Ember (Ember Series Book 1) by Emma Slate

Author:Emma Slate [Slate, Emma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-04-18T18:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Three

I raised my glass. “To asshole brothers.”

Ori raised his and smiled softly. “To asshole brothers.”

“My brother is currently in London,” I said, setting my glass aside.

“Doing what?”

“Gallivanting, I guess.” I shook my head. “He cut out pretty much as soon as Dad got his diagnosis. Sean doesn’t really do well with emotion.”

“So your brother left you here to deal with your dad’s illness—and death—all on your own?”

“Yeah.”

“What about your stepmother?”

I cocked my head to the side. “You really do know a lot about my family.”

“Gotta know the people you want to go into business with.”

“That’s true.”

“Besides, I had dinner with your father and his wife.”

“Jessica,” I sneered. “She left the wake early. She’s somewhere in Vermont, working through her grief at one of those spas.”

“Ah. So you really are the glue. No wonder your father left you his business.”

“You know, I’m not really liking the tone of this first date. First dates are supposed to be fun and flirty. Not dark and heavy.”

“I thought you didn’t want to date me. This is just two friends hanging out getting to know each other.”

“But you brought wine. And food to cook.”

“You don’t drink with friends? Your friends don’t cook for you?”

“No, they do, but my friends don’t ask me to go away with them to Bermuda on a first encounter.”

He tossed me a charming smile over his shoulder. “I can be fun and flirty—but only if you want this to be an actual date.”

“Prove it.”

“Ask me questions.”

“What like, favorite ice cream? Favorite color? Those sorts of questions?”

“Mint chocolate chip and orange. But for the record, those are boring questions.”

“How old were you when you lost your virginity?” I fired back.

“Seventeen. And before you ask, it was with my sister’s friend from college who was nineteen.”

“C’est scandal!” I mocked.

He chuckled. “Now you.”

“Ah, let’s see. I was fifteen and it was the captain of the football team. He was a senior.”

“Of course he was. Please tell me he didn’t take your virginity and then ignore you the next day.”

I snorted. “No. In fact, he asked me to be his girlfriend, and I turned him down. I became the most popular girl in school overnight.” Thus starting my evolution into professional party girl.

“Why did you turn him down?” he wondered. He looked at the timer and set it and then threw the spaghetti into the boiling pot of water.

“Because he was no good in bed,” I stated matter of fact.

Ori laughed. “Yeah, sounds about right. What high school senior jock is good in bed?”

“Now this is a first date,” I said with a smile.

“Next question.”

“Food allergies?”

“None.”

“Same. What’s the worst lie you ever told?”

“Let me see.” He stirred the noodles to make sure they didn’t stick. He cracked eggs into a mixing bowl and then whisked in cream. “I can’t think of a lie.”

“And Washington didn’t chop down the cherry tree,” I teased.

“I’m sure I’ve lied. I just can’t remember one at the moment. Pick another question.”

“Biggest failure?”

“Not being able to get you to go to Bermuda with me.

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