5. Astrid
five
Astrid
A Few Days Later
T onight, I’m putting this guy Brennan to the test.
I’m not used to being ignored for such a long period of time. Six fucking months. So much for being able to read people. Or thinking he was a nice person. Seems like he’s a dick.
God, he pissed me off and I wrote him off. Until I ran into his brother at a coffee shop near Hunts Point, where I have another listing. One snarky comment later and somehow Brennan McGloughlin resurfaced.
Tonight, I thought about standing him up to give him a taste of his own medicine. Unfortunately, I’m intrigued Mr. Second Coming of Tech Jesus is gracing me with his presence.
My words, not his.
It’s a chilly evening but since I’ve arranged to meet him a short distance away from my place, I decide to walk. Slowly . When I’m a block away, I take a minute to powder my nose and reapply lipstick.
As I approach the Zoo Tavern on Eastlake, a dive bar with the charm of a place that hasn’t changed since the ’80s, I have to suppress a giggle. Dim lighting, check. Neon beer signs, check. Pool tables with worn felt, check. The stale stench of fifty years of beer soaked and dried into the carpet? Check. Check. Check.
This place is perfect.
If Brennan’s serious about not wasting my time, he’ll have to meet me on my turf. No fancy restaurants, no business casual. It’s time to see if Mr. Technology can relax and be real.
The second I push through the front door, I spot Brennan immediately. He stands stiffly near the bar, though he’s dressed casually in his uniform of dark jeans and a simple black T-shirt. His hair seems to still be doing its own thing and he’s sporting a couple of days’ worth of stubble.
Good God. The man still exudes a nervous energy. It’s incredibly endearing for some reason.
I stifle a smile. He’s definitely out of his element, but he showed up and stayed when I was deliberately fifteen minutes late. His first test has been passed. In my book, that’s worth a lot.
“Hey,” I call out as I make my way over. “Look who actually made it this time.”
Brennan smiles sheepishly when he sees me. “Yeah, I figured I owed you. Sorry about before. Things got crazy.”
“Yeah, crazy enough to disappear for six months,” I tease, raising an eyebrow as I lean next to him against the bar. “I was starting to think I should have put a digital tracker on you.”
He chuckles and runs a hand through his hair, which makes it messier. “Fine, I deserved that. I’m here now, ready to make it up to you. How about I buy the first round?”
“Duh.” I roll my eyes and playfully hip check him.
His eyes widen in surprise but he manages to place an order for a pitcher of Heineken. As we stand side by side waiting for it, I glance at Brennan to gauge how he feels about being here. He’s got a boyish-charm thing going for him for sure. Except, the man exudes a subtle tension. His smile is a tiny bit too controlled. His movements a touch too deliberate.
“You sure this is your scene?” I ask as we make our way to the pool table. “This place is the polar opposite of the Metropolitan Grill.”
He pours us each a pint of beer and looks around appreciatively. “Oh, this is the type of place my brothers and I used to hang out in before they got famous. It’s actually a nice change of pace from the fancy restaurants I seem to spend my life in these days.”
“Cool.” I put my glass down and rack the pool balls. “You’re in my hood now. I come here to unwind every so often. No pretenses, no pressure. Just cheap beer, bad lighting, and pool tables with shitty cue sticks.”
I set up my break shot and feel Brennan watching me, like he’s trying to figure me out. The truth is, I’m trying to figure him out too. He’s not wrong about being crazy busy, I’ve been following his progress in the tech world. CognifyAI seems to be at a real tipping point.
It’s ridiculous, really—becoming invested in a guy who essentially ghosted me. Something about Brennan draws me in, even though I hate to admit it to myself.
“Nice break. You’re defo a ringer.” He claps loudly when I scatter the balls across the table and sink both a solid and a stripe.
“You’re defo right.” I wink at him after I sink all but three of the solids. “You play much?”
Brennan lines up his shot. “No, maybe you can teach me a thing or two.”
He takes his turn, managing to sink a stripe, but doesn’t set himself up for success. When he misses wildly on the next one, Brennan shakes his head glumly. Then winks at me with a self-deprecating smile.
I can’t help but laugh. “Well, at least you’re honest about your skills.”
“Honesty’s important.” He shrugs.
I chalk my cue and pocket my final three solids in rapid succession, followed by a behind my back, eight ball in the corner, shot for the win.
We play another round and the conversation once again flows easily—light and playful. We chat about stupid, innocuous stuff with, surprisingly, enough subtle flirting to keep things interesting. Like a really good first date.
Which is weird, isn’t it?
Over the course of the evening, Brennan loosens up quite a bit. He astutely observes how I line up shots and learns shockingly fast. He even manages to get close to winning a game or two. His competitiveness shows me a different side of him—confident, witty, and a bit mischievous.
“So,” he asks as I lean over the table, “how’d you end up in high-end real estate?”
I pause, not expecting the question. It’s not like I’m going to give him my whole back sob-story, but he seems genuinely curious.
“It’s the kind of career I have control of, to be honest.” I look up at him. “College wasn’t an option for me so I needed a job where I could use my people skills to make decent money. Real estate fit the bill. Turns out I’m skilled at selling people their dream homes.”
He folds his arms across his chest. “Yeah. It seems to have worked out well for you.”
“It has.” I sink the shot and move around the table. “As of last year, I’m officially one of the top-selling agents in the country.”
