CHAPTER 13Levi
Levi
Levi’s eyes were so dry he feared they might fall out of his head.
He spent the entire afternoon completing the assessments Estrella had sent, not wanting to waste any time. The moment he got home, he locked himself in his office, booted up his laptop, and dove in. The tests measured everything from behavior and communication to conflict resolution.
Thankfully, Neuronix’s TNV Assist app made the process three times faster. He often wished he’d had it in college, especially during those horrendous timed exams. Most professors were accepting, but a few weren’t.
“The real world isn’t going to accommodate you.”
Levi remembered one particularly smug professor who had said that to him.
Incensed, he had fired back with, “You couldn’t hack it as a developer in the real world, so now you're here tormenting students with this half-assed attempt at teaching.” That retort sent him straight to the Dean’s office, threatening to go public if students didn’t get the accommodations they deserved. After that, class was...different.
That experience fueled the birth of Neuronix. TNV Assist was the first tool he, Owen, and Isaac created, and it remained one of their most successful products. Today, it proved its worth again.
Rubbing his eyes, Levi tried to summon moisture.
The results had been eye-opening. Unsurprisingly, his strengths lay in his directness and executive mindset, but the rest of the report challenged his self-image.
He wasn’t as spontaneous or adventurous as he thought.
It became glaringly obvious as this pattern consistently emerged across multiple assessments.
At first, it mildly offended him until he tried to remember the last time he was spontaneous.
The answer was a slap in the face when he realized it was when Neuronix went public.
To commemorate the success (and because Owen had a bet going with Isaac that Levi wouldn’t do it), he had gotten a tattoo.
Spanning his upper back was a powerful tree rising from a mass of tangled, chaotic roots that twisted and coiled beneath the surface.
They supported a strong, upright trunk with branches stretched wide across his shoulders.
Each independent limb was etched into his skin with solid and purposeful scrolled lines.
His mouth dipped into a grim line as he finally understood what his friends had been telling him for months: he stopped enjoying life when Neuronix went public.
The tradeoff for fame and fortune was constant scrutiny. Spontaneity became a liability. The irony of his impulsive lie about a fiancée at the last Board meeting wasn’t lost on him.
With a groan, Levi slumped in his seat, defeated. This level of self-reflection was draining. He just hoped it wasn’t all for nothing.
“Why did you turn it off! I was in the middle of watching that!” Owen bellowed from inside Isaac and Grace’s home.
Levi had arrived for dinner as promised and walked straight into chaos.
“Because it’s nonsense and no one wants to watch it except for you!” Isaac shot back heatedly.
The Nolans lived in a sprawling ranch within a gated community set high on a cliff overlooking one of the largest lagoons.
It had an open concept kitchen, dining, and living area adorned with modern minimalist décor.
The high ceilings, huge floor-to-ceiling windows, and light wooden floors made the space feel fresh and inviting.
The dining table was set, the scent of lasagna filled the air, and Grace leaned against the kitchen island, wine in hand. Ivy sat on the other side of the island, eyes gleaming and trained on the other two in the living area.
Levi joined them, and Grace wordlessly passed him a cold beer.
“What’s going—”
“Shhh!” Ivy whispered. “The main fight is about to start, and we want to see this play out.”
“I purposely put on a POLmArK TV Romance to see what would happen,” Grace added with a smirk.
“You didn’t even give Espressing Our Love a chance!” Owen snapped, pointing an accusatory finger at Isaac.
“Because it’s insanely idiotic, Owen! A coffee bean roaster? Fine. But what the hell is an espresso mustache barber?” Isaac roared as he threw his arms up in exasperation.
Grace and Ivy nearly spit out their wine. Levi settled on a stool at the island as well, already amused by their antics.
Owen scoffed. “It’s exactly what it sounds like. There’s a market for espresso foam mustaches. This barber satisfies that clientele and is very niche.” He scrutinized Isaac, his voice dripping with disdain. “I think the real question is, why do you hate love?”
“I don’t hate love...I hate these ridiculous movies with impossible jobs! They aren’t even trying to be relatable!”
“You can’t relate to people who spend money on niche services, which makes you biased against them. This is discrimination, and I, for one, am appalled .”
Isaac looked at the ceiling, shaking his head in disbelief. “I wish I could say this is the stupidest argument we’ve ever had, but that would be a lie.”
