Park Avenue Player(49)
“I don’t understand, then. You want a family. He wants me. Why can’t we just be a family?”
The fear in her voice made my chest hurt. “It’s complicated, sweetheart. And I think I’m muddying things up by explaining stuff wrong. But the bottom line is, I adore you. Your uncle adores you. And my dating someone else will have no bearing on any of that.”
Luckily, that seemed to satisfy her—either that or she’d grown bored of the conversation. Hailey finished mashing the bananas and moved on to asking if we could go ice skating today. It was summer in New York City and going to be in the eighties this afternoon. But I was so anxious to change the subject, I’d say yes to just about anything.
“Sure. Let me see if I can find a place.”
***
“What’s up, bossman?” After work, I decided to stop by my old job. I walked into Soren’s office and planted my ass on the other side of his desk.
He folded his hands behind his head and leaned back into his chair. “Well, look what the cat dragged in. Did Richie Rich figure out you’re nuts and fire your ass already?”
“No. Well, yes.” I shook my head. “I mean, I’m pretty sure he knows I’m nuts, but he didn’t fire me.”
Soren squinted. “He knows you’re nuts and hasn’t fired you? So he’s trying to get in your pants, then?”
I sighed. “I wish.”
His brows jumped. “Hot for the new boss?”
“I think I really need to get laid.”
Soren wrinkled his nose and waved his hands at me. “Don’t tell me shit like that. You’re like my sister.”
“Well, that’s sort of why I’m here. I want my big brother to do a little background check on a man I’m thinking about going out with.”
“Your boss? The Hollis guy?” He scraped his boots off his desk and sat up in his chair. “No problem.”
“Thanks. But actually, it’s not Hollis I want you to check out.”
“No?”
“No. His name is Benito. I met him online. He seems nice enough, but you know… He could be a serial killer.”
Soren picked up his reading glasses and shook his head. “What the hell are you meeting men online for? Meet them the old-fashioned way.”
I arched a brow. “You mean hire them to be my secretary and not tell them sucking my dick is part of the job until after they start?”
“You got some mouth on you.”
I tilted my head toward the door. “I noticed Bambi has been replaced. I’m guessing things didn’t turn out well. Again.”
He grumbled something under his breath.
In the two years I’d been with Soren, he’d had at least a dozen secretaries, most of whom he’d slept with.
“This Benito got a last name, or what?”
“Del Toro.”
“Benito Del Toro. Like the actor?”
“No, that’s Benicio. I know. The name is a little unfortunate. But he’s a few years older than me, so his mother named him before the actor became famous. Could be worse though. His name could be Jeffrey Dahmer.”
“He live in the boroughs?”
“Brooklyn Heights.”
“I’ll take care of it. Give me till morning.”
I smiled. “You’re the bestest boss…and since I’m here…why don’t we order from that Chinese place I love? I miss the food. And I miss you buying it for me even more.”
Soren shook his head. “You expect me to buy you dinner even after you quit on me?”
“You miss buying me food, and I know it.”
He opened his drawer, reached in, and tossed a menu at me. “Call it in. I’ll take my usual.”
***
“He was literally a fucking boy scout. Even has a credit score in the eight hundreds.” Soren called the next morning just as I walked up the stairs from the subway.
“Oh, wow. Okay. So no skeletons, then?”
“Nope. One car accident—ironically, while parking a few years ago. So you two should probably stick to public transportation. Owns his condo and his car outright. Same job for nine years. One sister—lives in bumfuck Nebraska. Mother died last year, and up until then, he’d been paying for her nursing home.”
I attempted to cross the street at a green light but had to stop abruptly when a cab made a sudden turn and nearly ran over my toes. The jerk blew the light only to get stuck in the crosswalk.
I banged on the trunk of his car. “Watch where you’re going, asshole!”
Soren chuckled. “Not sure why we bothered to check out this guy’s background. Pretty sure if he pisses you off, you’ll kick his ass.”
“Thanks for looking into him, Soren.”
“Anytime, kid. Better safe than sorry. And stop by more often, even if it’s just to bum a free meal. Office isn’t the same without you torturing me.”
I smiled. Such a softie behind the badass. “I will.”
I managed to navigate the two-block walk to work without getting into any more fights with cabs. While I waited for the elevator, my phone buzzed in my purse. I dug it out again and smiled seeing the name on the screen.
Benito: Good morning. Might today be the day she says yes?