Jace’s face crinkled in sympathy. “So what are you going to do?”
“Well, I have plans tonight with Brittany, and you and Bethany if you can make it, but tomorrow I’m employing a full-court press. I’m done sitting back and being patient. If she’s going to tell me no, I at least want to hear it from her lips instead of enduring this prolonged silence.”
“Good luck man. I hope it works out for you. And at the risk of being a total hypocrite since I got in your face for checking up on Bethany, have you checked Josie out?”
Ash nodded. “Yeah, I did. After our first meeting in the park. No skeletons in her closet that I uncovered anyway.”
“Okay, well, if there’s anything I can do, you know you only have to ask. If you get her to agree, we’ll have to hook up, and when Gabe and Mia get back from their honeymoon, we can all get together. You can introduce Josie to Mia and Bethany. They have a good group of girlfriends, and I’ll tell you from experience, when they have their girls’ nights out?” He broke off and a shit-eating grin attacked his face.
Ash held up his hand with a groan. “I know, I know. You’ve already regaled me with the details of drunk, sexy women in fuck-me shoes wanting to be fucked in those fuck-me shoes. No need to torture me further.”
Jace laughed and then rose. “Let me go call Bethany. I’ll let you know about tonight. Where we eating and what time? I just need to give her a heads-up so she can be ready.”
“How about the Bryant Park Grill right after work?”
Jace nodded. “Sounds good. We’ll see you there.”
chapter nine
Brittany was noticeably nervous at dinner, though Bethany was a complete doll, easing the awkwardness and treating Brittany like a long-lost friend.
The Bryant Park Grill was hopping, as it was every day right after work hours. It was filled with suits, businessmen and women enjoying cocktails after a day at work. It was a popular after-work haunt, but that wasn’t why Ash chose it.
He’d chosen it because he thought he might see Josie there. But according to the man Ash had assigned to keep tabs on Josie, she hadn’t been out of her apartment at all for several days.
Maybe she was working furiously to finish a new piece of art for the gallery. Maybe she wasn’t giving his proposition a moment’s thought. He’d told Jace he’d give her until tomorrow, but he was only half paying attention to the dinner conversation because he was tempted to go to Josie’s apartment unannounced.
Patience. Jace had said to have patience. Ash nearly snorted over the hypocrisy of that statement, even if Jace had admitted it.
Their food was served, and Brittany had finally relaxed, even smiling in Ash’s direction. At one point she leaned toward him so only he would hear and said, “Thank you, Ash. You can’t know what this means to me. You’re the only family I have now. The others have cut all ties. They treat me like I’m some sort of traitor for wanting to have my own life. You understood what I wanted and needed and you didn’t judge me for it.”
Ash smiled. “Join the outcast club. It’s not so bad really. The longer you remain away from them, the more perspective you’ll gain and you’ll realize that this is something you would have been happier doing a lot sooner. But you’ve done it, and that’s all that counts. It’ll get easier. I promise.”
“Does it bother you?” she asked in an earnest voice. “I mean does it bother you that they treat you like an outsider? That they have such disdain for you and your success?”
Ash shrugged. “It did in the beginning I suppose. I haven’t given it much thought over the last few years. I have good friends and they’re my family. And now you.”