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Not that I’m going to spill the beans that she was braless; that would probably get me in more trouble than it’s worth for hinting that I noticed.
“Warren, what the hell is going on with Alana’s place?” I rap my knuckles on the side of my brother-in-law’s office doorjamb.
His eyes are transfixed to the computer, probably with a spreadsheet pulled up on the screen. “Do you know that the branzino you ordered last month cost us half the quarter’s fish budget?”
“It was a popular dish, and we sold out of it. What’s the problem? I charged ten bucks more for that dish than I do our regular salmon one.” My voice is flippant and full of annoyance.
Not only am I tired of talking about what I’m doing wrong in the family business, but he ignored my original question.
“Well, now what are we supposed to do when Liam can’t get suppliers to come down on the price of our fish for the rest of the quarter?” Warren gripes, still not looking at me.
“I brought in extra revenue, so up the budget. That seems simple enough, even if I don’t have an accounting degree.” I roll my eyes.
Finally, my brother-in-law looks up at me. “That’s not how a business works, Evan. We stay financially solvent because we stay consistent. We predict and trend how our profits and margins are going to look for the coming months and years. That’s why Hope Pizza has been around so long.”
And I’m really fucking tired of everyone talking down to me like some idiot when I’m the one they begged to come back and take over.
Ignoring his business lesson, I press on with my roommate issue. “Why would you tell August it was okay to stay at Alana’s old place when Alana told me the exact same thing?”
Concern washes over his face. “Wait, what? Where is August?”
God, his precious August. Warren has always cared way more about her than he ever has about me, and it chaps my ass for some reason. Probably just that old jealousy again.
“I don’t know. I’m not her keeper. But I did come face-to-face with her at midnight last night while trying to go to sleep. She was unpacking at the old house, and said you told her she could stay there as long as she likes? What the hell? Alana told me the same thing yesterday.”
“That makes no sense. I talked to Alana about it and she never said a thing. Jeez, this whole newborn phase is sucking the life out of us.” He wipes a hand over his exhausted expression.
I soften a little. “I figured that’s what it was. But what are we going to do now?”
Because yeah, I could go back to my childhood home, but I don’t want to.
“Why can’t you just keep living with Mom and Dad until you get a place?” He uses my parent’s monikers like they’re his own now.
Shifting uncomfortably, I fill him in. “I keep hearing them through the walls.”
He bites out a laugh. “Oh, Jesus. Well, I guess that wouldn’t be the greatest situation.”
“It’s not a situation because I refuse to put myself in it.” I glare at him as he continues to laugh. “I thought staying at your old house would be the perfect solution until I found somewhere I actually wanted to live, but now August is there. How long is she here for? Doesn’t she have her mom’s house or something?”
Vaguely, I remember him mentioning, or maybe it was a customer, that the matriarchal Percy died a few weeks ago. I’d never even encountered August’s mother in all the time I lived in Hope Crest, and after her daughter left, I feel like no one ever made a peep about her.
Warren slices a look at me that could cut me in half. Okay, noted, no talking about August’s mother.
“That’s not an option for her either, so no. Out of the two of you, you have a bunch of places to stay and this is her only option. So you should just leave the house for her. I’m not sure how long she’ll be here, might not be that long, and then you can have it temporarily if you want …”
He’s leaving something out, and it feels like what he’s not saying will piss me off more.
“What? What is it?” I challenge him.
“Or you could just grow up and find your own place? Searching for a house or a rental is a bit of leg work, but you could do it.” Sometimes, I think Warren is the only one in this family who doesn’t cut me slack for being the baby.
Certain times, I love that. Except sometimes, I fucking loathe it.
“I just need a place to rest my head, that’s it. I’m not ready for the commitment of buying a property.” Plus, that would mean I really am staying in Hope Crest, when, in reality, I haven’t fully committed to that idea either.
Not that I’d ever voice that.
He purses his lips. “Well, I’ll have to talk to her. I don’t really know what the solution is, but I’ll talk to August. You’re a pain in the ass, you know that?”
