Brothers of Paradise Series

Nothing ever happened between my previous assistant and me. She got too attached, and I felt it interfered with her ability to do her job effectively. I informed her about it, and she agreed, deciding it would be best to end her contract. She left with an excellent recommendation.

You have asked me repeatedly why I invited you to my sister’s wedding, and why I agreed to the contract with you. The truth is simple. I wanted your company. That was selfish, I’ll admit, and I’ll never forgive myself for the way it ended. I regret what it led to, with that picture. But I can’t find it in myself to regret the weekend itself or what happened between us, and I hope you don’t either.

I’m sorry for not making that clear earlier. For not being more careful. For hiring Kyle all those years ago. For not letting you know that the risk you were taking was worth it-that I always wanted something long-term with you. I’m sorry for not following you out of the office the day you left. For not giving you enough space afterwards, or for giving you too much space. I know I’ve fucked up, Faye, and if you want to yell at me for it, you know where I live. You’re very welcome.

I would very much like to be a part of your life going forward, and I’ll accept whatever terms you set for me. Give me a contract if you want-I’ll sign it blindly.

PS. Rykers has kept me informed about your employment. I understand you’re starting your new job next week. I’d wish you good luck, but I know you won’t need it. You’re the most talented architect I know.

Henry

I release another shaky breath and lean my head back on the couch, closing my eyes again. He addressed every single point I’d been thinking about, even the banal ones, the small ones, that I hadn’t been able to get out of my mind at night.

Jess was right. This wasn’t the Elliot Ferris situation all over again. We weren’t doomed because of the way things went down at the office. With the exception of Terri and Rykers, I wasn’t planning on seeing most of those people again. Who cared what they thought? Kyle was an asshole, but in the end, he wasn’t right at all.

Henry and I had begun as a mess. Messier than either of us were used to, and far too messy for my taste. A forbidden office romance. Assistant-boss relations. Project deadlines, co-workers, family.

But that didn’t mean the connection we had was a lie. It had just happened inconveniently. And when had inconvenience stopped either of us from going after what we wanted in life? Suddenly, all of my feelings of shame or fear make no sense at all.

“Well?” Jess prompts. “What do you feel?”Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

“Like I need a shower and a plan.”

Her smile is glorious. “You’re going to see him?”

“If he’ll see me, yes. Hell, even if he won’t, I’ll make him.”

I don’t let myself overthink it, either. That’s been my mistake for these past few weeks, when I’ve been stuck in my head and in my memories. I fish out my phone from behind a cushion and find his number immediately. The last text we’d exchanged was mine, when I’d told him I needed space nearly three weeks ago. Looking at it now makes me feel uneasy. Yes, there had been a power imbalance between us, but we’d spent a weekend together… and then I’d pulled away without any explanation.

I text him a single, simple sentence.

Faye Alvarez: Can I see you today?

To my infinite pride, I don’t toss my phone away from me, either. I put it down calmly on the coffee table and bow to Jess’s theatrical little applause.

“Now, off to the shower,” I declare, and she shoots me a thumbs up. One-quarter of my deep conditioner later, I emerge to freshly baked bread and Jess smiling from ear to ear. “He responded,” she says.

“He did?”

“Yes. Your phone beeped and I looked. You know I can’t help myself.” She hands me the phone and I read the response, just as sparse as mine.

Henry Marchand: Yes. I can come over?

Something inside me relaxes, at the same time as new nerves emerge. He’s never been in my apartment.

Faye Alvarez: Meet me in Brooklyn. Let’s take a walk?

It’s the coward’s way out, but he agrees, and we set a time. I put my phone down and look over at Jess, who is still smiling at me. “I can’t wait to meet him,” she says.

“Jess!”

“Not today, of course. But from the way he sounds, and the way you’re all in knots over him… I’ll meet him one day.” She opens my fridge in search of butter. “Of that I have no doubt. You two are basically soulmates.”

I watch her in silence as she cuts two thick slices of bread for us both. Her words are hyperbolic, but they’re spoken with sincerity, and something in them rings true. With Aiden, I never had this feeling, the desire to integrate our lives into one. To share our friends, our family. I’d met Henry’s entire family before we’d ever even shared a bed. And every step of it had felt right.

“Well,” I say, reaching for one of the slices of bread. “Maybe you’re right about that.”

“I know I am.”

Faye

I see him before he sees me.

Henry is leaning by the corner of a deli, looking supremely out of place, shirtsleeves folded neatly up to his elbows. His hair is a bit longer than the last time I saw him, pushed back from a face that’s gotten tanner. He must have been out sailing again at some point. His eyes scan passerby, coiled energy clear in his tall frame.

I smile as soon as I see him. He hasn’t done anything particularly smile-worthy, but it’s still etched on my face by its own accord. He catches sight of me as I cross the street. My heart clenches as a smile spreads across his own lips, transforming his stern features.

“Hey,” he says.

I rock back on my heels and look up at him. “Hey.”

“I’m glad you came.”

“So am I.” I glance at the busy street around us. “Sorry for the dramatic set-up. ‘Meet me at the corner of Prince and Fifth’ sounds like something out of a movie.”

His smile turns crooked. “We’ve had our share of drama, so I suppose it’s fitting.”

“I was never the dramatic one in school.”

Henry snorts. “I definitely wasn’t.”

“Head in the books?”

He nods. “Or on the sailing boat.”

“Right,” I say softly. “The winner of the junior sailing regatta.”

“You remembered?”

“Of course. It’s your highest achievement.”

He gives me a crooked smile, and I return it, warmth spreading through my chest. “Where do you want to walk?”

“There’s a park down here. Is that okay?”

“Lead the way.”

It’s a beautiful summer afternoon, and children are playing in the sun, the park filled with people. Henry kicks an errant soccer ball back to where a group of boys are playing, and they shout their thanks. The silence between us isn’t uncomfortable, but it’s heavy with things left to be said. I can almost see them floating between us.