by Liz Durano
Right now, the holiday party is rocking with free drinks flowing from the bar and everyone I know taking their selfies in front of the window that features a view of the Empire State Building lit up in holiday colors. Too bad everyone’s still discussing business, especially with the boss having just left for the rest of the year. Who got a bonus? How much? As if someone would disclose their bonuses unless they’re assholes wanting everyone to know just how important they are.
I glance at my watch. Only nine o’clock, still too early to leave. But even if I went straight home, I’d probably still be working on statistical analysis and risk modeling or playing one of my roleplaying games with online friends based around the world. I do have to text Caitlin back. Maybe she and I could hang out since she’s home for the holidays.
I finish my drink, something Roxy made for me that’s actually pretty good. Apparently, she’s dating some bartender and is now tagging along with him and learning how to mix drinks herself. She’s one of Caitlin’s friends but we’re not close. She did try to hook me up with two of her friends but I just couldn’t find a free slot in my busy schedule. Besides, I had no need for blind dates then or now. I find my dates fine on my own. Still, Roxy’s pretty cool for an ICU nurse and wanna-be bartender.
“I hear you’re off the rest of the year. You flying off somewhere warm? Saint Lucia maybe with one of your side chicks?”
I turn to see Marissa from Legal standing next to me, a tall glass of what looks like her third Long Island Iced Tea in her hand. I’ve no doubt she’s already drunk. A lot of the employees are.
“Nah, I’m staying in town.”
She looks at me in surprise. “I would have thought you’d be in the Caribbean by now, enjoying a Mai Tai or something, usually with some gorgeous model.”
“Where’d you get such an idea?”
“I saw it on Instagram,” she says as I scoff. “You get around for a shy boy, you know, so we at Legal made a bet that you’d probably show up on Insta again.”
“Hope you didn’t bet too much.” I peer at her. She’s definitely drunk, although she’s right. I ended up seeing someone who turned out to be some social media celebrity but that was about it. I didn’t even know anyone could do such a thing for living. At first, being around them was exciting, but the novelty wore off as soon as I realized that she and her friends turned everything into a social media opportunity.
“By the way, congratulations on being named one of the top twenty best analysts in the country. That’s a huge accomplishment!” She grips my arm as she totters on her high heels. “I can’t believe you and Carter made the list. As if we haven’t gotten tired hearing about it from him every day. He framed the page and it’s right there on his desk. What did you do with your copy?”
“It’s in my desk drawer somewhere.” I cross my arms in front of me and lean against the wall. I don’t really want to talk about business. “What about you, Marissa? Going away?”
“Yup, a few days with family in Delaware for Christmas,” she replies. “Got any family out here?”
“Extended,” I reply, realizing it’s probably the first time Marissa and I have ever talked about family. It’s simply something we never discuss at work, too busy with deadlines. She’d just get bored if I told her the truth, that for the last three years, my mother spends the holidays with my stepdad in Florida where it’s warmer and better for her arthritis. The rest of the year, she and Warren live in a renovated flat in Brooklyn. As for my father, who the hell knows where he is. I haven’t heard from him ever since he left us when I was sixteen. I feel my jaw clench, my anger building. Whatever, Dad.
My thoughts are suddenly interrupted when I see Malcolm Carter walk in and my heart skips a beat the moment I see who he’s with. Flaming red hair - check. Wide, perfect smile - check. Holy hell, but that dress just about clings on her body type of dress - check.
Why didn’t Roxy tell me that Caitlin was coming?
I do a double take to make sure it’s her, and it sure is—Caitlin O’Halloran, my best friend’s sister and the girl next door. Porcelain skin that’s earned her more than her fair share of offers from acting and modeling scouts when she was in high school and that dazzling smile that I know so well. Too bad she’s flashing her pearly whites at the last man I’d expected to see her with, Malcolm Carter, top senior analyst and resident company asshole. He’s also the same guy who framed the article that named both of us among the top twenty top analysts in the country and makes sure everyone in the company knows it.
