Chapter 5
Chapter 5
I look up from the still water of the pool, sliding my sunglasses down the bridge of my nose. Standing on the wooden deck, wearing a bright yellow bikini that perfectly contrasts with her dark skin, looking like a goddamn supermodel , is my favorite lawyer in the whole world. I take in the long, rounded legs, the hourglass figure, the shiny waves draped over her shoulders. My eyes stop on the wide-brimmed straw hat, and my frown turns into a cheek-splitting smile.
Nyota. The younger sister of Tisha, Rue’s childhood friend—and, of course, Rue’s friend herself. Even if Nyota’s favorite pastime is to roast them both.
“I didn’t know you took criminal cases,” I say, pushing my sunglasses back up.
“My area of expertise is bankruptcy. But you’re clearly gonna need me, after the massacre.”
If I don’t reach out for a hug, it’s only because she looks too perfect to be subjected to the infamy of chlorine. I watch her take the beach bed next to mine, drape a towel over the headrest, and offer a rare smile. The scent of her perfume—roses, verbena—wafts in my direction. “Is that why I couldn’t find anyone in the house? Has the butchering already taken place? Dammit, did I miss it?”
“Nope. But dinner’s in an hour. Most people are either getting ready or napping.” I woke up thirty minutes ago, groggy, not at all rested, and still very tempted to rip into something. For the safety of the antique pillows, I decided to put on a one-piece suit and vigorously swim the irritation out of my body.
It didn’t totally work.
“I promise I won’t spend the week boring you with my unconditional adoration, but allow me to say it just this once: I’m so fucking happy that you’re here, Nyota.”
“As you should be,” she says haughtily. But adds, “Also, likewise. You know I like to surround myself with intellectual peers.”
When Rue entered Eli’s life, she brought with her many wonderful things, Tisha and Nyota being my favorite. I found their sibling dynamic fascinating from the get-go, and felt myself yearning for a sister. Preferably, one who would make the meanest, cruelest comments about my hair, clothes, and life choices, while still sounding like she would throw herself under a bus for me.
Enter Nyota. She’s a handful of years older than me, but we hit it off the second we met. “ It’s because we’re both younger sisters and considerably smarter than our older siblings, ” she told me. In front of Eli and Tisha.
“I would say ‘No offense,’?” she added in their direction. “But full offense is meant.”
Neither Tisha nor Eli seemed fazed.
Nyota and I don’t text daily updates on the minutiae of our respective lives. And yet, we keep in constant touch. We’ve developed a beautifully low-effort system to show our mutual love and respect, which consists of pebbling each other’s social media accounts with links to relevant videos and memes.
“You came alone, too?” I ask.
“I never do weddings with a plus-one.”
“Why?”
“It gets awkward for them, when I disappear with the hottest men at the party.”
I nearly do a spit take, and I’m not even drinking.
“Maya, the situation is dire.” She reclines sideways, like a post-battle Roman centurion. “It’s getting harder to meet guys that I actually want to sleep with.”
“You know, you told me that last time we spoke. But then I googled your firm.”
“And?”
“I saw your colleagues’ pictures. They look fine. The slicked-back hair does make me throw up in my mouth a bit, but you can work on that.”
“The problem is, they’re all lawyers. And I refuse to fuck a lawyer.”
“Why?”
“It’s incest , Maya. Just, tell me about the whole…” She gestures toward my face. Her long nails glitter in the late-afternoon sun.
“The whole?”
“The massacre. Tell me about the rage you’re experiencing.”
“Hmm, I’d rather forget about it. You tell me—have you met everyone?”
“I think so? Aside from…Avery, I think is her name. I must say.” She takes her sunglasses off, revealing thick, perfectly curled eyelashes. “I’ve been doing inventory, and it’s quite the unique situation.”
I’m so ready for her to say something stratospherically outrageous. “How so?”
“In terms of quantity, things are not looking up. Six men, only three unattached. I mean…I simply refuse to hit on the groom.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“The single guys, however, seem to be high quality. Like the NHL player.”
I groan. “Axel?”
“Yup. He is fine . And he came with his younger brother, Paul. Who’s also fine.”
“God, I haven’t seen Paul in years. Actually, he may have become a lawyer in the meantime.”
“Uh-uh. I checked. Engineer.” She scrunches her nose. “He seems really nice, though, which doesn’t bode well.”
“For what?”
“For his ability to not latch on to me past the wedding.” She shrugs. “The nice ones fall easily. And for some weird reason, the meaner I am, the harder they want me. Maybe I should just go for the third one.”
“Who?”
“Hark. He’s hot, too. Old enough to know what he’s doing. Above all, if I have one talent—and I have a million—it is picking out the most emotionally unavailable man in a group, and boy, is he the one. I guarantee you, that guy hasn’t experienced a feeling since the nineties. So I might—”
“He’s mine,” I blurt out.
Actually, no: I may have hissed it. Through gritted teeth. Which has Nyota’s slender neck shrinking back and her eyes sharpening.
“Jesus.” I rub my eyes. Say a silent prayer for a nunchuck to rotate my way and take me out. “Shit. I didn’t mean to…”
“Well, well, well. Well .”
“I’m sorry.” I swallow. “That was shitty and a little too aggressive of me. If you want to hook up with Conor, you can—”
“Conor, eh?” She nods slowly. “That’s the first time I’ve heard him called that.”
“Well. It is his name.”
“Hm-hmm. And when did Conor invite you to use his first name?” Her chin dips. “Was it when you fucked him?”
I burst out laughing. “You mean, in my dreams?”
“So you’re admitting it.” Intrigued Nyota is formidable and unstoppable. Every Nyota is. “Does your brother know you’re into his best friend?”
“He…It’s a very long and boring story.”
“I am a corporate lawyer, girl. My tolerance for boring is higher than the debt ceiling.”
“FYI, nothing has changed since the last time we met. I still don’t understand finance-related jokes.”
“Poor wittle girl is just a fucking nuclear physicist, boohoo.” She shakes her head, and I’m chuckling again. “Spill, Maya.”
“There isn’t much to spill. Eli knows, but also he doesn’t? When I moved back from Scotland I started openly lusting after Conor in front of Eli…more or less jokingly.”
“Less, I’m guessing.”
“I’d tell him stuff like…‘Oh, I noticed Hark’s cute after all.’ ‘Did you see how good he looked in the red tie?’ That kind of stuff. Of course, Eli did not want to hear any of it. That was ninety percent of the fun. But he never knew…” How deep it ran , I can’t bring myself to finish.
“So, is Eli the problem? If anything happened, would he go apeshit? Bro, you’re doing my little sister, I’m gonna have to kill you now .”
“What an excellent impression. But I doubt it. And by now, he thinks I’m over it.”
“Then, if it’s not Eli, what’s stopping you from fucking Hark?”
“He…is older, for one.”
“And that is an issue, because…?”
“Good question.” Validating, too. I massage my temple. “Apparently, age gaps are highly morally objectionable.”
She waves a hand. “Seems like a sweeping generalization. Sure, some are. But you’re an adult. There’s nothing wrong with having a little problematic summer fling. Especially if you walk into it with open eyes.”
“According to Conor, there is. Something wrong, that is.”
“Hang on. Does Hark know you’re into him?”
“He…” I sigh.
“Let me rephrase. Does he know you as anything more than Eli’s sister? Have you ever had a single private conversation with Conor Harkness?” She must see something on my face, because she settles more comfortably against the cushions, and I…
I tell her everything.