Page 4 of The Spare
It felt like a lifetime ago.
“I left lunch early to come here and yell at you,” he snapped with no malice. I’d seen him briefly several times over the past two years but not long enough to make any real impact. “Sloan sees you before I do? Imagine a world where Sloan Amari is better informed than I am.”
“I can; it's the one we live in.” I sat down at my computer, hit send on one last email, and closed it.
An annoying tingling sensation found permanent residence in my chest at the sound of her name. I ignored the mounting desire to ask about her. I knew the headlines, but the details eluded me. She’d broken up with Julian Waldorf while I was away. They’d started dating right around the time I left. That was all I knew about her personal life.
Xander rounded the kitchen counter and hopped up to sit on it. He grabbed a bottle of water and made himself at home. “You’re coming to the gala tonight? Are you going back to London after?”
“Yes, and I go back in January.”
Xander’s face fell, only for a second, but I saw the disappointment in his eyes. Sutton Industries had a few international offices, and I’d spent most of the previous year working out of the London office.
“I’ll be back permanently after that, though,” I added. It was a decision I hadn’t made yet, but seeing that look on his face made me sure I would figure it out. All the reasons I had to be away didn’t make much sense anymore. All but one.
“Yes! The gang’s back together.”
We’d become something of a family, the four of us, especially after my parents died a decade ago. I was just out of business school, and Xander was a senior in college. Even before then, Xander and I spent most of our time with them. Me and Henry, Xander and Sloan.
It wasn’t long until Henry walked in unannounced. Sloan likely told him I was back.
“You didn’t want to tell your best friend you were back on this side of the world?” he called.
We turned to see him walk in from the entryway. His dark brown eyes fell on me with some disappointment before dissolving into an excited smile. He pulled me into a hug. We hadn’t seen each other for two years, apart from a couple brief visits. We were practically inseparable before I left. I shook off the prickle of guilt.
Henry and I were randomly assigned as roommates in our freshman year of college. We were teammates in rugby and tennis and, as fate would have it, the same major. We went to the same business school and competed with each other in everything. He was my greatest friend and competitor.
“He didn’t tell his brother either,” Xander added. “Guess who he went to see first?”
Seeing Sloan was purely coincidental.
“Your sister. I saw her on my run,” I corrected.
“You saw Sloan?” Henry’s brows furrowed, and he turned to Xander. “She’s been avoiding me; any idea why?”
“Nothing I haven’t told you before.” Xander shook his head with some disappointment. “But think about it. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
Henry sat down, and we picked up like no time had passed.
CHAPTER3
Sloan
Xander and I arrived a bit early to the gala, giving me time to ensure everything was in place. Luckily for me, the budget for this event was always astronomical, so once I checked in with the coordinators, I was free to mingle.
“You okay?” Xander asked. We stood at the entryway as guests began to file in. I turned to him and nervously adjusted his tie. He immediately recognized the nervous energy being funneled into keeping my hands busy. “Why are you so nervous?”
“Your tie is messed up,” I answered without looking up at him, knowing he could spot my lie from a mile away. I had no idea why my heart was racing, but it was. Almost imperceptibly, Xander motioned to a waiter, and handed me a glass of wine.
“Relax. Everything looks fine. Besides, if you mess it up, they’ll never ask you to chair it again.”
“But what if some asshole volunteers me again?”
“Handsome asshole,” Xander corrected.
“Sloan! Xander!” A small, excited voice drew our attention from my nerves to a petite blonde with flowing hair entering the library. Charlotte Cummings, or CeCe as we often called her, was a friend of mine and Henry’s since we were kids. She was in my graduating class at Penn. We remained close over the years.
We all walked further into the library. The books and shelving had been cleared to make space for the event.
