Chapter 12
12
JOBE
My mother holds me by the shoulders as she studies my face.
“You have dark rings around your eyes, darling. You need to get more sleep.”
“Sacrificing sleep is part of the job, as you know,” I murmur before I kiss her cheek.
“You sound like your brother.” Fine lines crease around her blue eyes. She studies me a moment longer. “Please don’t make the same mistake as him.”
I smile at Mom. “Get married and have kids? No chance of that.” It’s not what she implied, but there is no point in causing her worry. My father worked long hours, traveled around the world, and often left her alone with us four kids for weeks at a time. She hated that Franklin followed in his footsteps. It’s why she admires Penny. She is the only person to convince him to slow down .
She places a hand on my cheek. “Don’t joke about things you have no control over.”
I chuckle as though she told a joke. “Trust me. I have complete control over that, and it’s not on my radar.”
Franklin lands a hand on my back. “Never say never, especially to our mother. Now, can I fix you a drink?”
“Nothing I’d love more. It’s been a week.”
“Did you see Zara?” he asks. “You know Penny’s going to ask.”
“Yeah, I caught up with her. She’s doing fine. Penny doesn’t need to worry.”
He nods. “How is the takeover development?”
“It’s progressing well. Sir James is starting to believe in our vision.” Though juggling two London business dealings at the same time is not ideal.
Franklin hands me a whiskey on ice, and I slip out of my suit jacket, laying it across the leather chair. “Penny will be excited. She has researched London’s innovative green building practices and will have a plan for us by the end of the month.”
“Sir James’ interest piqued when I spoke of Hendricks Real Estate being a visionary leader with focus on sustainability,” I say, and Franklin raises his glass toward me. “I’m excited about our vision, and I’ve already taken the next step in securing property in Dubai.”
“Mom was right. You don’t have time to sleep.”
“Jobe.” Penny bounces into the room with Summer on her hip. She already has the dark hair of her parents. “I spoke to Zara.” Suddenly, I’m no longer thinking about their baby. “She sent me a photo of the view where she is staying. It looks fabulous.”
She hands Franklin her cell to pass to me, and he glances at the image, his eyebrows lowering before he hands it to me. I stiffen seeing the image from the terrace overlooking the Thames because Franklin has stayed at my penthouse. “What’s this?” he asks.
“Zara’s view, by account.” I hold his gaze and give a subtle shake of my head.
The fuck ? he mouths.
“Lola is waiting for us,” Mom says, directing us into the dining room. “Thank you, Lola. We’re ready for our starters,” she says to our server.
Lola has worked for us for twenty years, and Mom hates keeping her waiting. She reminds us she has her own family to go home to.
We take our seats just as Charlotte and Byron arrive together. My younger siblings have been bickering of late, and I’m not in the mood for it tonight. Mom stands and hugs them both, as she does to all of us, even if it’s mere days since she saw us last. “You’re training too hard,” she tells Byron.
“It’s his profession, Mom.” I pipe up in defense of Byron’s elite basketball career. “No gain without pain.”
“You know that’s not true, Jobe. It can become a chronic injury.” She places a hand on his shoulder. “You need to eat, darling.”
“What Jobe means is the pain he feels today is the strength he’ll feel tomorrow,” Charlotte quips. Mom hugs my sister, who is equally dedicated as Byron to the LA Sharks basketball club my family owns, working in the business side of the team.
“And you’re working far too hard. Have you hired an extra assistant yet?”
“Nope, most are there for the glory and for a chance to meet the guys. We’re interviewing all week.”
“No Aussie today?” I ask. Byron’s teammate and best friend is from Down Under, and he’s usually here once a week for the family dinner.
“No, he’s FaceTiming his parents tonight,” Byron says.
“How is Giana?” Penny asks Byron about his new love interest.
“Good. Her art is flourishing.”
“It’s not the only thing flourishing, ” I say.
Byron glares at me. My brother is smitten, and this conversation wouldn’t happen if my father were here.
“When is Dad expected home?” I ask Mom.
“On Friday. Hopefully, it’s the last time he travels for the year.”
I glance at Franklin, expecting a raised eyebrow as we know my father hasn’t fully retired, even though Mom wants to hand it all over to Franklin. With the way he’s glancing down, I know he’s breaking the no-cells-at-the-table rule.
My cell buzzes in my pocket, and I discreetly retrieve it, keeping the cell on my legs to read the screen.
What the fuck is going on between you and Zara?
I glance up at my brother and mouth, later.
“Can we meet tomorrow to discuss the takeover?” Franklin asks in a business-like tone. His serious gaze sends a clear message not to decline him.
