Another car in another lane is signaling, and you know what—I’m gonna let him in ahead of me too. I slow down and gesture for him to go ahead. The car behind me honks, and I don’t even flip him off. That’s how good I feel about the world right now. So good that I decide to accept a call from Brady on my personal phone. Even though I know he’s probably with my cousins right now because they flew into Cleveland yesterday, and they’ve all been drunk texting me since last night. I put him on speaker phone and answer with: “You got a hangover or are you still drunk?”
“Haaa! I knew you’d ansah if I used your bruthah’s phone. ’Sup, Manhattan?” It’s my cousin Billy O’Sullivan from Boston.
“’Sup, Billy Boy. You steal Brady’s phone?”
“Nah, he left it chargin’ in the cah. He’s out there pickin’ up some kinda weddin’ whatevah for Hannah around town. Givin’ us a ride back to the hotel. We all had breakfast togethah at your mutha’s. You gettin’ in today or what?”
“I’ll get in tomorrow afternoon for the bachelor thing. I’ve got work to do. I’m on my way to the office right now.”
“Aww, come on! You think you’re bettah than us? Bang out and get your ass ovah heah, ya fuckin’ skeezah. Eddie’s not comin’ in till tamorrah eithah. It’s just us and these married guys. I hear you got a girlfriend now—what ah ya, pussy-whipped?”
I hear a guy in the background say, “Lemme talk to that fecker.” It’s Nolan, my other single cousin, from Ireland. He’ll play the good cop with me now, but he’s the one who’s never satisfied until all of his American relatives have alcohol poisoning. “Declan! How ya getting on? Thanks fer replying to my texts, ya gobshite.”
“I definitely responded to one of them.”
“Yeah yeah, really big of ya. Listen, it’s grand that you got yourself a fine thing now, and we’re all happy for ya what with your brother riding Hannah all year. But we’re here to celebrate Brady getting married, eh? So bunk off, bring the bird, and get yer arse over here.”
“I will definitely do that tomorrow.”
They both curse me, and I hear the car door open and my brother’s voice. “Hey. Who are you calling?…Dec? Are they giving you shit for not being here? Don’t even worry about it—you’ve got work to do. I can handle them until tomorrow.”
“It definitely sounds like you’ve got it under control over there.”
He whispers into the phone, “Help me, bro. Aiden and Casey are no fucking use to me, and Eddie won’t be here until tomorrow. I’ll be dead by sundown if you aren’t here as a buffer.”
“I feel for you, Brady, I do. But I have so much work to catch up on. I’ll see you tomorrow, I promise.”
“Don’t even sweat it—we’ll see you tomorrow.”
I hear Billy yell out “cocksuckah” right before he hangs up. I’m a shit brother. I do love the guy, but he did start riding my ex right after we broke up, and I really have a lot of work to catch up on.
They still haven’t taken down the Christmas decorations at the Sentinel corporate offices yet, and the building’s still piping in cheesy canned holiday music, but it doesn’t bother me anymore. I nod at the temp receptionist when I walk off the elevator and say, “Morning. Happy holidays.” She looks really surprised because I didn’t say anything to her when I saw her on Christmas Day. Because on Christmas Day, I knew I wouldn’t be seeing Maddie Cooper at her desk. Today I will. And even though I won’t be doing anything unprofessional to her on that desk, today will be a good day. As long as the other shoe doesn’t drop.
It looks like there are a few other random people working today, or maybe they just don’t have anywhere better to be. What’s-his-name in accounting. Purple-haired lady in marketing who seems cool, but I forget her name. British lady who brings the good tea for the break room and is either named Louise or Hermione. I should probably go around and introduce myself to everyone one of these days. I like it here.
And there she is. The woman who saved Christmas. The woman who handles me with the sleek, unruffled grace of a manga geisha drawn by a total pervert. She’s wearing that same fucking outfit she wore when she traveled to Cleveland. The sweater dress. The boots. Different black see-through tights, obviously, because I ripped the other ones to shreds. She’s got the same welcoming I dare you to mess with me right now smirk on her face that she’s greeted me with ever since I hired her.
She’s standing by her desk with a coffee mug in one hand, her other hand resting just above her hip, right where I was gripping her on my kitchen counter earlier. This is working for me. We can do this.
“Morning, Cooper.”
“Good morning, Mr. Cannavale.” She hands me the World’s Best Boss mug. It’s strong and black, just the way I like it.
“Nice orchids.”
“Thanks. A very thoughtful asshole gave them to me.” She follows me into my office and leaves the door open. “I printed out your call sheet, and I’ve already replied to a few emails that you don’t have to deal with.”
I fucking love you is what I want to say. “Thanks. Did you see that Drucker actually closed a deal in the Hamptons yesterday? I’ll have to talk to him later.” I wait for her to tell me he’s already on
