Page 6 of The Tryst

I look up from the phone and tell my brother the good news. “And to think I was going to take off for London this afternoon.”

He holds his arms out wide, showing off the city he loves. “Like it’s a hardship to stay another night in Miami.”

I look around, inhaling the ocean air, the salty breeze, and taking in the decadent sun here at Finn’s gorgeous beachfront home—his second home since he’s mostly in New York. “It’s so terrible to be here.”

“You can stay another night.” He checks the time on his phone. “Marilyn is flying in this afternoon, but…”

I wave off the invitation. Shit’s been rough with his wife. The last thing I want to do is get in the way. I squeeze his knee affectionately. “Focus on your woman. I’ll get a room somewhere.”

“I’m sure she won’t mind if you’re here,” he says, like a hopeful fucker who can’t see the writing on the wall.

Marilynwillmind. She minds pretty much everything. I don’t say that to Finn though. He’s got to figure it out on his own—whether to Hail Mary his marriage or to punt.

“You sure?” he asks.

“No problem,” I reassure him. “I’ll call my assistant and ask him to handle the changes.”

Five minutes later, Kyle tells me he has me booked into a room at the art deco Luxe Hotel on South Beach where the conference is being held. It’s where I swam the other day in the ocean. “I got you into a suite. Just the way you like it,” he says, a hint of Queens still in his voice. “And I’ve got you on a flight tomorrow back to London.”

“Thanks, Kyle. I really appreciate it. Say hi to your pops for me.”

When I hang up, my brother’s looking at me curiously. “Is that Kyle, as in, Dad’s friend Jack’s son? The one who was in rehab?”

“Yup. He’s clean now. The kid needed a job, so I gave him one.”

Finn nods thoughtfully. “Any good?”

I shrug. “He’s not bad.”

That cracks up my brother. “You never think anyone is good enough, Nick,” he says through his laughter.

“That isnottrue,” I protest, but only half-heartedly, since it mostly is. I wish more people were more motivated. I wish people worked fucking hard. But people don’t. Which just means more opportunity for me.

“Let me amend it,” Finn says. “You never think anyone works as hard as you. Or is as smart as you. Or as ambitious as you.”

Do I think that? I’d kind of be a dick if I did. But no one knows you like family. Maybe Finn’s assessment is a little true. “My kid would be good enough if he’d come work for me,” I say, but I’m resigned to reality. He’s not coming to London to set up shop with his dad.

Finn smiles sympathetically. “That probably won’t happen.”

“Truer words. And on that note, I should get ready for the conference,” I say, then make my way inside, returning Valeria’s call as I pad across the marble floor to the guest room. “I’d be happy to do the speech this afternoon, but a stipend is unnecessary. You can donate my speaker fee to a local homeless shelter.”

“That’s so wonderful, Mr. Adams. We’re immensely grateful.” After that, she gives me the details, mentioning that the conference has attracted a lot of business press and podcasters, and they’ll be wanting to do interviews after.

Even better. “I’m game,” I say then I tap the names of the pertinent ones into my notes app.

After I end the call, I hit the shower. As I wash off the chlorine, an intriguing thought occurs to me. Since I’m here another day, maybe I’ll see the woman in the cherry dress again.

I close my eyes, dipping my head back under the hot stream, letting myself remember her.

I didn’t want to think of her earlier out by the pool.

But now that I’m alone, steam enveloping me, it’s hard not to remember the way she looked standing in the doorway yesterday afternoon.

Blonde hair curled over her shoulders. Her lush lips shined, red and glossy. She was wearing the hell out of that dress that hugged her curves—a dress that made my hands itch to touch her.

A bold, blue daisy tattoo on her left shoulder.

Most of all, I canstillpicture exactly how she’d turned her gaze toward me. I couldn’t tell the color of her eyes from a distance, but they stayed locked on me. I didn’t look away, just indulged in the view and everything I could tell about her beyond those pinup looks. Looks are great and all, but they aren’t what ultimately draws me to a woman. In those five seconds, she felt fearless and curious all at once.

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