Chapter Five
Mikkel
“If one day the moon calls you by your name don’t be surprised, because every night I tell her about you.”
~ Shahrazad al-Khalij
Y ou’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
One minute, I was in my office, fine-tuning a contract. Dillon and Arnoldo sat before me, bickering as usual, their voices blending into an unintelligible hum. The next thing I knew, Dillon and I were speeding through the city, tailing a cab his intern was in.
I should have questioned it. I should have told Dillon he was being fucking ridiculous. But I didn’t.
Because the second I saw her, I forgot about everything else.
Red.
That fiery copper-platinum hair. The kind that made her impossible to miss, impossible to forget. My chest tightened, my steps quickening as if drawn by some invisible force. And then I heard it—her voice. Melodic. Hypnotic. It twisted something inside me, something I didn’t have time to figure out.
And just like that, she was gone. Again.
The moment shattered too fast, slipping through my fingers like every other time we crossed paths. It was starting to feel like a cruel fucking joke.
Dillon kept talking beside me, his tone laced with frustration and uncertainty. He was fixated on his intern, trying to work through whatever the hell he was feeling. “Show her you’re human,” I muttered, barely paying attention. “Drop the grumpy asshole act and make her feel safe.”
His eyes tracked the cab like a man watching something slip away, and I almost laughed. Look at us. Two men standing in the middle of the street, watching women disappear into the evening, wondering what the hell just happened.
But I wasn’t focused on Dillon.
I was thinking about her—the way her cheeks flushed when I called her gorgeous. The way she smiled, wrecking me in the process.
I barely made it through the rest of my day, and week to an extent. Board meetings dragged on, filled with the same repetitive bullshit: projections, strategies, arguments over numbers. I powered through, but my mind wasn’t in it. Not completely.
By the time I was done, I needed a damn break.
A text from Arnoldo reminded me about game night at Dillon’s. I should have asked him to reschedule, but instead, I ended up walking through Hudson Yards with Alexander.
What was supposed to be a quick trip stretched into nearly two hours of aimless wandering. My patience ran thinner with each passing minute, but at least I walked away with a new Patek watch. A small victory.
Alexander, on the other hand, still had nothing .
“We’ve been walking for two hours,” I said, exasperated. “And you still haven’t bought Mara’s gift.”
He let out a long sigh, rubbing a hand over his face. “She has a list, but I need to think outside the box.”
I eyed him, considering his words. “You know your wife best. Let’s look at it this way.” I paused, waiting for him to meet my gaze. “What have you already planned? Once we see what you’ve got, we can figure out what’s missing.”
Alexander nodded slowly, mulling over my words.
He opened his notes and read aloud, “Floral arrangements—five thousand dandelions—arriving by eight. Private brunch at Sea Gate Beach. Oh, and I bought her a vacation home in Bali because she likes the sunsets. Then we’ll be back in time for her birthday party.”
I blinked. “A vacation home?”
Alexander looked up, unbothered. “Every time we travel somewhere she loves, I get her a place there.”
“Husband of the century,” I muttered.
He laughed, but the gleam in his eyes told me he was dead serious. “As long as it makes her happy. But I still need to get her something else.”
I thought for a second. “Book a spa appointment at Lucio’s spa upstairs. And if you want, make it a couple’s thing.”
A deep sigh left him, one of pure contentment. “Great idea, but I’ll make it all about her. She deserves it. Carrying a baby is no joke.” Then, his gaze sharpened, his lips tugging into a smirk. “You’ll see what I mean once you hit it off with the redhead.” He nudged my shoulder playfully.
A grin pulled at my lips despite myself. Her image flashed across my mind, unbidden. “Her hair is copper platinum, not red.”
Alex’s brows shot up. “And how do you know that if you’ve only spoken to her twice?”
“Three times,” I corrected. “I saw her earlier this week, but our conversation got cut short.” My voice dropped slightly. “And I know because it’s impossible to forget a color like that. Or a woman like that. ”
His smirk deepened. “Three times? And something interrupts every time?”
“At this rate, I might have to start hanging out at bars, clubs and airports more often.”
His teasing faded, replaced by something quieter—curiosity. “What is it about her?” He tilted his head, watching me closely. “I get that you’re attracted to her, but do you actually know her?”
“All I know,” I admitted, “is that I want to.”
Alex studied me in silence, brow furrowed. “Isn’t that a bit risky?”
“Maybe,” I said, voice softer. “But isn’t everything worth having a little risk? I don’t know her yet, but I can’t get her out of my head.”
His expression turned thoughtful. “If you had the chance, would you take it?”
I nodded without hesitation. “Why let it slip through my fingers?”
“Good point,” he said, then exhaled, running a hand down his face. “Just promise me you’ll be careful with your heart.”
A faint smile tugged at my lips. “Someone’s worried about me.”
He rolled his eyes. “When your thirty-three-year-old best friend hasn’t had any romantic action in nearly a decade , worry’s inevitable.”
I placed a hand on his shoulder. “Love you too, Alex.”
