Page 636 of Manhattan Bossholes

Aiden knew I preferred fine dining, but he was more of a dark pub kind of person. It was no surprise that he sent me a pin for a gastropub.

“Now good?”

Typical Aiden. Eleven thirty.

“Sure, meet you there.”

It wasn’t a quick walk to the spot, but the weather was beautiful. It felt like everyone outside was in a good mood, and I didn’t blame them. Spring was in the air. Renewal. I hoped it would rub off on me, eventually.

The CamLicity campaign had me assuming that every time someone’s gaze lingered on me, they were trying to figure out if I was who they thought I was. When was that going to stop? I had enough to worry about without feeling like I was being stalked. I kept my head down and barreled toward whatever fresh hell awaited me with my brother.

26

CAMERON

Istrode into the restaurant a few minutes late. It was better than I expected, with the typical industrial-meets-farmhouse vibe common in these types of pubs. Not that it mattered, though, since I had zero appetite.

“Hey,” Aiden said as I slid into the booth opposite him.

“Hi,” I said quickly. “What’s wrong? Why did you want to meet?”

“Wow, you never change.” He smirked and shook his head slowly, staring at me. “Hi, brother, nice to see you too,” he said in an exaggerated voice.

“Sorry. Just got a lot on my mind.”

His expression softened. “Yeah, Megan told me about the video. I haven’t had a chance to watch it. You okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I snapped at him.

He threw his hands up in front of him. “Whoa, whoa, hold on. I’m just trying to be supportive. After seeing you together, I assumed you and Felicity were real. Guess I was wrong.”

“Exactly,” I said in the voice that signaled we weren’t going to be talking about it.

It was one of those places that made you scan a QR code to get the menu, which pissed me off even more. But I was glad to have something to focus on for a few minutes other than talk about Felicity.

“Deep fried Cajun pickles? Seriously, Aiden?”

“It’s called eating local, instead of having rare meats shipped from across the globe.”

I glowered at him. “Now’s not the time for a climate change talk.”

He scanned the QR code without answering me.

We were off to a fantastic start.

I studied the menu for way too long and finally settled on a burger. Orders placed, all we could do was sit in silence.

“You look like shit,” he finally said. “Not sleeping?”

I shook my head. “Not much. And thanks for that. You’re looking well.”

It pained me to admit that my brother seemed happier and healthier than ever.

“How’s Boris?”

I finally managed a smile. “Best boy ever.”

I wished my dog was all we needed to talk about. A long time ago, when life was simpler, Aiden and I were tight. But time, circumstances, and choices had turned us into little more than strangers.