Page 54 of Break the Ice
“I thought they were fuck buddies.”
“Are they, though?”
“Not if she puts dicks before chicks.”
Summer waves a server over. “What would you like to drink? The mimosas are amazing, or you can have straight up bubbly… whatever you want. If it’s not on the menu, one of the mixologists can make it. Same goes for food. The kitchen will make anything you want.”
“A coffee is great,” I tell her.
“Americano, cappuccino…”
“Can I get a flat white?” That’s what Jayden brings me in the mornings when he and Elijah leave for training. He has a fancy machine that does all the work at the press of a button and then cleans itself.
Elijah didn’t even have a coffee press until he took me to live with him. He drinks nothing but tea. Every morning, he whisks up the green powder with his almond milk before he sits with the financial section of his newspaper and checks on the crypto market while eating his oatmeal.
Summer requests our drinks along with a fresh pot of clementine and ginger tea for her and saltine crackers.
“I can’t wait to be out of the first trimester and for this sickness tostop,” she huffs. “Why call it morning sickness when it’s all day and all night?”
“Because no one in their right mind would put themselves through that if they knew.” Christina chuckles, tapping away on her phone before she stuffs it into her purse. “Eli’s picking us up when we’re done.”
It doesn’t matter how much time I spend with him, nothing will ever beat the thrill of whenever I know he’s on his way back to me.
“Dude, we don’t work during brunch,” Christina tells Summer as our drinks arrive, and she continues frantically typing on her laptop.
“I’m so behind. I have clients asking me for quotes and samples, and I can’t keep on top of it all with the fatigue. This brain fog is killing me.”
“I thought you were getting an assistant?”
“Don’t. Parker keeps nagging me to do it, but it’s more admin time that I need to spend keeping on top of all the projects. I need help getting help.”
“Weeeell…” Christina sits straight, swiveling so she’s got both Summer and I in her line of sight. “Let me help you.”
“Christina…”
“Summer, meet Finley. Finley, meet Summer. You need help keeping on top of your interior design shit.” She gestures to Summer with an open hand and then at me. “You want a job. You’re both creative and cutesy…it’s a match made in heaven.”
Summer glances at me, gnawing on her lip.
“No big admin shit required. She’s right here, available right now.”
“Are you actually looking for a job?” Summer asks.
“Umm… well…” I’ve been thinking about it a lot. It would be nice to have my own money, and I do need something to fill the time where I’m on my own. But… “I don’t have any experience.”
“Sum, she was a straight-A student and graduated top of our class at Portland.”
“If I hire someone, Parker might cry. He’s becoming a helicopter husband, and the fussing is getting in the way of everything. I asked him to contact a few of Harrison’s artists to do the mural for the nursery and instead, he’s been annoying the obstetrician about the morning sickness…”
A big grin cuts Christina’s face as she turns to me and asks, “Did you bring your sketchbook?”
“My journal?”
“Yeah,” she responds, placing my satchel on the table when I nod. “Show Summer your drawings.”
What is she up to now?I do as she asks, flicking through the painted pages and settling on a spread that doesn’t feel too personal. The December calendar page with the birds.
The birds that are free.
