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Greer smiled softly, then sat back in his seat. He released a weighted breath, then nodded slowly. “Yeah, okay. Maybe. Where?”
My heart pounded so hard I could hear it in my ears as desire blazed through me like a forest fire during a drought. “Peninsula Grande. Room 1521.”
He smiled. It just so happened to be one of the many hotels his billionaire family owned.
Humor glinted in his eyes. “Thank you for your patronage.”
“Yeah, well. The Waldorf was full,” I lied.
Greer’s laughter erupted from him and rolled through me, making me grin like a fool again.
“Such a smart ass.”
We grinned at one another as Carter returned to the table. He took in the two of us as he sat down and placed his napkin in his lap.
“What am I missing here?” my brother asked, his eyes shifting back and forth from me to Greer. The amusement on his face meant we’d done a decent job of hiding this thing between us.
“Austin’s being a smart ass talking about the Waldorf.”
My brother chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, he’s good at that.”
The server arrived and took our order. I settled on the Porterhouse, but had no idea what they ordered. My job was to keep myself together to tell my brother my news. And when the server walked away, Carter turned to me. “So, what did you want to tell me?”
Glancing at Greer, I focused my gaze on Carter. After our little confession, I felt lighter. “I’ve decided I’m not going to work at Wentworth.”
His brow furrowed. “What do you mean you’re not going to work for Wentworth? Mom and Dad are okay with that?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t really care.”
My brother smiled at me, then glanced at Greer. “What are you going to do?”
I could hear the amusement in his voice. Carter might flip his shit when I told him, but that was okay. I was prepared. But before I could get it out, our server returned with our salads. I waited and glanced at Greer to find a very amused smirk spread across his face.
It wasn’t difficult to read their expressions. And it wasn’t hard to see they both thought I was being a petulant rich kid who wanted to rebel. That wasn’t a wrong assumption.
Carter picked up his fork and started in on his salad, but before he could take the first bite, I blew him out of the water. “I’ve joined the Navy. I report to OCS in Rhode Island next week.” I paused, then added, “For twelve weeks.”
Carter stared at me, his mouth hanging open and fork suspended in the air. Greer released a strangled cough, drawing my attention to him.
“Are you serious, Austin?” Greer asked, disbelief in his tone.
“Yes. I’m going to OCS. And I’m considering the SEAL program.”
Carter’s fork dropped to his plate, making a loud noise when it landed. The commotion drew my attention from the man I wanted and back to my brother.
I couldn’t read his expression. It was a mix of concern and disbelief, with a hint of something that looked like pride. Placing my fork on the table, I sat back and looked at my brother. “Carter, I can’t spend my life behind a desk. I don’t want a corporate job. That’s not me. I want to do something meaningful with my life.”
“But a SEAL, Austin? Do you know how dangerous that job is?”
I smiled and nodded. “Yes, I do. This is not an impulsive decision. The recruiter has laid it all out there, and I’ve been training for quite some time. Even competed in a few Iron Man Competitions to test myself.” I stared at my brother, waiting for his reply. When it didn’t come, I finished. “I’ve made up my mind. I’d appreciate my big brother’s support.”
His eyes went wide, and I watched as they glassed over. “You’ll always have my support. I was just hoping you’d stay in Chicago with me. But no matter what, I’ve got your back.”
“Even with Mom and Dad?”
Carter nodded as his gaze softened a little more. “Yeah, of course. Have you told them?”
I smiled. “No. I wanted to tell you first.” I chuckled, then grinned. “I’ll tell them this weekend—right before I leave.”