Brennan nods approvingly. “Congratulations. What a wonderful accomplishment.”
“So, I’ve been following you in the tech news. I get why you’re spread thin—you seem to be pulled in a lot of directions.” I chalk my cue.
He looks a bit surprised. “You’ve been keeping tabs on me?”
“It’s not hard.” I decide to play it cool. “Your name keeps popping up on my feed.”
“Yeah, the past couple of years have been pretty intense.” Brennan’s smile constricts and he looks away.
Catching the tension, I decide to give the man a break. No more tests, the guy’s wound tight. “So much pressure. I hope you find better ways to release it than a game of pool.”
He looks at me quizzically and hesitates. Shit. I realize he thinks I’m asking about his sex life instead of letting him off the hook for leaving me hanging for six months.
Finally, he answers, “Not really. Been too focused on work, I guess.”
“Someone as driven as you…” I give him a knowing smile. “It must be hard to find time for anything else. I appreciate you meeting me tonight.”
Then, almost casually, he shocks the fuck out of me. “What happened between you and Jake?”
“Jake? My ex from high school?” I miss my shot so wildly, the cue ball clatters off the side and rolls across the floor.
Brennan picks it up and places it back on the table, looking slightly embarrassed. “Um…yeah? I never comprehended what you saw in him. He was kind of a jerk, honestly.”
“Ya think?” I sit on the edge of the table and narrow my eyes playfully, deliberately choosing not to be insulted at the personal question. It’s almost like it slipped out of his mouth before he could catch himself. “So you were paying attention to me back then, Brennan?”
“Uh, maybe. A little. I mean, it was… Um. It was hard not to notice when he was so fucking loud about everything. He didn’t treat you well, from what I saw.” His entire face turns pink and he fusses with the hem of his T-shirt.
Holy shit. I thought I suffered in silence. Was Jake such an obvious asshole? “Yeah, he wasn’t a great boyfriend, but I was young and naive. It was a long time ago. I’ve moved on.”
“Sounds like we’ve both had our share of bad relationships.” Brennan nods, looking thoughtful.
“You too?” I watch him closely wondering if he’s actually interested in me as a person. The prospect of someone being attracted to my brain instead of just my tits and ass sends an unexpected jolt to my pussy. “What about now?”
He hesitates, then shakes his head. “No. My only serious relationship was in college. I thought we were exclusive. She was fucking five different guys. I didn’t even notice until she got engaged to one of them. I was building CognifyAI, so, uh…” He pours us both a fresh beer and hands me my glass. “Probably for the best. I’m under a lot of pressure and the company is my priority. I tend to let people down.” He glances at me and I catch the flicker of guilt flash in his eyes. “Like you, for example.”
“Ah, let’s forget about it. We’ve all got baggage. And honestly, I’m not a success story when it comes to relationships either. Life is weird. You get hurt, you learn, and you keep moving forward.” I hold my glass up to his and we clink them together.
He seems to appreciate my gesture and there’s a moment of easy silence between us. How refreshing we don’t need to fill up dead air with meaningless words.
Who knows, maybe we’re becoming friends.
As the night goes on, I find myself even more intrigued by Brennan than I was at lunch. There’s a depth to him. A quiet, contemplative intensity. It’s flattering the way he’s genuinely interested in getting to know me—it’s not something I’m used to. Most guys see the polished exterior I’ve perfected over the years and want to fuck me.
Brennan, on the other hand, isn’t giving me any of these vibes. He seems to want to dig deeper. To see what’s underneath my facade.
“Hey,” he says as the night winds down. “Regarding your reunion project. I have a wireframe in progress but I’m going to be honest—I don’t know if I’ll have the time to manage it day-to-day. I’ve decided to put up the money to hire a coder to develop the concept. If you’re interested, I’d like you to manage the project—with my guidance, of course. We could co-own it, and I’ll work out a way to monetize it after the event.”
My jaw drops. I’m completely surprised he isn’t backing out, which I expected. What he’s proposing means this wouldn’t only be about the stupid reunion anymore. We’d be tied together.
Tonight wasn’t a date, it was an interview.
Maybe he is a player. I certainly haven’t had someone try to pick me up by offering to partner up.
On the other hand, he’s a straight shooter. How do I turn down the opportunity to partner with the most talented up-and-coming tech executive on the planet? “Are you fucking serious?”
“Yeah, I’m fucking serious.” He drains his beer, looking exceedingly confident. He’s in his element. “You’ve got a great business sense, Astrid. An amazing work ethic. I think we could make this into something special. What do you say?”
Truthfully, I’m overwhelmed and nearly start to cry.
In my entire life, no one has ever handed me anything. Especially someone like Brennan. This is a chance of a lifetime. Maybe I can get out of real estate and start a career I’d actually enjoy.
Quit. Real estate. Wow. I wouldn’t have to pretend to be someone I’m not. Maybe I could slow down and have my own family one day.
“I’m in.” I throw my arms around him. “Let’s do this.”
Brennan awkwardly pats my back. “Great. I’m glad.”
As we leave the bar, I feel a surge of excitement unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
I glance over at Brennan, who walks beside me with a determined look on his face. I know it in my gut. We’re on the brink of creating something amazing.
If tonight is any indication of the future, I can’t wait for what comes next.