Page 29 of The Disasters of Dating (Love Connections #6)

KEATON

Someone is thinking good thoughts of you at this very moment

Learn Chinese: 激动 — Jīdòng —Excitement

“Okay, I think that’s everything. If you have anything we need to discuss between now and next Friday, you can reach out to either Keaton or me.” Evan smiles at the screen.

Everyone gives their goodbyes, and I’m about to disconnect when Evan says, “Keaton, can you stay on? I have a few things I want to discuss with you.”

I release a slow, measured breath. This can’t be good.

“Sure.” I lean back in my hotel room desk chair.

I’m not shocked by the request, but I’d hoped I could sign off quickly enough that I wouldn’t have to deal with this conversation until I got back to New Hampshire tonight.

I’m certain Evan would be waiting on my doorstep.

He isn’t a big fan of phone confrontation, so I’d been pretty certain that if I could avoid him on the video call, I’d be home free until I was in the same state as him.

But I hadn’t been fast enough. Dang my sleep-deprived reflexes!

All the faces disappear from the screen, leaving me and Evan.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” I choose the play dumb route. It may not be the smartest route, but I’m taking it, nonetheless.

Evan chuckles. “You went to Yale, Keaton. Please tell me you’re not so dense that you don’t know…at least part of the reason I want to talk to you alone.”

“Fine,” I sigh. “Something came up, and I figured if everyone else was calling in, why couldn’t I?” I sound every bit the defensive younger brother rather than the Yale degree-holding president of the company. Another disadvantage of working for your older brother. Some habits die hard.

“Yeah, I saw what came up on ESPN last night.” Evan is trying unsuccessfully to hold back a smile.

“What?” I ask.

“I was watching the University of Utah vs. Stanford football game last night. Imagine my surprise when I saw my little brother—who was supposed to be on a plane headed for Boston—kissing a girl on the kiss cam.”

Well, crap. How had I not realized that Evan would watch the Stanford game? That’s where he’d graduated from. Although, in my defense, I hadn’t planned on the whole kiss cam thing—not that I regret it.

“I’m not sure what you want me to say.” I lift a defeated shoulder. Man, I hate it when he gives me that dad look of his. Why do I care if I’ve disappointed him? Evan isn’t my dad, as much as he likes to think he plays the role part-time.

“Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t coming home last night? If you had these plans, why not tell me about them? Then I wouldn’t have been caught off guard. Especially with the meeting this morning.”

Coming home? I frown at the phrase. When did Utah start to feel more like home than New Hampshire?

I shake my head, my brain a cluster of a dozen different excuses and justifications.

I finally settle on owning it. “I should have,” I say.

“I’m sorry. It was a very teenage kid response, not that of the president of the company.

” I suck in a breath and release it slowly.

“It won’t happen again, Evan. I promise. ”

He smiles. “Glad to hear it. But I was hoping my question would get me some details.” He tips his head to the side and then wiggles his fingers as he waves them up and down while humming the Scooby Doo revelation song.

I stare at the screen in confusion. “What are you doing?”

He smiles. “I’m changing from your boss into your brother. Remember when you used to tell me everything?”

“You can be so weird sometimes.” I laugh. “Does Shay know about this? You’re probably legally bound to tell her before she follows through with the wedding.”

He smirks at me. “She knows and adores it.” His brows raise. “Now spill it. Who’s the girl?”

“Her name’s Poppy.”

“Poppy? That’s a cute name.”

I nod. It’s not the only cute thing about her, but I’m not ready to go into those details with my brother yet. “The name fits her perfectly.”

“So, how did you come to be on the kiss cam with her? I didn’t realize you were actually dating her. And how did you get tickets to the game? I’m kind of jealous of that.”

“Her brother has season tickets and couldn’t go, so he gave them to her.

” Discussing the tickets—it’s a great way to avoid some of his questions.

“Apparently, they were the same tickets her dad had before he died. It took several years, but they finally became available again, and her brother, Brody, grabbed them.”

Evan nods. “Well done, avoiding the important question.”

“I didn’t avoid anything. That answer should have covered all your actual questions.” I say defensively.

Evan sighs. “Okay, how about answering the questions I alluded to?”

I roll my eyes like a teenager. “We’re not dating. Or at least I don’t think she thinks we are.”

“After watching that kiss cam? I’d disagree with that.”

I twist my lips to the side. “It must have been a slip. Or you saw wrong. She has rules.” I say with a grumble.

