Page 57 of The Renter

“Straight-up sober.”

I push out the memory of us doing lines upstairs.

“Kate had mentioned something about a sobriety clause in your trust fund the last time I was here.”

“I didn’t get sober for the money. I needed to get sober,” he firmly says, and I smile, happy for him. “The hardest thing I do is coffee, which Declan keeps nagging me to quit.”

“Declan?” My jaw nearly drops to the floor. “Since when do you hang out with Declan?”

“We have so much to catch up on! I assumed you knew I work at Cryptoball.”

“How the fuck did you end up there?” I ask and then feel stupid. His dad, of course. Declan was also on the guest list the last time I was here. I hadn’t thought about how he would probably be here tonight.Groan.

Brandon laughs. “I know it’s weird, given Sorin and everything. But honestly, he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. He pushes me to live up to my potential.”

“Is he running a cult or something?” I joke. “But, like, all of the signs are there.”

“All he’s doing is normalizing sobriety. Like we don’t have company happy hours, we have company meditations.”

“Sounds cult-ish to me,” I tease, scanning the deck for another drink. Brandon’s eyes shoot me a judgmental stare.

“Did I ever give you that look?”

“No … I know it’s … You’re right. Who am I to judge?”

“Exactly, the first time we met, you did four lines in front of me,” I say, raising my brow before snagging another glass of champagne from the passing server. I realize then that us falling out of touch aligns with his sobriety. “But seriously. I’m so proud of you.”

Brandon’s demeanor becomes serious. “I owe you an apology about Derek.”

“Amends? Really?” I squint my eyes. It’s not like he forced me into business with my Shirts business partner. Brandon’s just the reason we met. “It’s not your fault. I should have trusted my instincts about him.”

“He’s always been a fuckboy. You’ll never guess what he’s up to now.”

“Living on a yacht in Monaco,” I sarcastically guess.

“He wishes his family had that much money.” Brandon laughs. “He’s back in New York and started this retreat company where people do shaman-led ayahuasca experiences.”

“I’m sure it will be as successful as Fyre Fest,” I dryly say, rolling my eyes.

Brandon laughs before asking me, “What are you up to now?”

“I’m growing a PR consulting business. Harris Ventures has been helping me get a lot of clients.”

“That’s great to hear! Your life seems to be in a good spot.” We both smile at each other. Then he says, “I’m proud of you too.”

We share a moment of reflection, looking out at the lake, reminiscing about the past and how far we’ve both come.

“No elephants this year? Times are tough, huh?”

“You’re such an ass.” Brandon laughs. “Wait until you see what Kent has in store for later.”

I’ll never get over the fact that he doesn’t call his dad—Dad.

“So, Adam. Did you meet him after Harris Ventures invested in Shirts or … ?”

“No, actually. He’s renting my aunt’s place. I sorta broke in, and now …” I leave the rest unsaid, winking.

“Classic Dani.” He chuckles. “Some things haven’t changed with you.” I roll my eyes. But then his expression changes. “Wait, you actually met Adam here, right on this deck!”