Page 2 of Heartbroken Husband
Colin Thayer and I had gone to school together. We’d been friends for a long time, but we’d become family when Alex had married Jane, his sister. For the last few months, it had become a tradition for us to hit the course on a Saturday morning, with or without a client.
Finally, I nodded and swept up my mug again. “Fine, but if you embarrass me, I’m leaving you there.”
“I’ll find my own way home if you do,” he said without skipping a beat. “I’ll probably get back with better stories too.”
I groaned. “You’re really not helping your case. I’m leaving at seven sharp. Be ready.”
He grinned and took a pointed look at my bare feet. “I’m readier than you are. At least I’ve got shoes on.”
I rolled my eyes and took my coffee to my bedroom, then met him back downstairs precisely twenty minutes later. We stepped out into the crisp, spring air together and headed for my car, a Jaguar XKE, sitting in the drive.
Out of all the cars I owned, this was my favorite. A fact Theo still couldn’t accept. According to him, it wasn’t nearly flashy enough—and much too old.
He slid into the passenger seat and buckled up, sighing like he couldn’t believe I was putting him through this kind of torture. “I’m just putting this out there, but theyhavemade cars in this century. Really cool little electrics and hybrids. All sorts, really.”
I started the engine, the low purr of it settling in my chest. “You didn’t have to come and I like what I like.”
“You could like more.”
“I could, but I don’t.”
Few people understood that about me, and Theo was no exception. We’d been born into a clear path for our lives—private schools, college, and immediate entry into the executive track at Westwood and Sons, our family company.
While I worked there, I didn’t want a fancier title or a seat at the top next to Alex, our CEO, Nate, our CFO, and Jesse, our COO. I’d always been proud of the fact that I’d resisted the pressure from the family to move up.
For me, being an Acquisitions Executive was more than enough. I kept a smaller client list, but it was a calculated move that allowed me to seek out deals with higher stakes, cleaner wins, and greater challenges, and I wasreallygood at it.
It was an atypical nine to five, with some days at the office and some at home, but my weekends were actually weekends and my quarterly bonus checks made evenmyeyes water. Ididn’t need an illustrious position of power to love my job. In fact, I loved it exactly because I didn’t have the pressure that came along with those titles.
“Just try not to say anything offensive in the first five minutes, okay?” I pulled out of the driveway and into the street.
Theo scoffed. “I’m offended you think I would.”
“I don’t think so. Iknowit.” I glanced at him. “We’re playing with Roark Wright this morning. He’s a banker who’s done exceptionally well for himself and he’s interested in parting with half of his commercial portfolio.”
“Do you have no faith in me?”
“None.”
He laughed. “Oh, you’re on. I’m going to seduce this old man into letting you acquire his portfolio so hard.”
I winced. “That’s exactly what I’m worried about. We’re not even there yet and you’re talking aboutseducingan old manso hard.”
“What’s wrong with that? It’s exactly what we’re going there to do.”
“Yeah, but we don’t need to put it like that.”
“Stop being a prude.”
“Stop being you.”
“Why? Old people love me.” He pumped his eyebrows but settled in for the drive without any more inappropriate commentary.
By the time we reached the country club just outside the city, Colin and Roark were already there. Our tee time was at seven forty-five, but Colin was already cutting up with the guy, pretending to be a lot more social than he actually was.
He was as good at this as I was though,seducingthe client over long days on the course. It was a very technical game, playing the characters we had to be to seal the deal, and Colin had had my back more than once over the last year or so.
Roark was laughing at something Colin had said when we climbed out of the car, the sound carrying across the parking lot, loud enough to let me know we were off to a good start.
