Chapter 3
Chapter Three
THEO
Everett will kill me if I miss his party. I already ruined a date with one of his friends, and I doubt he’ll forgive me after one week.
Not that I’ve had any time to think about it.
I’ve been scrambling around all week, doing the work of two people, and finally, the weekend is here.
I deserve a break, even if I should be looking for a new assistant.
The stack of resumes on my desk taunts me, but I can’t bring myself to work. Not today.
Replacing my old assistant won’t be easy.
She had a decade of experience working for people more successful than I’ll ever be.
She kept my life perfectly tidy, knew my schedule by heart, and had no problem putting me in my place.
After working together for five years, her departure is heartbreaking, even if it will benefit her.
I’ll forget about it for a few hours, at least until I leave the party.
Everett leads me through the quiet house. Soft pop music and the drone of his voice are all I can hear. He throws these parties every weekend, and I only come half the time, but I’m usually the first one here when I am. Today is an exception. He has another guest—his sister.
I’m already smiling when I enter the kitchen, prepared to meet someone he’s told me nothing about. I know he has siblings, but that’s all I know. Everett may be talkative and friendly, but he has his secrets.
Who doesn’t?
A woman with a mess of blonde waves meets my expectations. Her hair is the same shade as Everett’s, but without all the gray hairs he’s developed over the last few years.
She lifts her head, meets my gaze, and my stomach flips. When she smiles back at me, it’s enough to knock me off my feet. Her hair isn’t the only messy thing about her. My attention trails down to a flour-covered apron.
She may be a mess, but she’s the sweetest thing I’ve seen, with bright blue eyes, cherry-pink lips, and a smile that couldn’t be faked by Hollywood’s best.
Oh, and she looks younger than Everett. Much younger. She looks so young, I can’t believe she’s his sister. Maybe she’s just aging well. She could have had a facelift. I don’t know, and it’s none of my business, but it takes me a moment to recover from the shock.
Evelyn. Her name is Evelyn.
Everett crosses his arms. If he said something, I wasn’t listening.
“Evie,” she says, her voice so soft I barely hear it. “You can call me Evie.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Evie.” I recover smoothly. “I would offer to shake your hand, but…”
She sticks her hand out, but quickly draws it back, likely realizing the issue.
“Right!” She giggles, shaking her head. “The flour, the sugar… you don’t want to get all sticky.”
“You’re right. I don’t.” My smile until my cheeks hurt. “Little too early in the party for that.”
“Jesus, Theo.” Everett laughs. “Don’t make jokes like that around my baby sister.”
My lips part, and my face is probably as red as can be. “I didn’t mean—"
I can’t even begin to imagine what he’s referring to, and I’m not sure I want to know.
“Oh, ignore him. It’s nice to meet you, too!” She sticks her hand in the air and lifts it up and down as if shaking hands with a ghost.
I laugh and copy the action, fighting my embarrassment as I do. It’s hard to say if her being silly makes the flopping in my stomach better, but—no, it’s worse. Definitely worse. It’s endearing.
Everett makes a sound between a laugh and a scoff. “I should have known you two were going to be fucking weird together.”
“Be nice!” Evie’s expression changes. She glares at her brother, as if her sweet smile never existed.
I don’t have siblings, but I imagine they have a typical sibling relationship. They must be close if she’s staying in his home. It’s a lovely house, but much smaller than mine—cozy, even. You don’t live in a place this small with someone you hate.
The kitchen looks a little brighter today—or maybe it’s her presence.
My attention falls to the cake she’s working on. It’s heart-shaped, pink and white, with little edible pearls scattered around it.
“Did you make that?” I ask.
“Evie’s a professional baker,” Everett answers for her. “She could make much better than this, but I didn’t have much to work with.”
“I’ll do better next time!” Her cheeks flush pink, and she shifts her stance, her fingers weaving together in front of her. “It should taste good, which is the most important part. I always prioritize taste over appearance. This one has buttercream frosting and raspberry filling.”
“Sounds delicious,” I say.
Everett turns his back on us, trailing through the house. “C’mon. You can help me get the grill started.”
