Page 14 of The Hero + Vegas = No Regrets

“I don’t like Fisher,” she confesses.

My muscles unlock, and I sigh with relief. “He’s a good guy.” Despite how I feel, I still need to defend my friend.

“Oh,” she says, her eyes wide, “I’m sure he is. I don’t mean I think he’s an awful person. I just don’t feel a connection to him. You know what I mean?”

I don’t think I could have answered her question affirmatively before I’d met her. I didn’t really understand what “a connection” meant. I’ve never felt the inescapable, visceralresponse that I do with Sophia. “I do,” I say, trying to keep my tone neutral.

“I just don’t want to upset Jules.”

“Be honest with her,” I say. “She’s your friend.”

She presses her lips together in a forced smile. What’s that? I want to dig deeper and explore why she feels so uncomfortable.

“How was Cincinnati?” I ask, remembering that last weekend she went back to see her family. I felt like there might have been some bad news delivered during the trip.

Her eyes leave mine and she looks over my shoulder. “It was… revelatory.”

I leave space and silence for her to fill, but she doesn’t say anything and she doesn’t meet my gaze.

“You want to talk about it?” I reach over and sweep a tendril of hair from her face. She focuses on me.

“Maybe,” she says. “To you. But not now. Let’s meet back here after the entrée. I’ll need another shot. I should go.” She fingers her necklace. “Thank you for this.” I’m not sure if she means the necklace, the conversation, or the offer to talk.

Back at the table, no one seems to notice we were both away at the same time. I slip into my seat and begin to talk to Byron, who just arrived.

“How’s Colorado?” I ask, my voice hushed, because I’m not sure who knows about what he’s doing there.

“It’s good,” he says. “Not quite what I expected, but really good. In fact, I was going to talk to you about it a little more. I thought you might want to get involved in some way.”

I raise my eyebrows in surprise. Byron is notoriously private about his business dealings, and he doesn’t partner with anyone who wants any kind of say. He’ll take investor money, but no one has decision-making power other than Byron.

“Let’s talk some more,” I say. “You seem to be spending more and more time there.”

He swallows his steak. “Yeah. It feels different being back there.” Byron always vowed he was New York or nowhere, but things have clearly changed for him. “Do you think you’ll always live in the brownstone?”

I pull in a breath and my gaze finds Sophia for the first time since we came back to the table. “I don’t think I can make definitive decisions about my future when it’s not here yet.”

Byron chuckles. “What a Worth thing to say. Although, I can’t see you being anywhere but the brownstone.”

A month ago, I might have agreed with him. But now?

Fisher comes over and crouches between our chairs. “What are we doing after this? Poker? Or should we take Leo to see some naked ladies?”

I groan and Byron rolls his eyes.

“Leo’s seen enough naked ladies to last a thousand lifetimes,” I say.

“Poker, then,” Fisher says, nonplussed.

“I can do poker,” Byron says. “Worth?”

“Maybe,” I reply.

“Maybe Worth wanted to see naked ladies,” Fisher says with a grin. “It’s about time you lost your virginity. Happy to tag along, if that’s what you want to do.”

“I can’t think of anything worse than going to a strip club. And anyway, it’s not like Bennett, Efa, Jules, or Sophia will want to go.”

“We don’t all have to do the same thing,” Fisher says.

---