Page 44 of The Innovator

“Good. He needs a little humor in his life.” Audri pulled a metal tray from the refrigerator and set it on the marble countertop. Then she turned to stir the big pot of soup, releasing a delicious aroma that had my stomach growling.

“Wow, you made these wontons from scratch?” I asked, examining Audri’s work of wonder on the tray. The yellow wontons looked perfect. “Do you cook often?”

“Didn’t use to, but Remi loves wonton noodle soup, so I’ve been making that and a few other meals my mom taught me. She’s fabulous in the kitchen.”

“I suck at cooking.” Kiera helped take out the soup bowls from the cabinet. “It’s just easier to order out or stock up on frozen meals.”

“Baking is more my thing.” Michelle took out fancy chopsticks from the drawer and looked over at me. “Oh, do you know how to make macarons? Royce and I had the best pistachio macarons when we visited Paris.”

“Sorry, cooking and baking aren’t my forte.” I moved the trays of food Audri had catered to the side table, making room on the counter. She only made the wonton noodle soup. The amount of food could feed over twenty people, and there were only eight of us.

The guys played a video game on the massive TV in the entertainment room.

“Where’s Vivian?” I asked while squirting some hot sauce and hoisin sauce into a small condiment dish.

“She’s at a seminar in California. Then she’s flying over to Vietnam.” Michelle chopped cilantro and scallions. “She promises to catch up as soon as she returns.”

I hadn’t been attending my self-defense classes as much as I should have. Vivian had been my motivator because I liked her teaching style. The other instructors were excellent too, but Vivian understood a beginner like me needed extra time and patience. She didn’t make me feel rushed to catch up to everyone.

Though the classes were for both beginners and intermediate students, I didn’t want to hold anyone back.

Audri’s phone buzzed, and she smiled at the message. “He’ll be here in ten minutes! Get ready!”

Ten minutes later, everyone gathered in the foyer. Audri opened the door, and Grayson stepped in.

“Happy birthday!” everyone shouted.

Kiera shot colorful streamers into his hair. Royce threw a fistful of confetti at him.

His eyes widened, then he saw the colored balloons. “What the—”

“No cursing on your special day!” Audri embraced her brother. “Smile!”

“Christ! I should have known.” He picked the streamer out of his hair and glared at his sister. “There’s no renovation, is there?”

“Not today.” She grinned.

“Well, next time you ask, I’m not coming.” He turned, saw me, and blinked. It was as though seeing me was more of a surprise than the party itself.

Grayson arched an eyebrow. “Are you part of Audri’s evil plan too?”

“No. I’m wicked all by myself. Mom had a trip planned with her friends, so she couldn’t make it.”

“That explains the weird text message from her—‘sending love to my firstborn.’”

Audri laughed. “She shipped your gift to your house.”

“Happy birthday, old man.” Remi slapped him on the shoulder.

“Yo, I don’t have time for parties.”

“You gotta eat, don’t you? Come eat with us. You don’t always get what you want.” Royce fist-bumped him. “Besides, we need another player on this video game Arrow just got.”

“Check out our competition.” Arrow gestured to the couch. He had short brown hair and appeared like he spent time at the gym.

All the guys seemed disciplined with their career and their bodies, which told me they took care of themselves.

An hour later, the soup was ready to eat, but the girls wanted to enjoy a cocktail before the meal. While I sipped champagne, I watched Grayson. The smile on his face and the gleam in his eyes revealed a snapshot of what he used to be like. There was no tension, frustration, or secrets weighing on his face.

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