Page 3 of Knocked Up by my Rival

“Mackenzie.”

“This is my brother, Scott,” Troy said.

When the tequilas and beer arrived, we carried them to the table. Hailey blushed bright red when we all walked over, and I slid into the booth. Scott sat down next to her, and Troy slid into the booth next to me.

“This is my friend, Hailey,” I said. “Troy and Scott.” I lifted my shot glass into the air. “To new beginnings.”

“And new connections,” Troy said.

“And bullshit toasts,” Scott added, and we laughed before throwing our shots back.

The guys were fun. They drank with us, and Troy and Scott joked with each other with an ease that only brothers could have. I’d seen the same with my brothers, all much older than me. I was the only one who hadn’t been so close to my siblings. I’d been close to Rachel, of course, but that was because she’d raised me when Mom passed away.

“They look like they’re hitting it off,” Troy said when we sat back and watched Scott and Hailey talk.

“Looks like it,” I said, nodding. “Do you hang out with your brother often?”

“All the time,” Troy said. “He’s my best friend. It’s supposed to be like that, no?”

“I wouldn’t know,” I said.

“Only child?”

“Might as well have been,” I said. “My siblings are all much older than I am, so it’s just been me, you know?”

“I get it,” Troy said. “I know what it can be like to be isolated.”

I glanced at Scott. “Doesn’t seem like it.”

Troy grinned. “So, what do you do?”

“I just started working for a new company, actually. I’m in advertising.”

“Oh, really? For who?”

“Griffin Solutions,” I said.

Troy snorted. “If you want to work for arealcompany, give me a call.”

“You don’t like them?”

“The guy who owns it is a pompous ass,” Troy said with a roll of his eyes.

“Nothing I can’t handle,” I said with a grin. “I know what I’m doing. He needs help, and I’m there to help him.”

Troy laughed. “You sound like a shark in the business world.”

“Oh, I am. You don’t want to be the one to come against me, I’ll tell you that.”

“And you’re so modest, too,” Troy joked.

“Why does everyone say that?” I asked, laughing. “I just think people should normalize talking themselves up instead of putting themselves down, you know? Blowing their own horn.”

“It’s hot when you talk about blowing.”

I burst out laughing. “You’re missing the point completely.”

“Am I?” Troy asked, and he waggled his eyebrows at me.

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