Page 571 of Manhattan Bossholes

“I’m sorry, what did you just say?”

My younger brother Aiden glowered at me, nostrils flaring. We were in the narrow hallway near the bathrooms in Eleven Madison Park, our already awkward dinner now made that much worse by what he’d just admitted to me.

We’d agreed to meet so I could finally check out the mystery woman he’d been with for a few months. Aiden liked to play the field, so the fact that a woman had made it beyond three dates made her something of a novelty. He wasn’t eager for me to meet her—I’d had to force the dinner—so I went into it concerned that something was up. The moment he’d walked in with his date, my worst fears were confirmed.

He’d been secretly dating none other than Megan Bartholomew, eldest daughter of our biggest competitor, Barth & Co. And he’d just admitted to me that he was thinking about proposing to her.

“You heard me,” he fumed back. “I want to marry her. I love her.”

“You love her? You barely know her!” I growled at him. “Aiden, this is wrong on so many levels. How can you not see that? A Bartholomew? She could be a corporate spy for all you know!”

“First of all, what kind of intel could she get from me? I’m on the board, sure, but I only show up to the office twice a year. I’m a part of Veritique in name only, you know that. And Meg has her own interior design business; she’s not a Barth employee.” He paused. “I’m in love with her, Cameron, why the hell can’t you understand that?”

Aiden’s expression shifted to wounded, and for an instant I felt bad for him. He’d always lived in my shadow, he even looked like my dark-haired evil twin, and his response was to try to be the exact opposite of me. That meant it had taken him a while to find his own path, but for the past few years, I’d thought he’d finally settled into something good. Well, good for him, that is. He was an art dealer who loved hanging with the creative types I just couldn’t understand, but whatever—as long as he was happy, I’d support him. In most things, that is. Not in this. I sighed and tried to dig up some grace for him about the predicament, but I only felt fury over the mistake he was about to make.

“Listen, I know firsthand that rushing into things always ends in disaster,” I said, struggling to keep my voice even. “Why can’t you learn from my mistakes?”

“Just because you had shitty luck in the romance department doesn’t mean I will,” Aiden shot back at me. “I was hoping you’d be supportive, but since I’m not reading from your script, you obviously don’t approve. Typical.”

A woman squeezed between us on her way to the restroom, so Aiden and I paced away from each other. A tension headache was forming in the back of my neck.

“All I’m saying is take your time,” I replied quietly, even though it was a lie. I didn’t want him doing anything with Megan Bartholomew. “Don’t rush into things. Especially with her.”

My hope was that slowing the relationship might help him realize getting married was a terrible idea. And if I had my way, I’d be beside him as he worked through it, pointing out all the landmines in front of him until he saw I was right.

“Look, there’s nothing you can say or do that’ll make me change my mind. Meg is an incredible woman, and if you’d give her a chance, you’d see it too. But no, you had to stare her down like she was a trespasser at our table.”

“She’s the literal enemy of our family business,” I hissed, pointing back toward the dining room. “Don’t you remember how Barth & Co. tried to get traction on that hashtag that made it sound like we like committing human rights violations? Huh?”

“Cam, again, she doesn’t work for the company.” Aiden slapped his hand in his palm and enunciated like he was talking to a child, and I wanted to haul off and punch him for it. “And that was ages ago, when Dad was still in charge.”

We scowled at one another in silence.

“Are you coming back to the table or not?” Aiden asked.

I pictured myself sitting down across from that woman and couldn’t envision even pretending to enjoy myself. I shook my head.

“Sorry, Aiden. I’m not going to pretend I’m on board with this. You’re making a mistake. I don’t support this relationship.”

I braced for a blowup, but my brother shocked me instead.

“Fine,” he replied in a measured voice. “But I’m going to prove you wrong. We’re going to prove you wrong.”

I wanted to laugh in his face. I couldn’t believe that after witnessing me going through my own personal relationship hell, he still believed it couldn’t happen to him.

“Fine, you do that,” I said. “I’m going to excuse myself, and you two can have a wonderful dinner without me. I’ll even pick up the check.”

I strode back to the table and said goodbye to a resigned Megan Bartholomew, then walked out into the night air. I needed to clear my head, so I told Jimmy to take off and headed home on foot. I hoped by the time I got there I’d be in a better mood.

I realized I was speed walking when my tie started strangling me. I loosened it and forced myself to slow down. I couldn’t stop grappling with how powerless I felt with the Aiden situation. How could he not see he was making a life-changing mistake that could impact not only him but our business as well? Was my failed attempt at forever not enough to prove to him that jumping into marriage was an insane idea?

I didn’t even bother looking up as I navigated the crowded sidewalk, which was fine until it wasn’t. I collided with someone striding out of Trader Joe’s, knocking into her so forcefully that the grocery bag toppled out of her arms, spilling tangerines down the block.

“I’m sorry, that was my⁠—”

“Yeah, it was your fault, Romeo.”

I finally looked at who I’d run into and sighed deeply. “Fagin. Of course it’s you. Just what I need tonight.”