With good foresight, Jake bought a necklace to go with the ring. Knowing that I wouldn’t want to wear it on my finger, he hung it as a pendant on my neck. It was beautiful—heavy, but beautiful.
Jane was already at the restaurant waiting at the bar for us. Her build was slender and she stood at about five feet seven. Her hair wasn’t as dark as Jake’s, but her eyes were just as blue. She and Jake shared many of the same facial features. Upon first impression, she was just as beautiful as Jake was handsome. I could imagine how stunning the five of them would look in a family portrait.
“Emily, this is my only sister, Jane.”
“Jane, this is my Emily.”
“I’m so happy to meet you, Jane. Thank you very much for all your troubles. It was unnecessary but much appreciated,” I said, giving her a hug. She hugged me right back like we were old friends.
“Thrilled to do it for you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my brother this happy. You are actually the first girlfriend he’s introduced me to since Kelley, right Jake?”
“I guess. I don’t know.”
I turned to Jake to tease him. “There were probably so many girls before me, he didn’t have the energy to introduce them all to you.” Jane and I laughed. Jake pouted.
Our restaurant was located in the business district close to the Embarcadero. The nicely decorated restaurant offered another pre-fixe menu. After lunch, I chose the vegetarian option but couldn’t resist the sweetbread appetizer, while Jane and Jake chose a four-course meal, starting with the sweetbread as well. Sipping fizzy water, Jane and I spoke endlessly about our likes and dislikes. We talked as though we were close friends catching up on old times. Jake didn’t mind that I paid no attention to him. Content just to hold my hand, he watched us converse.
“What’s it like living in New York?” I asked Jane. “I’ve always wanted to live there. Although, I think I could live up here as well.”
“Weren’t you just there over Thanksgiving?”
“Yeah, I had so much fun. It could have only been better if your brother had gone with me.” I squeezed Jake’s hand.
“New York is the most exciting city. My girlfriends and I meet at all hours of the day, and there are so many restaurants and cafés bustling with people. I enjoy how busy the streets are, and how people bump into you on the subway. It feels like you’re living among everyone. In LA, you drive everywhere, so you don’t really get to know your neighbors. In New York, your neighbors become your commuting buddies. You should come visit me. We’d have a great time.”
“I’d love that.” Next time, I’ll make sure Jake and I go together. “Jane, how old are you? Are we the same age? If you’re in your last year of law school, does that make you older? There’s a bit of a gap between you and Jake.”
“No, I’m also twenty-four. My mom says Jake is spoiled rotten because I came along so late. He was an only child for too long.”
“Who says I’m spoiled?” Jake dropped my hand and looked aghast. “Mom says you were always the competitive one trying to outdo me.”
“Oh, only everyone! Plus, I didn’t try. I outdid you in every category,” she retorted.
“Because he was the first grandchild in the Reid family, everyone spoiled him. He loved the attention. To this day, he’s still the golden child of this family.” There was humor and slight resentment in her tone. It made me laugh.
“So, Emily,” she said, turning to me, “what about my brother do you like? Why would you want to date someone who can spend no more than a couple of hours with you at a time? I’m shocked he took an entire weekend off. You must be special. I didn’t think he’d ever meet anyone who could tolerate his schedule.”
“I have to agree that he is quite the workaholic. We’ve had only four dates in the last six weeks, and every single date was cut short due to work.”
“Hey, no more Jake-bashing.” Jake frowned again as he pushed his seat closer to me. “Tell Jane what you like about me,” he directed with a childlike eagerness.
“I told you he’s an attention monger.” Jane rolled her eyes.
Not having grown up with siblings, I enjoyed their banter. It was fun watching Jake and Jane argue and poke fun at one another. I’d never experienced this with anyone. Since Max had only brothers, this brother-sister relationship was an entirely new discovery.
“Tell her, Emi.”
“Let’s see. It’s not a very long list,” I answered, laughing with Jane. “I’m kidding.” I quickly added before Jake disowned me as a girlfriend. “Jake has this amazing way of making me feel like I’m the only person in this world who matters to him. I feel incredibly special.” My eyes glowed as I spoke about my boyfriend. “Not only is he attentive, he’s a caring, very loving person. Is that a good enough answer?”