“We can chat over lunch. It’s the only time I have free,” I tell him, not ready to discuss Zara in detail with him or anyone.
“Thank you, Lola,” Mom says as dishes are laid in front of us. “Please, no more talk of business at the table.”
The following day, I finish the last morning meeting over a Zoom call.
I knock, then open my assistant’s door. “Cancel my next meeting,” I tell Hayley. “I expect lunch with my brother to take longer than I desire.”
“Of course. When do you want to reschedule?”
“Later this afternoon. Email me the details.” I close her door and head outside to where my driver waits. “Bloom, please, Joseph.”
“Meeting your brother, sir?”
“Yes, at his request, not mine.”
I check emails and messages, but none from a certain female in London. If I know Zara, I expect the Fuck you. I’ve moved out message any time now. We need to remain civil, at least until the gala. It’s enough time to secure some confidence with Sir James to sign the contract. The woman is under my skin, and I’m endeavoring not to think about her while I’m in LA finalizing business contracts. I have to focus, yet here I am, having lunch with my brother, who will open an interrogation about my feelings for her.
Inside Bloom, Franklin sits at the usual table at the back that is always reserved for family, friends, and last-minute reservations. He stands and shakes my hand. “Busy morning?”
“I’ve managed to survive on air only.”
He chuckles. “It’s a family trait. I’ll order us some food immediately.”
“Best you order us a bottle of Blanton’s La Maison du Whisky too.”
His brow furrows. “What the fuck have you done?”
“Nothing, yet.”
My cell lights up with an incoming call. Venus. I ignore it and block the number.
Frank raises an eyebrow. “You’re not seeing?— ”
“No,” I cut him off. “I must have missed her number.”
“You’re blocking every woman you fuck?” he asks unbelievably. “Shall we address the elephant in the room first?” he snaps. “Why was Zara at your penthouse? No, why did she tell Penny it’s where she is staying?”
“Nothing happened if that’s your concern.”
He leans forward. “Yet.” His serious big brother face warns me not to mess with him.
I glare at him. “Give me some credit. I’m trying fucking hard here.”
Franklin holds his temples. “Je-sus.”
“I needed a favor. Sir James told me going forward, he didn’t trust me. Said my lack of having a wife or girlfriend depicted an irresponsible or untrustworthy nature. He thinks I’m not a man of my word if I’m not capable of committing to a relationship, so I asked Zara to be my fake girlfriend.”
“You’re fucking delusional,” he spits. “Why did she agree to it?”
“She needed somewhere to stay until she sorted out her living arrangement. I said she’s welcome to stay at mine indefinitely since I’m only there once a month.”
Franklin leans back in his chair and eyes me suspiciously. He links his fingers on the edge of the table. “There is nothing going on between you?”
“Nope.”
“So what does this fake dating entail?”
“She accompanies me to dinners with Sir James, and there is a gala ball we need to attend, and then the contracts should be secured. Sir James loves Zara. She’s perfect as she talks about Penny and yourself and how she loves Summer and…” Fuck.
“And…”
“And how she can’t wait to have babies. ”
Franklin’s eyes round wider than our dinner plates. “Babies. You and Zara? I never got the impression she wanted kids.”
“It’s part of the charade. She sounded convincing, and Sir James believed her.”
He narrows his eyes. “Do you act like you’re together in front of him?”
“We hug and touch each other like we’re together just for show.” He screws up his face as though he’s in pain from hearing my words. “And we’ve…” I hesitate, “… kissed, but not like you think.”
“Like I think? What I think is if your charade is uncovered, all hell will break loose. He’ll never trust us to do business again, and we need his fucking business. We need his trust. So you better not fuck this up.” He shakes his head. “And especially not with Zara because you’ll have Penny to deal with if I don’t murder you first. Why the hell didn’t you get one of your booty calls to date?”
“Because they would fuck it up. Zara knows the family, and we trust her. She was perfect for the job.”
He rubs at his temples again. “You’re going to break her heart.”
“What? I told you nothing is going on between us. It’ll be fine.”
“I know you better than you know yourself. She’ll fall for you, and you’ll break her heart.” He shakes his head at me. Then, his expression changes as though he has a realization. “You like her, don’t you?”
“Of course I like her. She’s a family friend.” Something I continually remind myself every time I want to cross the line.
“No. There’s something different about you.” Typically, Franklin can see when I’m trying to avoid my feelings. Living with a woman as beautiful as Zara is hard enough without him breaking down the barrier of me wanting something I can’t allow myself to touch. And in Sandbanks, I came awfully close to losing all self-control with her.
“Let it go,” I warn him. “It’s business.”
If only I could convince myself.