My jaw clenches as Malcolm’s hand lowers down to the curve of Caitlin’s back. Questions race through my mind: How long have they known each other? How did they meet? Social media? Her brother? No, can’t be her brother. Jordan wouldn’t be able to stand the guy. Must be her friend, Roxy.
I watch as Malcolm introduces Caitlin to the guys he hangs out with, the same guys he boasts about every woman he sleeps with, each ‘lay’ lauded with a nickname I can’t even imagine pinned on my best friend’s sister.
As her eyes scan the room, Caitlin sees me and with an excited exclamation, is in my arms, the smell of her shampoo filling my senses. Within seconds, I’m transported to her mother’s kitchen where Jordan and I chow down on freshly baked cookies and then riding our bikes to the park where we’d play ball with the other kids. How long has it been since I’d last seen her? Eight months? A year? I’d been Saint Lucia the last time she returned home.
“Campbell, I can’t believe you’re here!” she exclaims as I let her down. Just a few inches shorter than my 6’2” frame, she should be a model but she chooses to bury her nose researching about genes and disease. “Did you get my texts?”
I stare at her, the realization that I hadn’t responded to her texts hitting me. I’d told myself I’d get to them later. And now, it’s later. “Crap. I did but I forgot to reply. Sorry, Cait.”
She shrugs. “That’s okay because this is the best Christmas present ever. You’re here!”
Behind her, Malcolm clears his throat. “Small world. How do you two know each other?”
“She’s my best friend’s sister,” I reply. “So you better be nice, man.” There’s an edge in my voice that I hadn’t intended to come out but I can’t help it. He better not give her a nickname like he’s done to every woman he’s bragged to the other guys about.
Caitlin grabs my arm. “Yup, he sure is. Campbell grew up next door and I’ve known him forever.”
“So how do you guys know each other?” I ask.
“Roxy,” they both answer in unison, and as they laugh at their timing, it all makes sense. Roxy’s all about matchmaking her friends even if her attempts, like this one, don’t make any sense. Why the hell would she match Caitlin with Malcolm, of all people?
“So you two are going out for the first time tonight?” I ask and Caitlin nods.
“Babe, why don’t we join the rest of the guys and have some fun? The night is young and they don’t call this the hottest place in Manhattan to party,” Malcolm says, his hand drifting down the small of her back.
Before I can say goodbye, Malcolm whisks Caitlin away and I watch them disappear into the crowd. Great. Now there’s no way I’m heading home knowing she’s with him. Hell no. I’ve always been protective of Caitlin whenever her older brother isn’t around and knowing the guys at my office, I can’t help but feel even more protective than I already do. Besides, if Jordan knew of Malcolm’s reputation, I’m sure he’d do the same thing.
But as Mitch and the other guys from my department beckon for me to join them by the window, I remind myself that Caitlin’s no longer in junior high. She’s old enough to do whatever she wants, even if it’s being asshole Malcolm Carter’s holiday party date.
Two hours later, I’m pretty much done partying. I’ve drunk my fill of watered-down gin and tonic, danced, tried not to talk business with the other employees, and as I stand next to the window watching the forecasted rain fall on the city, I’m finally ready to go home.
Caitlin’s date seems to be going well and I’m happy for her although I’m worried about all the drinks she’s having. She’s probably had three drinks already. Tall sweet ones that are guaranteed to pack a punch. But the same old reminder I’ve been telling myself crops up: Cait’s old enough to take care of herself and I sure as hell am not here as her babysitter.
As I turn away from the window, the kiss—more like the bumping of lips—that comes catches me by surprise. It’s soft and warm and immediately followed by a familiar giggle.
“Oops! Sorry,” Caitlin exclaims as I reach around her waist to hold her up. “Fancy meeting you here, stranger.” The way she says stranger is funny, like strange and her blended into one long word. But of course, it is. Caitlin O’Halloran is officially drunk.
“Where’s Malcolm?”
