When I got the studio, I didn’t even have a job yet, so I wasn’t sure what I could afford. Now that I do, I can afford something a little bigger.”
“And I was telling him he should get a dog,” Jordan said.
“You think everyone should get a dog,” I said. “You’ve been harassing all of us for ages to get one.”
“But he may be on to something. I do get tired of being alone, and my work is flexible enough I can be home to take care of him, plus it would make me feel safer to have a dog, I think. Especially maybe a big scary looking one.”
“Well, I gave you Theo’s contact information, so give him a call. He has lots of dogs you can choose from.”
“Okay, new apartment first, dog second, but I think that sounds like a plan.”
I looked around at everyone gathered here. Mom and Conrad sat with Ryan and Rand. Jordan, Ash, and Trey here talking to me, and there was only one thing I could think of that would make this night better, it being this way all the time, and not just for the next few days.
Chapter 23
Trey
I curled up next to Roman on the bed in a spot that had started to feel like home. Not his bed or his house, so much as him.
“So, you and Jordan seemed to have a lot to talk about tonight,” he said.
“Yeah, I really like him. Well, I like all your brothers, but Jordan especially. I love how passionate he is about the things he believes in.”
“He is that. He reminds me a lot of you in that way.”
“You’ve said that before, and I just don’t see what you’re seeing. I don’t feel like I’m passionate, or else I wouldn’t be out stumping for a man who wants to undermine everything I believe in.”
“I disagree. I think that you’re simply biding your time while you figure out how to act on the things you feel passionate about. I’ve seen you when you get fired up, and when you work it all out, you’ll be a force to be reckoned with. I have no doubts.”
“I wish I knew what I wanted to do. I want it to matter, you know. I think what I worry most about is that someone will bring me on for no reason other than to hurt my father, and then I won’t be anything but a pawn in their game, same as I am for my father, just on the other side.”
“I’m sure Jordan could help you with that. He has all kinds of connections in the city.”
“That’s what he was saying. We talked a lot tonight about what I want, and he said he would put out some feelers, see if he can find anything that might interest me.”
“Jordan is a good guy. Do you think Ash will do like he suggested and get a dog?”
“I do, he sounded really excited about the idea.”
“Jordan thinks everyone needs a dog. I’m surprised he wasn’t trying to sell you on the idea as well.”
“Oh, he was,” I said, laughing. “I told him I would consider it when I got settled.”
“Do you want one?”
“A dog. Maybe. I really hadn’t thought about it. We couldn’t have one in graduate housing, and of course, I couldn’t get one living in my parents’ house.”
“We should get one,” he said, and I stilled. He said we. Like he’d said we should go for coffee or we should take my car. We should get a dog. I didn’t know if he literally meant we together. Like we should get a dog. “The backyard is fenced, so that’s no problem,” he continued like he hadn’t just turned my whole world upside down. “And depending on the size of the dog, we could put a doggie door on the back door.” I rolled over to look at him while he kept talking. “Of course, if we put a doggie door on the back door, we would need to put a gate of some kind on the stairs that lead up to the balcony or else the dog could get to both Rand and Ryan’s yards. Do you have any idea what kind of dog you would want? I never gave it much thought because I’m gone for days sometimes. But I doubt whatever job you get will be that way. At least not unless you sign on with a politician and have to stump with them.”