Page 19 of Alex

My grin widens before meeting Elise’s shockedand embarrassed gaze. “It’s nice to see you out of the office and letting loose again.”

Again, like she was letting loose on the beach.

The night my dick decided no one else would make us happy except her.

Elise’s lips open slightly as she lets out a small gasp. Those perfect fucking lips.

Kate raises an eyebrow at me and turns to grin at Elise. They seem to have a mental conversation, and I can only assume it is about me.

How much does Kate know about me? Obviously, she knows Elise, and I hooked up, but does she know Elise works for my dad?

I give Kate a once over. She’s wearing designer clothing and holding an expensive purse. The only reason I know about the purse is because my mom begged my dad for one and wouldn’t stop nagging until he bought it.

She kept rambling on about how a woman shouldn’t buy that brand for herself. Ithadto be a gift.

Dad ranted for a week over the cost of the damn bag. He said it was more than his car, and I wasn’t sure if he was exaggerating or if it really did cost almost six figures.

So it’s clear that Kate is very well off.

I clear my throat again, getting both of their attention. “So, if you don’t mind me asking, how did the two of you meet?”

Elise looks at Kate before turning back to me. “Oh, umm, well, we were at the flower shop and weboth wanted the same bouquet, but the shop only had one, so I let Kate have them.”

They were both buying flowers? Call me old-fashioned, but I think a man should be the one to buy his woman a bouquet.

As if reading my mind, Kate chimes in. “Coincidentally, daisies are both of our mom's favorites, so I offered to split the bouquet with Elise and split a bouquet of pink coneflowers as well.”

Elise continues their story. “We went our separate ways, but I never thought I’d see her again ten minutes later. We were both visiting family at the cemetery.”

Kate grabs Elise’s hand and pulls her into a hug. “We’ve been best friends since that day.”

They share an intimate and teary-eyed moment before pulling apart.

I’m at a loss for words. How could I have guessed that was how they met?

“Wow, that’s-”

Elise’s hand reaches out and gently rests on my arm. “Morbid? A good ending to a shitty beginning? Yeah, it’s not the normal beginning to a friendship, but we both understand one another better than most people our age.”

I take a large swig of my beer. “That’s one way to look at it. And at least you have each other to lean on when times get rough.”

My heart aches from the pain of missing my own mom. Except unlike Elise and Kate, my mom is alive. She chose to pack her shit into her expensive,name-brand suitcases and leave Dad and me like we didn’t matter to her.

My hand wraps tighter around the neck of the bottle. My mom was selfish with everything she did and said. She never called, messaged, or stopped by to see me.

I don’t know what emotion is displayed on my face right now, but it must not be anger because Elise rubs my arm while giving me a sympathetic look.

I swipe a tear that’s falling down her cheek. She leans her face into my hand, surprising me. I want to comfort her, to promise her everything will be alright, but I don’t know the intimate details of her life, so I can’t make that promise.

Downing the last bit of my drink, I say, “Well, I never meant to ruin the good mood of the group.”

Kate chuckles. “Trust me, you didn’t ruin anything. We still have plenty of time to turn the night around.”

After she takes a sip of her drink, she says, “So, Alex, your dad owns Strickland Enterprises.”

“Correct.”

What else am I supposed to say? It’s not like she asked me a question.

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