Page 183 of Alphas Like Us

“Oui,” she says like it’snothing.

My desire to find this letter has now escalated to amillion.

A buzzing phone slices into our conversation. Farrow finds his vibrating cell on the cushion. I catch the Caller ID on the illuminated screen:OscarOliveira.

Farrow clutches the phone without answering. For a long moment. Wavering on picking up thecall.

Security is on a separate smaller yacht that cruises in line with ours. And not all of our bodyguards are there. Some stayed back on land in Mykonos. Others take care of our properties inPhilly.

But all of SFO are on that yacht, and it’s one short boat ride on the rib to boardit.

Farrow hasn’t gone over there once. It’s different now that he’s a concierge doctor and not at Philly General all day. He’s confronted face-to-face with his old life on security a hundred timesmore.

And he has no radio for that quick hotline into SFO, and he’ll tell you that he didn’t lose anything that really mattered because he hasme.

But in reality, he’s lost that part of his life, and I’m not sure he’ll ever get itback.

It hurts thinking about it, and luckily, his ringing phone breaks apart mythoughts.

“You going to answer that?” Iask.

He keeps his forearm on his knee and flips his phone in his hand a few times. “He’s most likely just inviting me to security’s boat.” He makes a choice though and pressesspeaker.Answering thecall.

Music blasts in the background. “Redford!” Oscar yells. “Get your ass over here! Bring theBoyfriend!”

The Boyfriend.I’ve heard Oscar call me that a billion times, and I’m not gonna lie, it still fucking gets to me. In a good way.I’m someone’sboyfriend.

Maybe, in time, that title can be something more. The ring box is in my yacht cabin, but I don’t want to propose on mybirthday.

I’m still waiting forthemoment.

“You’re on speaker, and I’m relaxing, Oliveira,” Farrow says. “You’re killing mymood.”

Oscar laughs. “Come on. Donnelly and Kitsuwon miss your face, and my little bro is acting like he lost his favorite GoldenRetriever.”

“Eh, no,” Farrow says like that’sthat.

Maybe he doesn’t want to confront what he lost by being on security’s boat. “You guys can come over here,” I tell Oscar. “BringSFO.”

Farrow tilts his head at me, but a smile plays at the corners of hismouth.

“The parents awake?” Oscar asks. “Most of us have been drinking. We’re off-duty tonight, but five-sixths of us care about making badimpressions.”

“Who’s the one-sixth?” Jane asks curiously, knuckles to her chin as she leans closer to thecell.

“Donnelly,” Farrow tellsher.

“They’re not on the main deck,” I tell Oscar. “They’re probably not even going to be out here for the rest of thenight.”

“Good enough for all of us,” Oscar says. “See you infifteen.”

I stand off the couch, swinging my right arm in anotherstretch.

Farrow tosses aside his phone and watchesme.

My feet are close to the pool. “You know I’m better than you at back-flipping,” Ibanter.

He pops a bubble in his mouth. “Marginally.”