Page 76 of Forget Me

22

MATEO

Although all Iwanted was Mimi back in my bed, on my kitchen counter, hell, wherever I could get her, I worked the night shift that week. I didn’t even have to lie to Larissa to miss the foundation meetings where I took too much of the spotlight from Mimi.

I tried to text Mimi, but she was gruff and uncommunicative, responding in single words. With the gala three weeks away, she was busy, and I understood that. I’d thought she had a good time, but I worried. Maybe she hadn’t enjoyed our night together as much as I had?

Or maybe she was pissed at me again. It was the second time I’d caused her to be less than prepared at one of her committee meetings. Larissa had sniped at her, criticizing the smallest mistake like she was looking for an excuse not to hire her. Why? Mimi clearly deserved the job. Why did Mimi put up with her bullshit?

On Friday morning, when I pulled into Miguelito’s driveway, my headlights illuminated Ben walking his dog Coco across the motorcourt. Her brother might clue me in to what was going on in her head.

“Ben!” I leaned my head out my Jeep’s window. “Can I walk with you?”

“Sure. Now?”

“My cousin’s at the gym?” The last thing I wanted was for Miguelito to find me alone with Ben and get jealous. I’d never try anything with his fiancé, but he hadn’t yet forgiven me for the bad behavior of my youth. Plus, my cousin wouldn’t understand my love troubles. He would never pine for anyone the way I had for Mimi.

“Yeah.” Ben yawned. “He’s one of those irritating morning people.”

I parked the car and, after greeting Coco, fell into step beside Ben. We walked out the driveway and down the hill toward the bay. The sun had started to spread its rays at our backs, but I zipped my jacket up to my chin. San Francisco in January was cold for someone who’d grown up in the tropics.

I glanced at Ben. He was taller and thinner than his sister, but they had the same dark, curly hair. Same strong noses and determined chins. Though his smiles came easily and Mimi’s were rare as a hundred-degree day in San Francisco. Except post-orgasm, I’d discovered.

I blinked. Better not think about Mimi’s pussy while I was with her brother.

I cleared my throat. “You doing all right? How’s work?”

“So far, so good. It’s nice to get paid again. I mean, it was amazing of Cooper to finance my school that last semester, but we Levy-Walters kids are independent, you know.”

“I know.” It was exactly the segue I needed. “Why do you think that is?”

He pushed out his lower lip. “I guess because of my mom. She worked hard for what we had. She overcame a lot to get to where she is. I mean, women lawyers drop out of the profession like flies as they get older. She fought her way through a lot of patriarchy and sexism to stay in. She always told Mimi and me you had to prove you were the best if you wanted to get anywhere.”

He scuffed his toes on the gravel path. “For me, it was a lot of pressure, and I kind of cracked. Not Mimi. She took it to heart. She’s following in Mom’s footsteps, sort of. Not into law, but in her own field.”

I nudged his shoulder with mine. “You turned out fine. You got exactly what you wanted.”

He glanced back at the mansion. “More, actually. I never thought someone as amazing as Cooper would fall for me.”

“You’re pretty amazing yourself.” If my cousin hadn’t already marked Ben as his when I met him, I might have tried to snag him. But as beautiful and kind as Ben was, Mimi had a special spark to her, a sharp shininess like a cut gemstone, that I couldn’t resist. Not even family bonds or my powerful cousin would have kept me from her.

“Thanks.” He paused while Coco sniffed a spindly tree. “How are things going with Mimi?”

“She didn’t say anything?”

“Ooh!” His eyes went wide. “Cagey, answering a question with a question. No, she didn’t even tell me you guys were dating. Not until Cooper outed her. Why? Did something happen?”

My cheeks burned. This was not how I’d envisioned this conversation going. “She really didn’t say anything?”

“You know Mimi. She’s not into talking about her feelings and shit. Besides, she’s been holed up in her apartment every night for the past week, working on stuff for the gala.”

I mumbled, “Not every night.”

He pulled Coco to a stop on the sidewalk. “Spill it.”

“I took her out for a special date Sunday night. Well, I tried to. The place Miguelito recommended wasn’t really…us.”

“That jerk!” His nostrils flared. “He didn’t tell me you two had aspecial date.”

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