Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 82034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Andrew’s now the one smiling like a Cheshire cat.
“Now kiss and make up,” I say slyly, hoping it will break the tension, but Avril merely huffs and looks out the window again.
Andrew mutters, “Better things to do with my mouth.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I growl. “Why don’t you two go into the bathroom and fuck and make up then?”
Avril’s face flushes, and Andrew’s glare at me burns brighter. I wait to see what they will do because if Andrew wants to be with her, she won’t say no.
Instead, he says softly, “Not in the mood.”
Christ, I’m not sure what it says about me as a friend, but I’m flooded with relief that he’s not taking this opportunity. That, as of now, Avril in part continues to be just mine.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to fix things between them. I know they’ll get there on their own because those two never stay mad at each other for long, but I feel like all of us could use a reminder of just how special our bond is regardless of the stellar but filthy sex.
“Remember when Claudia broke up with you?” I say, and Andrew’s eyes shoot back up to mine. I can see Avril’s head turn slowly my way, but I don’t look at her. “Avril dropped everything to be by your side. I thought you would be inconsolable forever, but you weren’t and it’s because of Avril. She stayed by your side, wallowed in your grief, and babysat you through drinking binges. She spent weeks pulling you out of your funk.”
The minute Andrew’s eyes soften, I turn my attention to Avril. “And you remember when your brother died? Andrew dropped everything to fly back home with you. He stayed by your side over a week and refused to leave you alone until you were able to come back to work.”
Avril’s eyes get slightly moist, and I know I don’t need to say anymore, but I do.
“We’ve been through deaths and breakups and illnesses together. We’ve had the highs of launching this business and the lows of people telling us it would never work, and right back to the highs of creating a technology that will change the world. We work sixteen, seventeen, fuck, sometimes twenty-hour days and we do it together. We pull our hair out in frustration, we buck each other up with pep talks, and we’ve been doing this shit for seventeen years strong. So, drop this petty shit because I don’t like my two best friends being mad at each other.”
They stare at me a moment, chastised and moved by my speech. Avril’s head rolls to the left to look at Andrew, and she murmurs, “I’m sorry.”
He repeats the same action but to his right, and he smiles at her. “I’m sorry, too.”
“Friends?” she asks as she holds her hand out to him.
“Always,” he says as he takes her hand, bringing it to his lips to brush a kiss there.
CHAPTER 19
Avril
Fabron’s house is ostentatious but then again, so is Dane’s. I guess it’s a prerequisite when you head up a major biotech firm and you’re worth billions.
I’d had the pleasure of staying here twice in my travels through France. Fabron Lemaire was charming then, as were his wife and children. He’s even more charming now that he’s divorced, and we’ve been friends on a personal and professional level for years.
He hands me another glass of champagne, and I take it without hesitation. It’s only my second and Fabron is easy to talk to and flirt with, although neither one of us takes it very seriously. Truth be told, Fabron would rather have me come to work for him than he would for me to warm his bed, and I know Dane would take more offense to that than anything. I think that’s why Fabron flirts with me shamelessly in front of Dane and Andrew, so they really don’t catch on to how much he’d like to put me in charge of Révéler Biotech’s operations.
“How is Melisant?” I ask Fabron as we stand by the fireplace in his great room. He’s having a party of the upper crust of Paris, but mostly other people in the biotech industry. Andrew and Dane are off networking and mingling, as we usually split up at these types of events.
“She’s angry and bitter,” he says with a shrug. “Luckily, the kids are old enough that they don’t believe her lies about me.”
“I’m sorry,” I say with a wince. “I guess divorce is never pretty, right?”
“I’ve moved on and hopefully so will she one day,” he says gallantly. “I want her to be happy.”
“I like Melisant,” I tell him honestly. “She was always very gracious to me.”
“She admired you a great deal,” he says with an affectionate smile. “Your intelligence and your ambition. She saw a lot of herself in you, except she married her way to the top while you worked your way there.”