She cocks her head toward the crowd. “He’s somewhere. I bailed out on him.”
“Why? What happened?”
Caitlin doesn’t answer right away. She gazes at my red tie before running her fingers down the length of it, stopping just along my sternum. “This suits you perfectly, you know, this tie. I never realized how sexy you look wearing a suit. Whenever I see you, you’re always wearing casual stuff.”
“That’s because I’m not working whenever I see you.”
“Oh, so you’re working tonight? I thought you were partying.”
“I am now,” I reply. “Anyway, what happened to Malcolm?”
She turns serious, an exaggerated pout giving her a childish expression.
“I went to ladies room and when I returned, he was making out with some girl right on the dance floor. Then he pretended not to see me,” she pauses, as if trying to remember something. “But wait. Let me preface that. He kept trying to kiss me and I wasn’t having any of that nonsense, not even if I’m roaring drunk.”
That’s my girl, I almost say out loud but I don’t, not when I want to beat the crap out of Malcolm first.
“I mean, hello?” she continues. “It’s our first date! I mean, come on! And what’s up with his hand on my ass all damn night?”
“Hell, no, he didn’t.” I take a step away from the window. Now I really need to beat the shit out of him.
Caitlin grabs my arm. “It’s okay, Cam. I took care of it and shut that crap down right away. I can take of myself.”
I look at her, her words reminding me that she’s right. She can take care of herself. She’s all grown up. “Someone still needs to beat the crap out of him.”
“Well, it’s not going to be you,” she says. “Look, Cam, I just need to go home.”
“How many drinks did you have, Cait?”
She thinks for a few moments, her brow furrowing. “I had sex with the bartender twice. Or was it three times?”
“You had what?!”
She laughs. “I knew I’d get you. Don’t worry. It’s a drink Roxy made for me, called Sex with the Bartender.”
“How many drinks did you have exactly?”
She holds up three fingers. Actually she can’t seem to know how many fingers she’s holding up. First, it’s two fingers, then three. Whether she’s had two or three drinks, that’s still a lot of rum for a girl who doesn’t drink much. “Oh, and Malcolm did order me two other drinks. Or was it one?”
“Wow, Cait, that’s a lot.”
“Anyway, I’m leaving,” she announces as I follow her to the elevator and she starts punching the buttons until she hits the one for the lobby. “I need to go home.”
“I’ll take you home.”
“You don’t have to, Cam. You’re not my babysitter.”
“I know, but it’s also two in the morning.”
“It is?” She looks at me incredulously as the elevator doors open and she steps inside.
“And there’s also no way I’m letting you get in a cab by yourself.”
“You’re not my knight in shining armor, Campbell Murphy. Not tonight.”
“No, I’m not. But that doesn’t the change the fact that as your brother’s best friend, I always keep an eye on you when he’s not around to do so.”
We don’t talk the rest of the way to the lobby. I help her with her coat and walk her just before the front lobby doors. Outside, it’s raining, the streets glistening.
“I’ll be fine, Cam. Besides, I don’t want you taking me all the way home and then having to drive back to the city. I mean, you live only a few blocks from here. Midtown, right?”
“Why don’t you stay over at my place for the night and I’ll drive you home in the morning? How does that sound?”
“What about your girlfriend?”
“I’m not seeing anyone right now,” I say. “Besides, even if I did have a girlfriend, it wouldn’t change a thing. You’re my best friend’s sister and I’m taking care of you. Come on,” I take her hand and lead her out the front doors just as a cab stops in front of us.
Perfect timing.
“I’m so glad you’re here, Cam,” Caitlin says as she slides into the back seat and I follow right after her. I give the driver my address and we sit in silence, gazing out the window as the rain starts to come down in sheets. “We just missed that, didn’t we? So much for my idea to go home.”
I study her, amused when she flinches as thunder rumbles overhead followed by lightning streaking across the sky. Her green eyes look upward in awe. “You’re not used to the rain anymore, are you?”