Owen grinned. “This wasn’t an argument. I very clearly pointed out flaws in your logic.”
Isaac prepared to retaliate, but the oven timer beeped.
As Grace turned to retrieve the lasagna, Owen leapt over the couch, yelling, “Food!” only to trip over the rug and crash to the floor like a felled redwood.
“I feel like I should feel bad for you…But I don’t,” Levi drawled. He took another swig of his beer as he stood from the stool.
“Go on without me,” he groaned dramatically. “Have an extra piece of lasagna in my memory!”
Isaac stepped over him without pause. Grace set the dish on the table as everyone took their seats, ignoring Owen’s theatrical display on the floor.
Levi had missed nights like this. He couldn’t remember the last time he made space for friends. He had systematically allowed work and social obligations to take priority. That needed to change straightaway.
“Sounds like you had a hell of a day,” Ivy said through a mouthful of lasagna after he finished recounting the consultation and assessments.
Owen eyeballed her with exaggerated disgust. “Excuse me, but Grace didn’t pour her heart and soul into this decadent meal for you to let it slosh around your half-opened mouth while you talked.”
Levi silently agreed with Owen. Grace was an incredible cook, and Levi appreciated that she had made his favorite dish without being asked.
Ivy glared at Owen, not bothering to hide the unbridled contempt in her eyes. He sipped his beer completely unbothered.
“As I was saying,” Ivy repeated to Levi, eyes still locked on Owen, “sounds like you had a hell of a day.”
Grace frowned. “Just so I’m clear…you're upset because you aren't as fun and spontaneous as you thought you were?”
“When you say it like that, it makes me sound whiny.”
“Now you're upset because you found out you're whiny too,” Owen added with a sad head shake. “We’ve been planning an intervention about it, but now seems like a good time to do it.”
“You're not boring, Levi…under the right circumstances anyway,” Isaac offered. “Remember that one summer in college, working for that landscaper, when we had to haul off that client’s busted washing machine?”
“I remember Levi saying, ‘let’s push it off a cliff,’ and me immediately agreeing,” Owen laughed. “That was when I realized he was a natural leader.”
“I’m not the one who set that poor landscaper’s truck on fire,” Levi countered, tossing a dinner roll at Owen’s face.
“How did that happen?” Grace asked as Ivy’s eyes widened.
“That moron was doing burnouts in the truck,” Levi said, nodding at Owen. “He revved it in neutral, slammed it into drive, and the whole thing exploded. We barely made it out before it caught fire.”
“I still have my half-melted driver’s license from the wreckage,” Owen wheezed, doubled over with laughter.
Levi cast a perturbed glance at Isaac. “And what do you mean by ‘under the right circumstances’?”
Isaac shrugged. “You can be spontaneous and adventurous when you let yourself live a little.”
Levi stiffened.
“That’s why we keep saying you’re working too much,” Grace added quietly. “It’s been months since we’ve all sat like this…together.”
Silence fell. Levi nursed his beer, gaze fixed on the basket of dinner rolls. Ivy swirled her wine, staring at the wall. Owen kept eating, glancing at Grace’s plate with interest.
Isaac gently rested a comforting hand on Levi’s shoulder. “I'm saying it because we miss you, that's all. Now, tell us more about this potential match.”
The tension eased a fraction.
“There isn’t much to share. She said someone signed up at the same time I did, and she thinks we’re a possible match. But she won’t know until we’ve both finished the process.”
Grace’s forehead knitted in confusion. “Then how does she know if you’re compatible?”
Levi didn’t get the chance to answer.
“I think she’s a witch, but a chaotic good one,” Owen interjected matter-of-factly. “With the way you described those eyes? She without a doubt has a mystical gift. This is the plot of 404: Down for Love —a witch café owner pairs a network admin and vintage bassoon restoration specialist together.”
“Get out,” Isaac barked, pointing to the door without looking up from his plate. Laughter erupted around the table.
“I will do no such thing,” Owen huffed. “Also, as the officiant of Levi’s future wedding, I need details to prepare for such an ostentatious event.”
Levi groaned. “We don’t need your services. She helps plan the wedding based on both our preferences. It can be as big or as small as we want. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.”
“How? You're not going to let us help?” Ivy challenged.
Levi burst out laughing at the absurdity of the debate. “You’re all forgetting one very important detail.”
They waited.
“I’m going to have to ask my wife first.”