’s okay,” she teases. “I don’t mind.”

I pull her face up close to mine. “That’s because I’m extra cute.”

“And sexy.” She bites her bottom lip, and I feel myself harden. “The sexiest geek in the world.”

* * *

Later,I leave her in bed, taking the steps down to the street and waving at a scowling Enzo before walking a few blocks to a public car park where my car is waiting. Nick is already in town but is staying at a city hotel because he doesn’t want tocramp my style.

At the house, I take a shower and read some of my messages. Most are from Evan Billings, the manager I hired before I ended up in the hospital. He’s been busy fitting up our new office space and setting up the interviews I’ll conduct when I return. He’s an older man, quiet and efficient, with the experience to oversee a business in the tech industry.

After scanning his email updates and seeing that there’s nothing requiring my immediate attention, I continue the book I’ve been reading about the history of Florence, then text a few insults back and forth with Nick, before messaging Cora to tell her I miss her already. We talk until she tells me she needs to study, then I doze off.

I wake up to my phone buzzing. It’s Nick.

“I’m in the driveway, waiting for you. You ready or what?”

“Come inside, Jeez. You woke me up.”

He snorts and I hear a car door slam. “What kind of founder sleeps during the day?”

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