“I’ve been living in California for the last three years, Cam. It hardly rains, which means there’s no thunder or lightning either.”
I pull her to me and feel her rest her head on my shoulder. I kiss the top of her head. “I’ll hold you through it all. Don’t worry.”
She giggles. “Thank you, my knight in shining armor.”
Ten minutes later, we arrive at my apartment building, walking past the doorman toward the elevator. It’s an older building but well-maintained. It’s also just as expensive as every other building simply because it’s in Midtown Manhattan.
I unlock the door to my one-bedroom high-rise apartment and we step inside. As Caitlin shrugs off her coat and hands it to me, she stares at the sight beyond the full-length window at the other end of the apartment. “Wow! Jory wasn’t kidding when he said you could see the Empire State Building from your living room.”
“He and your dad helped renovate this place so he should know.” As Caitlin slips off her boots and heads for the window, I remember how the view was the only saving grace about the apartment when I first bought it four years ago. Fresh out of Harvard, I was young, bright-eyed, and deep in student loan debt. So why not incur more debt by living in the city? At least, the renovation didn’t cost me too much. All Mr. O’Halloran wanted was my enthusiastic referral of O’Halloran Builders to colleagues and friends.
But no matter the cost associated with living in the city, this apartment was also one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It had me living close to the financial heart of the city where I was determined to make my mark. It’s also a place all my own, which means I’ll never find myself at the mercy of someone else again.
Sitting on the couch, Caitlin pulls out her phone from her purse and dials a number. “I’m letting Mom and Dad know where I am before they freak out. They’re at a party in New Jersey but they should be home by now.”
I join Caitlin on the couch and listen to her leave a message to her parents telling them she’s with me and that she’ll be home the next day. After she hangs up the phone and sets it on the coffee table, we watch the lights at the top of the Empire State Building change colors for a few minutes until I catch her yawning.
“Why don’t we get you to bed? It’s late.”
“Can I sleep here?”
I shake my head. “No. You take the bed.”
“But–”
I get up from the couch and extend my hand toward her. Caitlin sighs and takes my hand. “Oh, alright.”
“I’ll set out an extra toothbrush and a towel for you in the bathroom. And you
can use my shirt for bed if you want.”
She follows me to the bedroom. “I’m sorry for crashing here tonight, Cam.”
“Don’t be. I’m glad you’re here, to be honest.” Better with me than with Malcolm, that’s for sure. I pull down the covers on the bed. “You take the bed and I’ll take the couch.”
“Cam, I can’t do that–”
“No arguing,” I say, a fake stern look on my face as I open my dresser and take out a pajama set courtesy of her parents last Christmas, neatly folded and never used, and hand it to her. “The bathroom’s over there and I’ll see you in the morning.”
I grab a shirt and a pair of sweatpants for myself and step outside. I can’t help but feel relieved that Malcolm couldn’t help being what he was, a jerk who made a move on another woman while on a date with someone else. But that’s his problem. I can’t believe how much better I feel knowing Caitlin’s safe with me. She may be old enough to take care of herself but she’s still my best friend’s sister.
Three
My headache wakes me up first—that and the smell of coffee wafting from the kitchen. As I force myself to sit up on the bed, there’s a knock on the door and Campbell sticks his head in.
“I could hear you groaning all the way from the kitchen,” he says. “How’s your hangover?”
“Do you have to ask?”
He shrugs. “Care for some coffee?”
“Can I brush my teeth first?”
“That would be a good idea, Cait. Sure.”
I rush to the bathroom, hating that my hair is a mess and I must look a fright. But at least, I should get an A for effort. A girl’s got to look presentable first thing in the morning especially in the presence of a boy, even if he’s just her brother’s best friend. I’m sure Campbell has seen me in worse shape when we were kids. Problem is, we’re not kids anymore and I have to admit, he’s a lot more built than the last time I remember seeing him. When did he fill out? When did his biceps get so hard and toned? Even his jaw has gotten wider only because his neck is wider, too. Has he been working out?