Just like I do every other weekend, I pick up the plate of meat and follow him outside.
“She is not what I expected,” I mutter. “Is she…?”
“Young enough to be my daughter?” Everett smiles wryly. “Not quite. She’s twenty-eight.”
“Ah…”
A decade younger than me. Still too young for me. Neither of us says it aloud, and we don’t have to. Everett knows I can’t date, and I know he would kill me if I tried to look at any of his siblings like that—especially after ruining the last date he set me up on.
If he realizes how I’m looking at her, he’ll kill me, and I can’t say he’ll be in the wrong.
I set down the plate, and he adds the slabs of meat to the grill.
“This is making me realize I don’t know enough about your family,” I say.
“You never asked about them, but I wasn’t trying to keep them a secret. You know me. I’m an open book.”
“Your other siblings. Are they as young as Evie?”
“Nope. I have three brothers who’re all closer to my age.” He shakes his head. “She was a late surprise for my parents.”
“I see.”
No matter how curious I am, I shouldn’t keep asking about Evie. I’m here to see Everett—here for my friend. That doesn’t stop my thoughts from wandering.
How long will she stay here? What brings her to San Diego? I shake the thoughts off and continue my duties as a best friend, which do not include asking about his much younger sister.
I avoid my curiosities for most of the party.
It’s easy to keep busy. Everett’s usual friends come filing in, and I bounce around like I do every time—holding a beer and wearing a friendly smile.
His events are the only ones I come to that aren’t for business.
Catching up with everyone is always fun.
Whether it’s someone gossiping about work drama or boasting about their success, it’s got to be better than thinking about the work waiting for me at my office.
I can’t avoid her forever. Evie sticks to her brother’s side for a while, but eventually, she’s alone in a corner. Shit. She may be busy on her phone, but now and then, she looks up, her baby blue eyes shifting around.
She bites her lower lip, and I think I make out the softest sigh or exhale. She’s alone. I know what it’s like to be alone.
I look at the piece of vanilla cake on my plate, the cake she made, and my guilt gets the best of me. That’s what draws me closer to her. It’s not my curiosity, not the attraction I’m pushing down. She went through the trouble of baking for everyone, and I need to thank her. That’s all.
“This cake is fantastic,” I say, “Where did you learn to bake like this? It can’t be inherited. Everett can barely grill without burning the steak into a piece of charcoal.”
“Stop! He’ll hear you.” She giggles and covers her mouth. “Do you really like it?”
“I do. Best damn cake I’ve had in a while. Will you answer my question or leave me guessing?”
“Well… I’m in culinary school now, but I’ve been baking since I was young.”
She’s still young, but I keep from saying it. That is the last thing any young person wants to hear.
“Your studies are paying off.” I lift the plate and nod approvingly. “Are you going to school here?”
“Oh, no. I’m enrolled at Ohio State.”
Dammit. The mystery of what she’s doing here goes unsolved.
“They’re teaching you well over there.”
“Thank you.” Her cheeks darken, and she looks away.
She has soft, prominent cheeks. There’s something about them—I want to pinch them. She has the cutest little nose, too. She takes her lower lip between her teeth again, biting down on pink flesh.
I can dismiss myself now. I’ve done my duty, spoken to her briefly, and ensured she doesn’t feel completely alone. Everett can come back and save the day.
But he doesn’t make his grand return, and Evie speaks before I can leave.
“What do you do?” she asks. “My brother says you’re a big business guy, but that’s all he said.”
Not exactly the reputation I want.
I tilt my chin down, frowning. “Big business guy? Really?”
She holds her hands up. “His words, not mine.”
“I guess that’s one way to describe what I do.” I chuckle. “I’m the CEO of Intentional Paper. We focus on forestry, paper, and packaging in a way that supports the environment rather than harming it. Recycled goods, replanting more than we use, that kind of thing.”
Her lips pop open. “That’s not what I was expecting.”
“What? You thought I was… a Wall Street guy? A techie? Something like that?”
