Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 169272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 846(@200wpm)___ 677(@250wpm)___ 564(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 169272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 846(@200wpm)___ 677(@250wpm)___ 564(@300wpm)
We head over to the bar in the corner of the large suite and set about mixing and pouring beverages.
“How are you feeling about you and Kat?” I ask. “Things seem to be going well.”
“Very well.”
I study my friend’s body language for a long beat as he mixes a martini. As well as I know Josh, I generally can’t decipher his feelings when it comes to women he’s dating. That’s been especially true during these few days I’ve spent with him and Kat. Yes, it’s obvious he’s mesmerized and enchanted with her in a way I’ve never seen before. On the other hand, however, it’s also obvious a huge part of their attraction is physical, so I can’t be sure if he’s in a hormone-induced haze or feeling something a bit deeper than that.
“Are you planning to continue dating her after Vegas?” I ask.
“We’ve already talked about her visiting me in LA in the near future.”
“Oh, wow, that’s cool. Sounds like things are getting pretty serious, then. At least, by your standards.”
Josh shakes his head. “Serious, it’s not. Fun? Fuck yes. In fact, she’s the most fun I’ve ever had.”
“Oh. That’s great.”
I’m surprised, and maybe even a little bit disheartened by that response. I know that’s historically been Josh’s mindset with women—he’s in it for fun and nothing else—but I thought I was seeing something deeper developing between him and Kat this week. Frankly, if Josh is only interested in something fun with a woman of Kat’s caliber, then I think maybe that answers the age-old question I’ve been wondering since college: Is Josh even capable of falling in love? I know he’s capable of love itself, based on the depth of his feelings for his brother, Reed, and me. But can he let down his guard enough in a romantic setting to let a woman burrow underneath his thick armor?
For some time now, I’ve accepted that Reed will never fall in love or get married or have kids. But even so, I’m positive he’ll be genuinely happy forever that way. Reed loves his work, his friends, his little sister, and his lifestyle, which includes fucking beautiful women all over the world. But Joshua? Yes, he’s known as a playboy, but I’ve always thought the right woman—a woman who understands his surprising complexity—might help him discover a secret craving for emotional security—maybe even a family of his own—that’s been buried deep inside him since his tumultuous childhood. At least, that’s this armchair psychologist’s hunch. But, hey, maybe I’m wrong. If he’s not even tempted to jump into something serious with Kat, then maybe he’s literally not capable of serious. Because, for fuck’s sake, from what I’ve seen, I can already tell there’s not going to be another woman on Planet Earth who’ll understand Josh Faraday better than Kat Morgan.
Four drinks in hand, Josh and I head to the couch, where we sit and wait for the women to reappear, all shiny and new in whatever change of clothes and makeup. When the pair finally emerges, the sight of Hannah would wobble my knees if I were standing. As it is, the sight of her makes me feel like I’ve been hit by a thunderbolt.
Hello, wife.
There it is again. Popping into my head, unbidden—only even louder this time.
“Wow,” I murmur, rising from the couch. Hannah was gorgeous in her jeans earlier, but her appearance now is jaw-dropping. Her blue, sparkly dress not only brings out the deep azure of her big eyes, it also shows off some spectacular cleavage that wasn’t nearly as pronounced earlier when she was wearing a T-shirt. Jesus lord almighty. My jaw is practically dragging on the floor at the sight of Hannah’s curves. She’s glorious. Stunning. A walking fantasy. As the girls stride toward us, I lean into Josh and whisper, “Okay, yeah, it happened. I’m now officially a goner.”
4
HENN
“I love karaoke, too!” Hannah gushes in response to me saying the same thing. She adds, “But I typically need some liquid courage to do it.”
We’re at dinner with Josh and Kat at the fancy restaurant chosen by Mr. Faraday. Specifically, we’re sitting at a sleek corner table in elegant lighting as an army of waiters quickly refills every sip of fifteen-dollar water and tends to our every desire. We’ve already downed several rounds of craft cocktails and a full spread of intricate appetizers, and now we’re in the midst of our respective main courses, all of which looked like works of art upon delivery to the table.
Throughout our long meal, our foursome has chatted as a group quite a bit. But whenever Josh and Kat have branched off to whisper intimately like they’re doing now, Hannah and I have leaned in and done the same. By now, we’ve covered quite a bit of first-date conversational ground: hometowns, family, schooling, the basics of religion and politics, and hobbies. Early on, Hannah asked me about my job as a computer programmer, and I said what I always say: “I’m in cybersecurity.”