Arnoldo leaned back in the chair, a nostalgic smile playing on his lips as he poured himself a glass of gin. “What a life we’re living.”
We gathered in Dillon’s living room for our usual hangout, the atmosphere relaxed despite Ronan and Lucio’s absence.
“Lucky bastards, the lot of us,” Alex chimed in, raising his glass.
Dillon turned to him, curiosity in his gaze. “Are you ready for fatherhood?”
Alex took a slow, deliberate sip. “I don’t think I’ll ever be ready, but I’ll wake up every day trying. ”
Arnoldo’s expression softened. “I’ve always wanted a kid, you know? Never really worked out that way for me.”
I smirked, reaching for a handful of pretzels. “I wonder why.”
Arnoldo frowned. “I’m not following.”
In unison, we all chimed in, “Manwhore.”
He threw up his hands. “Raise your hand if you’ve only slept with one woman,” he challenged.
No one moved.
“Unfair question,” Dillon said with a smirk.
“What’s unfair is picking on me because I’m open about it,” Arnoldo argued.
Dillon arched an eyebrow. “Maybe you could be more discreet.”
Arnoldo scoffed. “Mikkel sleeps around, so does Ronan, even you, Dillon.”
“Fuck off, Reyes,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’ve been celibate for years.”
“That’s true,” Alex added.
“Vouching for him?” Dillon and Arnoldo asked in unison.
“Always,” Alex smirked. “Jealous?”
“Of course I am. Times like these, I miss Lucio,” Arnoldo muttered. “He would’ve been on my side.”
Alex laughed. “Sure, he would’ve.”
Dillon took a slow sip of his scotch. “I’m not interested in sleeping around anymore.”
Arnoldo shrugged. “How convenient.”
Their bickering faded into the background as I leaned back, absentmindedly tracing the rim of my glass. The noise around me dulled, replaced by the image of her.
Next time, I had to get her name.
“Suarez,” Alex’s voice cut through my thoughts.
I blinked, clearing my throat. “ Qué ?” 3
“We’ ve been calling you. What’s on your mind?”
Arnoldo smirked. “Or should we say, who’s on your mind?”
I rolled my eyes. “ Métanse en sus propios asuntos .” 4
They exchanged a look, clearly not buying it but letting it go. For now.
“You know what I think about often?” Arnoldo blurted.
“What?” we asked in unison.
“Mara,” he said, lifting his glass for a slow sip. “I fee—”
Alex straightened, eyes narrowing. “Should I be concerned that you’re thinking about my pregnant wife ?”
Arnoldo sighed, waving off his concern. “You didn’t let me finish, dumbass. I was saying I think about how you married her.”
I tilted my head. “I’m not following.”
Arnoldo exhaled sharply. “ Idiotas . 5 I mean, wasn’t there a rule about best friends and their sisters?”
“There is,” Dillon said, swirling his drink. “But this is Alex. As annoyed as I was, he met Mara when he was celibate in his twenties. Not much to worry about.”
Arnoldo and I burst into laughter as Alex’s face turned slightly pink. “And yet, here I am—happily married to the most gorgeous woman on the planet, with a baby on the way.”
“Would it weird you out?” Dillon asked suddenly, shifting the conversation with a glance in my direction.
I frowned. “What?”
“If one of your best friends dated your sister,” he clarified.
A shudder ran through me. “I don’t even want to think about Emilia with Arnoldo.” The thought alone made my skin crawl.
Arnoldo raised his hands in mock surrender, but the mention of my sister clearly unsettled him. “Why me—oh, right. Everyone else is taken.” He leaned back with a smirk.
There was a beat of silence before we all cracked up.
Alex shook his head, exasperation laced with amusement. “You guys are ridiculous.”
“Anyway,” I said, steering the conversation away. “What are we playing?”
“Poker. You in?” Alex asked, mischief glinting in his eyes.
I shrugged, settling back in my chair. “Why not?”
Dillon shuffled the deck with practiced ease. “Alright, ante up—one grand, winner takes all.”
Arnoldo scoffed. “What if I’m broke?”
Laughter erupted.
“Then you wouldn’t be Arnoldo Reyes,” I shot back.
Arnoldo grinned. “Fair enough. Let’s make it two grand. I’m feeling lucky.”
“Deal.” We all tossed in our money, and the game began.
As the night wore on, the stakes climbed, and tension rose and fell with each hand.
“ Maldita sea , 6 ” Arnoldo muttered, glaring at his dwindling stack of chips. His frustration was palpable and hilarious. “I’m getting slaughtered here.”
“Luck running out?” I teased, earning a sharp glare from Arnoldo.
Across the table, Dillon smirked, his chip stack growing. “Looks like Lady Luck’s on my side tonight.”
I chuckled, trying to ease the tension. “Relax, Reyes. Plenty of game left—anything can happen.”
“Bullshit,” Dillon scoffed. “He’s just a sore loser.”
Arnoldo let out a frustrated sigh. “ Joder esto , 7 ” he muttered, raking a hand through his hair.
What a group of friends I had. And the funniest part? This would’ve been even more chaotic if Ronan and Lucio were here.