“Rules? What kind of rules?” Evan settles back, and I see he’s sitting on the couch in his office.

“She doesn’t date tourists.”

He narrows his eyes. “Why would someone make such a rule? Does she meet that many tourists that a rule had to be made?”

I nod. “Yeah. She works in one of the airport shops.”

“Ah,” Evan nods. “Okay, that makes more sense.” He frowns. “But are you really a tourist?”

“Right?” I lean forward and lift my hand to the screen. “Thank you. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell her. But she says living in a hotel means I’m a visitor to the state.”

“Hmmm,” Evan folds his arms. “Maybe it’s time we get a company apartment.”

I laugh. “I don’t think the company needs to foot the bill. But I was actually thinking about looking for an apartment. I mean, you’ll be moving here—at least part-time—in January. And I’m here more than part-time. Financially, it’s probably better for the company to stop paying for a hotel.”

“Would you give up your apartment here?” Evan asks.

My shoulder lifts. “I haven’t planned it out. But I don’t think Dad would mind if I sacked out at his house on the weekends.. It doesn’t make sense for me to have two apartments.” I smirk at him. “You don’t pay me enough for that.”

“Haha.” He gives me a bland expression. “Okay, let’s put a pin in that conversation. We can talk about it when you come home.” His head drops to the side. “When are you coming home?”

“My flight leaves Salt Lake at 10.”

“Tonight?”

I shake my head. “No, this morning.”

“Okay. Then I should probably let you go so you can get to the airport. But there will be a conversation about Poppy when you get home.”

I nod. “Okay, but can you please not mention it to everyone yet? It’s still in a weird place, and I don’t want to answer a bunch of questions if it doesn’t pan out.” I hope it pans out. After last night, I’ve started to see a future with Poppy. Although what that entails, I’m not sure.

“Yeah,” he says reluctantly. “I’ll keep it to myself.”

“Including Shay, Evan,” I state. I sometimes think that he thinks of himself and Shay as one person. At least where ‘secrets’ are concerned. I like Shay, but I’m not ready for her to know the intricacies of my love life.

Evan holds up his hands. “Okay. I won’t even tell Shay. Even though that goes against everything we’ve promised. We don’t keep secrets from each other.”

“Yeah, well, this isn’t your secret to tell. It’s mine, and you just happened to stumble upon it.”

He nods. “Okay. You’re right. I’ll keep it to myself until you’re ready to share the news.”

I relax now that I’ve extracted the promise from him. “Thanks, Evan.” I shift to a more comfortable position. This chair is the worst.

“Anything else?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “Nothing that can’t wait until you get back tonight.”

To make up for the time I lost in the office while flying yesterday, I came in this morning to sort some things out.

I’m going over the newest financials for GridWolf.

Evan was right on. Everlake Tech is driving the company into the ground.

It’s a strategy I’ve never fully understood.

I mean, why ruin a financially stable company that could make you plenty of money?

The only thing I can figure out, in this case, is pride and vanity.

They don’t like to see a company that wasn’t their creation doing better than their own.

Anyway, whatever the reason, it seems very short-sighted.

And in the long run, it’s all for nothing.

Evan will soon have ownership again, and he will be the one making the money from it.

And taking a big market share. So, in essence, they paid him a huge sum of money for nothing.

I don’t need an MBA to know that’s not good business.

I open the first file on my desk and look through the papers, organizing them into stacks on my desktop.

I lift the first paper and lean back in my chair to read it.

“Hey Keaton. What are you doing here on a Saturday?” Shay asks as she leans against the door frame.

“Oh, hey, Shay,” I say, laying the paper down. “I’m trying to catch up on a little work. I got in later than I expected yesterday.” I raise a brow. “What are you doing here?”

She dips her head to the side. “Evan left some key fob here that he needs.” She lifts a shoulder in an I-have-no-idea-what-it-is look.

I lean back in my chair. “His two-factor authentication key fob?”

“Sure,” she nods, but I know she still does not know what it is. She comes in and sits in the chair opposite my desk. “So, Evan tells me you’ve met a girl.” She leans forward and puts both elbows on the desk, cradling her face in her hands like she’s waiting for a story.

“How forthcoming of Evan.” I smile tightly at her. He’d promised me he would keep it to himself. I can’t believe he went back on his word.

Shay lifts a shoulder. “We talk. A lot. And we pretty much tell each other everything.”

“Yeah, I get that idea. I thought the ‘everything’ would only concern you guys. Not me.”