“No! I don’t know, but I admire it—the business side of things, that is. I want to open my bakery someday, you know.”
“So, you like picking the brains of big business guys?”
She giggles. “I guess I do.”
Not that I want to accept the title Everett gave me, but if she needs help… I can provide it.
“I’m here to answer any of your questions.” I cut off a piece of cake. “Our businesses will be different, but if there’s anything you need to know… ask away.”
“What I need to know is…” She shifts on her feet and looks off to the side. “When will things get easier?”
Yikes. Not the question I’m expecting.
I set my fork down. “Let me guess. You’re struggling right now?”
“Yeah.” Her voice thickens. “I really, really am, and I haven’t even opened the bakery yet. I’m nowhere near that. The first few years of business are supposed to be so hard, and—”
“Hey.” My voice softens. “It’s normal to struggle when you’re in college. Hell, I was still struggling when I was your age. Like you said, business is hard for the first five years—sometimes ten.”
“And I’m not even in the first year yet. How am I supposed to get there?”
“I mean it. College is hard for everyone. We’re all existing on ramen noodles at that point. Whatever you’re struggling with doesn’t dictate your future success.”
“Seriously?” She cocks her head. “Even you? I can’t imagine you eating packaged ramen.”
“You better believe it. I’m only alive because of the stuff.”
“That makes me feel a little better.”
I need to slow my roll, but the wheels in my head are spinning, driving me places I shouldn’t go. There may as well be a big NO TRESPASSING sign in front of where my thoughts have wandered off to.
Not that it would stop me.
I inhale through my teeth and contemplate my options. “What are your plans this summer, Evie?”
“I don’t know.” Her forehead wrinkles. “I’m staying with my brother and… taking a break, I guess.”
“A well-deserved break, I imagine.”
“It doesn’t really feel like I deserve it.”
“Everyone deserves a break.”
She rolls her eyes. “What if I don’t want a break? Is that weird?”
“No. It’s not weird. I can understand that better than most.”
I shouldn’t do it. I need an assistant with experience, someone who can walk in and fix my life—and my chaotic schedule. Why am I even considering this?
“We’re hiring at Intentional Paper,” I blurt out.
She blinks.
“Not a huge role,” I say, rushing. “Just my assistant. If you want something for the summer, a way to save up a little cash, you can have it. The hours are long, but I pay well.”
Her eyes are as wide as the plate in my hand. “Seriously? Are you offering me a job? Just like that?”
I shake my head, fighting off a smile. “I’ll have to interview you first, of course.”
“Of course.” She lets out a shocked laugh. “But I can’t. I wish I could, but I just—I need to focus on my baking this summer. I’ll probably find a temporary bakery gig. You understand, right?”
“I do—I get it. You have other priorities, and they’re important. There’s no pressure.” I set the plate down, slip a finger into my pocket, and pull out my wallet. “If you change your mind… here’s my card.”
She takes the pine tree-shaped card between two fingers, staring at it. “Thank you.”
“I could teach you a thing or two about business, too. Don’t write the offer off so quickly.”
She holds the card to her chest and meets my gaze with an earnest look. “I won’t. I’ll consider it, really. It’s not like I have any other options.”
I chuckle and step closer, ducking my head down. “Can I give you a business tip?”
“Yes! Please. Anything.”
“Never let them know you don’t have other offers.” I wink. “It’ll slide with me, but for future reference…”
“Right.” She tucks her hair behind her ear. “In that case—I have a few other offers to consider, but I’ll keep you updated.”
“Much better.”
Everett is watching us. I know before I turn to look at him, catching his curious gaze. His eyes narrow.
“I should go,” I say. “But think about it. Seriously. It’ll be fun—you may even get to travel.”
“Travel? Seriously?” she squeaks.
“Seriously—but no pressure. Take your time.”
Evie has all the time in the world. She’s young, staying in the most beautiful city in California, and has a great support system.
I don’t have the same gift of time. My job will only get more challenging if I don’t figure something out soon. That won’t stop me from trying to help her out. That’s why I do everything. If I can’t be helpful to the planet, I can benefit one person.