had left in the fridge and stacked the plate in the dishwasher. Look at me. Twenty-eight, and the only thing I had to look forward to this Friday evening was reviewing a new supplier contract and binge-watching Netflix.
I poured a glass of scotch and settled on my couch. I’d taken a single sip when my phone rang. I reached over to the coffee table. Elliot. What did he want? We weren’t supposed to catch up until tomorrow.
“Yeah.”
“I need a favor. I was supposed to have a conference call with the Addison’s crew this evening, but Athena’s just called me. She’s broken down on the interstate on the way up to Belleayre and needs rescuing. Can you head up the conference call?”
I swirled the scotch in my glass. The Addison’s contract was Elliot’s baby, a joint venture with a global player in telecoms, and a big deal for ROGUES. He’d been working on it for months, and finally, we were heading into the home stretch. “Tell her to call Triple A.”
Elliot made a sound of frustration. “Fuck, man, she’s my sister, she’s in the middle of nowhere. It’s freezing, and she’s alone. I don’t really want to send some strange guy out to get her. You can’t be too careful these days. I’d send Dad, but he and Mom are away visiting friends this weekend.”
An idea formed in my mind. The journey up north would give me an opportunity to apologize to Athena for ‘The Kiss’. The one I hadn’t planned. The one I should regret but didn’t. I’d made excuses to visit IT on so many occasions this week, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. Yet when I had caught her eye, I’d glowered instead of smiled. Retreated instead of manning the fuck up and talking to her.
Tasting Athena again after all these years had brought every suppressed memory rushing to the surface. Except nothing had changed. She was still Elliot’s sister, and I was still his best friend, and any non-platonic relationship was still taboo. Bro code rule one-oh-one. Athena and I didn’t have a future.
The problem, though… I couldn’t stop running through permutations and scenarios where the forbidden became acceptable.
So far, I’d come up empty.
“I’ll go get her. You’re more familiar with the Addison’s deal than me. It makes more sense if I go.”
Elliot sighed in relief. “I’d kind of hoped you’d offer. We’re planning to review the latest contract changes tonight, and it’d take me a while to bring you up to speed. You can just drop her at the cabin. I’ll arrange for someone to tow the Merc to a nearby garage.”
“Got it. Where is she?”
“I’ll text you the details. You’re a legend.”
Elliot hung up and, seconds later, my phone dinged with an incoming text. Suppressing excitement I shouldn’t feel, I grabbed an overcoat, slipped on my shoes, and rode the elevator down to the underground garage. I checked the weather reports. Looked like a band of snow was heading our way. Choosing the all-wheel-drive SUV—the last thing we needed was my car skidding off the road on a patch of ice—I set off.
The farther North I traveled, the worse the weather became, sleet morphing into snow. I sped up, contrary to the conditions. If Athena had broken down, she wouldn’t have heat. Even if she changed into her skiing gear, she’d still be cold.
I exited the freeway, spotting Elliot’s car instantly. I pulled up alongside and cut the engine. When I knocked on Athena’s window, she jumped, smiled, then frowned.
“Where’s Elliot?” she asked through the crack she’d opened in the door.
“He’s working on the Addison’s deal.” I yanked the door wide open. “It’s me or Triple A.”
She folded her arms across her chest and stared through the windshield. “I choose the latter.”
So much for having a civilized conversation about my unplanned pass.
“I’ll wait in the car. Take your time,” I added sarcastically.
I slipped into the driver’s seat and waited for her to get over her snit and join me. Eventually she did, although she slammed the door closed to make her point. Snow stuck to her hair and coat, and she shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. I turned up the heat.
“Put your seat belt on,” I said, shifting the car into reverse.
“What about Elliot’s car?”
“He’s making arrangements to have it towed.”
I pulled back onto the freeway, heading north.
“You’re taking me to the cabin?” she asked, surprise in her voice.
I gave her a sidelong glance, then returned my attention to the road, the