Page 37 of Never To Be Mine

Micah looked me in the eye. “Have you really moved past your differences? She didn’t pull any punches when you first met. I can’t imagine she’s suddenly a huge fan of yours.”

I thought about Juno in that blue blouse, the way she’d smiled for the camera while quietly insulting me between takes. The way her eyes flashed when she was annoyed, which seemed to be most of the time I was around.

“We’re working on it,” I said carefully.

Micah raised an eyebrow. “That’s diplomatic.”

“She’s…” I searched for the right word. “Challenging.”

“Challenging how?”

“Some people are impressed by our last name, but she doesn’t give a fuck who we are.” I chuckled. “If anything, it pisses her off. She’s convinced I’m some trust fund baby playing entrepreneur. That I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Well, you are a trust fund baby,” he said. “We both are. And you’re an entrepreneur.”

“But I’m not playing. This company means a lot to me. I’m building something here.”

“I’ve seen how hard you’ve worked on this.” Micah looked at Toby. “Believe it or not, Hollis used to be fun before he spent fourteen hours a day working on all this wellness stuff.”

Toby grinned around a mouthful of burger.

“Hey, don’t laugh,” I told him, laughing as I shook my head. “I’m still fun.”

“I know,” Micah said. “Just busting your chops. I’m busy as shit these days too.”

“I’ve put in the work, Micah. I’m not just slapping my name on a product someone else created. This is mine. You’ve tasted my stuff. I’m not cosplaying.”

He nodded. “I know that. Does she?”

“I’m trying to show her. But she’s so sure she’s right about me that she won’t even consider she might be wrong. Pain in my ass. That’s what she is.”

Toby, who’d been quietly demolishing his food, finally spoke up. “She’s hot though, right?”

I shot him a look. “So is hell, Toby. And what does that have to do with anything?”

“Just mentioning it.” He grinned around a mouthful of fries. “Because the comments on the interview video seem to think you two have a thing going on.”

“Because the internet is filled with horny losers. A mildly attractive woman smiles at them and they’re already planning their wedding.” I sighed and shook my head. “Trust me, that’s a dangerous woman. She’s vetting me throughout this whole process, to see if my company is a good fit for future projects with Young at Heart. I’m not trying to ruin that by sleeping with her.”

Micah nodded, impressed. “Keep your eye on the prize. If you can get PriceCo on board, you’re set. That’s the kind of deal that takes you from ‘promising startup’ to ‘legitimate business.’ That’s what you want, right?”

“That’s exactly what I want. That’s why I started B Well in the first place, to build something on my own and help some people along the way.” I stabbed another piece of salmon. “I’m not going to let Juno distract me.”

No matter how hot she is.

“If there’s anything I can do to help, just ask,” Micah said. “I mean it. You’re my brother. I want to see you succeed.”

That meant a lot. My whole family was supportive, but it was good to hear it.

We wrapped up dinner and I headed home. Later that night, I scrolled through my Instagram feed, my thumb moving on autopilot while my brain was still half in that conversation with Micah. I’d been thinking about posting something. Maybe a behind-the-scenes shot from the interview or a teaser about the PriceCo meeting.

A tagged photo caught my eye.

Someone had snapped a picture of me at dinner. I zoomed in. The angle suggested they’d been sitting a few tables away, probably got the shot when I wasn’t paying attention.

“That’s crazy,” I muttered to the empty room.

But what was crazier were the comments.