18. Christian

18

CHRISTIAN

I walk along the river at the end of the next day, the afternoon sun casting sparks of light along the water, my phone in front of me as I Facetime Oliver. “I can’t believe I lost the bet,” he says from his office on Park Avenue.

“Did we have a bet?”

“Yes,” Oliver says indignantly, dragging a hand through his Harry Styles hair. “How could you forget?”

“What was it?” I bite into the egg crepe that I picked up at my favorite crepe dealer, wracking my brain to figure out what we wagered on.

“It was ages ago. But I bet a pint you’d be single until the end of time.”

Laughing, I shake my head. “Sounds like some stupid shit we said at the pub last time you were here, cuz.”

“That sounds like everything we say at the pub.”

“True.”

“Still, I’m kicking myself for losing the bet,” he says, spinning in his chair. “It’s making me laugh—the idea of you being married.”

“I was married before. You’re aware of that?”

“I know, but you’re not now.”

“So is half the population of the once-married people. Half of marriages end.”

“I’m aware, but the amusement level on this is still quite high,” he says with a smirk, as a twilight boat tour cruises by, kicking up a spray of water.

“So, me getting married makes you laugh. Thanks.”

He waves a hand. “No. It’s the bonkers idea that this will somehow be all business for you.”

“Business and pleasure,” I add, taking another bite.

“Need I remind you of the time you told me about how you got involved with the client who wanted to enlist you as her boy toy and claimed she was knocked up, practically chasing you back to London? At which point you called me, all worked up, and swore off entanglements of that sort?”

“She was not pregnant,” I add, since it’s important to point that out.

“She definitely was not, but back then you said not to mix business with pleasure.”

“Elise isn’t a client. This isn’t exactly mixing the two. It’s uniting the two for mutual goals,” I say, explaining as clearly as I can how the deal with Elise is vastly different.

“That’s hilarious, cuz. How you say that as if you believe it.”

I stop in my tracks and fix him with a serious stare through the screen. “I do believe it.”

“Fine, fine. Keep telling yourself that. Just do me one favor?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t crush her heart.”

“I don’t plan on it, but I didn’t realize you cared so deeply about a woman you’ve never even met.”

He clasps a hand to his chest. “I care deeply about all women. They are lovely and wonderful and we don’t deserve them.”

"Obviously.”

“But the point is—I care. Because, somehow I care about you. Also, if you fuck this up, I’ll have to fly to Paris and sort shit out with you and Erik, and your brother has already made a mess of things.”

I sigh. “I know, I know. Thank you though for helping him untangle it.”

“That’s why every family needs a good lawyer.”

“And you’re the best attorney money and familial relations can buy. Now speaking of breaking hearts, did you ever decide to man the hell up and tell your best friend you have a thing for her?”

He blinks, sitting closer to the screen. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh come now. Pretty blonde. The outgoing American. Summer. The one you’ve been besties with forever.”

He shakes his head like what I’ve said doesn’t compute. “She’s just a friend. A very good friend.”

I wink. “Sure, she is.”

“Why are we talking about me? I thought we were talking about how you could avoid being an arsehole with your wife.”

“Listen, it’s going to be fine. I know Elise,” I say, since the one thing I’m sure of is that she’s even less of a fan of forevers than I am. “She has walls like I’ve never seen before. You think I have guardrails? I have nothing compared to her, and there’s no sledgehammer on heaven or on earth that will knock down her walls.”

“Good—keep it that way. You’re all better off as is.”

“Look, if anyone’s heart is going to be broken, it will be mine.”

Oliver laughs. “Somehow, I don’t think that can happen. In any case, I’ll be in Paris for business soon. We’ll grab a pint.”

“Count on it.”

As I make my way home to check how Erik is doing, I hope my cousin’s right. I can’t deny there’s a part of me that’s the slightest bit nervous, and a little bit hopeful too, when I think about talking to Elise this evening.

That’s when we’ll finalize the plans for our wedding.

Our wedding.