Page 156 of The Bluffing Game

“Not really. It’s for purchases for Mama’s Kitchen, but I consider this a work retreat, so technically, it’s still a business expense.”

“Oh, do you think Dalton would agree with that?” I want to ask her so many more questions about her brother, but I don’t want to seem like I’m obsessed with him. Especially since he’s my boss. And her brother. And because I’m just not that interested anyway.

“Um, do I think he would agree? Does my brother agree with me about anything is the better question. He thinks he’s the boss of my life and that I cannot exist without him.” She rolls her eyes. “I love him, but he’s infuriating.”

“Oh, wow. Is that why he and Toby’s mom broke up?” I know I’m being nosy now, but I can’t stop myself.

I’m dying to know what happened. Not only because I like the kid and I’m curious, but I’m wondering when they were together and when they broke up. Toby looked like he was four or five and obviously adorable, and it seems his mom isn’t in the picture.

And then there’s Gigi, the bitch from the bakery who tried to claim Dalton in front of me. She was definitely not the mother, but it was clear to me that they’d had something. And I wasn’t naive to think that all that had existed between them was a few chaste kisses, even though it did drive me a little crazy, thinking of them together.

“Toby’s mom is not in the picture.” Lucia lowers her voice and wrinkles her nose. “I can’t really talk about it, but Toby was …” She pauses. “Gary will bring us the food and the drinks. Let’s go join the girls.”

And I know with that transition, the conversation is over.

I do wonder what she was about to say. Toby was what? What is the big secret that Dalton and now Lucia are keeping? Not that it is any of my business.

And not like I am not keeping a secret of my own.

I am going to tell Rosie eventually. I don’t know how. We aren’t full sisters anymore. I know, ultimately, it won’t matter, and it won’t break our bond, but it is a big deal.

My father, whoever he is, is out there somewhere, and I didn’t even know he existed. All I know are the facts that my mom gave me: She’d traveled with some friends to New York and met a mysterious man. They had a one-night stand, and then he was gone by the morning. The only thing she could remember about him was that he liked to frequent a bar called the Kettle King. She was young and up for a good time, and she found out she was pregnant a few months later, the day after she went on her first date with my dad. Only now I know he isn’t my birth father. He stayed with her, and they agreed to raise me as his, but she started to feel guilty about me not knowing the truth.

I love my parents, and I know they both love me, but my upbringing never felt stable. For some reason, I always felt unbalanced and like I had no real home. Which we never really had. Rosie and I bounced around the world so much that the only constant we had was each other. We couldn’t build real friendships while moving around so frequently.

And then there are the memories—all the times when our dad held Rosie a little longer, made up songs for her, showered her with kisses, called her his princess. He didn’t mean to make us feel different, but I always knew she was his favorite, and I never knew why. Now I do.

I wonder if there is a man out there who’s looking for an unknown link he doesn’t know is missing. Maybe my dad feels a sense of loss that he can’t explain. Maybe my birth dad will be ecstatic to see me. Maybe. I have to find him first.

“Hey, Sage. Sorry I couldn’t say more.” Lucia looks despondent as we make our way back to the booth. “I didn’t mean to make you go quiet or think I didn’t trust you.”

“Oh my gosh, no. Sorry. I wasn’t being quiet about that. I was thinking about life and how, even if we think we know something, it can be all wrong.”

“That sounds pretty deep.” She stops and rests her hand on my shoulder. “You okay?”

Her eyes search mine, with genuine concern for me. She’s a really caring person, and I know intrinsically that she will be a friend for life.

“I’m fine. Thanks for asking. I was just thinking to myself, if we could know all there was to know about a person—inside thoughts, desires, wants—would we want to? Would we ever really want to be that deep inside of someone’s head?”

“That’s a pretty philosophical question,” Lucia continues.

We pass a group of giggling ladies, dressed in pink tutus with huge bows. I notice one of the ladies is wearing a sparkling tiara that reads Bride-to-Be, and she’s also got a huge dildo necklace hanging down the large V-cut of her dress. She looks tacky, but like she’s loving the night.

I wonder what my bachelorette party will look like. Maybe if I find a real billionaire, it will be somewhere classy, like Paris or Florence. That would be cool. For a moment, I picture Dalton having a bachelor party in Paris, and us meeting up near the Eiffel Tower, with him offering me a glass of champagne.

Ugh, I really need to stop thinking about him.

“Izzy, Sage and Rosie are trying to move into their horrible apartment tonight, and I told them that we’d help them shop, clean, and get the place ready tonight,” Lucia blurts out immediately as she slides into the booth. “But I have a better idea.”

“What’s your idea?” I ask as I sit next to Rosie.

“Why don’t you both move in with Izzy and me? We have a third bedroom that we don’t use. You guys can share the room, or someone can sleep on the couch and then …” She pauses when she sees the look on my face.

I shake my head vehemently. “I appreciate the offer, Lucia. That is so sweet of you, but there is no way we can accept such an offer. We signed a lease, and I can’t afford to pay two rents.”

“We’ll help you get out of the first lease.” She grins. “I have a way with words and contracts. And you don’t even have to pay rent.” She giggles. “I mean, if you absolutely insist, it will be nominal. Plus, the room is furnished, so you wouldn’t even have to buy anything.”

“That is so generous, but I just don’t feel right accepting such an offer.”