Page 43 of Bargain With the Boss

He pulled something else out of the cooler, then the hiss of meat on the grill added another layer to the air. “X is a gooddude. We have a few friends that overlap, even if he doesn’t have much time for them anymore.”

I was hesitant to discuss Xavier. It wasn’t like I knew him well, but loyalty had been knitted into my DNA. And now I was odds on two different ends. What my mother wanted from me and sitting here with FHK’s rivals.

Even if they were the children, not Arthur.

Claire touched my arm. “It’s okay, Sydney. I really like you, but if it’s too difficult to be my friend I understand.”

I swallowed down half of my drink. “We are not our parents.”

She leaned forward and held up her cup. “Damn right.”

I clinked my cup to hers then finished it off. “Refill please.”

“Tell me you didn’t drive.”

Claire laughed. “Actually, I drove her here. She doesn’t have a car.”

“Handily, I have a spare bedroom in the pool house.” Claire held up her cup. “Me too.”

“Pool house?”

Claire shrugged. “I tried to move out of the house, but compromised to get my own space on the property. I converted the pool house into a cottage.”

“Oh. I’m sure I can call an Uber or something.”

Claire returned to her cozy corner of her lounger. “Sure, but let’s just see.”

No plans was a new thing for me and I decided to lean into it.

The day drifted into evening as we laughed and talked about the hardships of having rich families. It was a unique problem to have. Claire was much like me, sitting under the weight of parental expectation. Heath had a layer of that, but he also didn’t seem to fit the frame of a real estate mogul.

He seemed much more down to earth with a restless vibe.

Heath started up the fire pit to combat the cool air coming off the water.

“Why are you hanging with us anyway? What happened to Danneel?”

“Daria.”

“Right, sorry.” Claire’s eyes danced in the low light from the fire and the solar bulbs strung around the patio.

Heath was sprawled out in another lounger, his eyes heavy-lidded with a full belly and whatever was in the punch. “She wanted...” He trailed off with a shrug.

“More?”

He sighed. “Wanted me to introduce her to Mother.”

Interesting that they had more formal names for their parents as well. It made me feel less like a freak for not having a connection with my family. For never feeling like I belonged.

“Ahh.” Claire dug out an ice cube. “That’s not happening,” she said before crunching around it.

I glanced from her to Heath. “Why is that?”

“Mother has her list of approved women,” Claire said matter-of-factly.

“I thought my parents were bad.”

Heath sighed. “Remember how I said this place was like a soap?”