Avoiding Intimacy (Avoiding #2.5)(9)

“You look great,” Adam said, kissing her cheek and running his hand across the small of her back before sitting.

“Thanks,” she said, seating herself across from him.

John pulled out a chair and sat down between them.

“I wish I’d known you had the weekend off,” Adam said, turning to his brother. “I would have taken some time off, too.”

“They were impressed with my latest find, so they gave me the time. Wasn’t expecting it to happen.”

“I don’t know why you don’t take all those clients of yours and start your own company. You’re too good to be where you are,” Adam told him.

“I’m doing perfectly fine, and anyway, the Global International name is well- known.”

“Wait, Global!” Chyna gasped.

“See,” John said, gesturing to Chyna.

“My mother worked through Global for a while when they were negotiating the Corsa fashion line,” she explained.

Global International was a huge conglomerate that demanded and received results. Her mother had worked with a partner, of course, but it was rumored that all of the representatives were incredible.

“My point exactly. Anyone who is anyone comes through Global. I’m good right where I am.”

“Who knew a Harvard MBA would get you there?” Adam said with clear admiration in his voice.

Chyna’s ears perked up. Harvard?

Was this guy for real? Her dad was a Harvard alum.

“God, you sound like Mom,” John said, running a hand back through his hair.

“Someone’s gotta do it. You hardly see her.”

“I hardly see anyone,” John said, just as the waiter arrived.

They all ordered drinks, and Chyna couldn’t wait to get her hands on her martini.

“Do you want me to be like Mom and tell you that you could have gone to Harvard too if you hadn’t followed in Dad’s footsteps to bum-f*ck-nowhere liberal arts college?” John teased.

Chyna blushed for her boyfriend. She knew he was smart, and he probably could have a better job than where he worked at a small, private architectural company.

Adam just shrugged, unaffected on the outside. She wondered if he was seething on the inside. She would be.

“I still could, but then I’d have to take your claim as the perfect son. I’d hate to do that to you.”

John laughed good-naturedly. “Touché.

King’s to you, Fernand.”

Adam laughed even harder, but Chyna didn’t have any clue what they were talking about. Who was Fernand?

They clearly spoke their own language. She didn’t have any siblings and couldn’t comprehend a connection like that. The closest thing she had found was with Alexa. Chyna wished she was here.

Alexa was the smart one, even if she was terrible with relationships. She could clue her in on what the f**k they were talking about. Chyna chewed on her lip and prayed for her martini to arrive quickly.

“Do you like movies, Chyna?” John asked just as the drinks arrived.

She sucked down a large gulp before answering. “I go to premieres sometimes.”

John quirked a smile at Adam. “Where did you find her?” He stuck his thumb out at Chyna.

Had she done something wrong?

“You’d never believe me if I told you,” Adam said.

“Try me.”

Adam shrugged, leaning one elbow on the table. He took a drink of his beer before answering. “She was drugged in a bar, and I kept some jerk from taking her home,” Adam told him. “Her friend showed me to her car, and we made sure she was alright. Everything else is history.”

He winked at her from across the table, and Chyna smiled. She liked the story. It was romantic in its own way.

“Our little knight in shining armor.

What’s your thing with saving chicks like that? Didn’t that happen with Christina, too?” John asked.

Um…who was Christina?

“Yeah, it did,” Adam replied, and then took another sip of his beer.

“Who’s Christina?” Chyna piped up, raising her eyebrows.

“My ex-girlfriend,” Adam responded slowly, looking at John, who was hiding a smile behind his own pint.

Chyna did not like that at all.

“And, the same thing happened to her?” she asked.

How come she didn ’ t know this?

Seemed like a pretty big misstep especially considering how they had met.

“Uh…yeah. Well, not the same thing. I didn’t save her. I just took her home when I saw her getting sloppy. ” Adam was practically squirming.

Chyna would have liked it if she’d had any clue about this Christina before this moment.

“That’s strange. When did you guys break up?” she asked, honestly curious.

“Chyna…” Adam said, reaching for her hand.

She let him take it, allowing him to console her. She wasn’t really mad, but he was so cute when he looked concerned.

“It doesn’t matter. It was couple of months before I met you,” he continued.

“That’s pretty soon,” she observed.

“Why did you break up?”

“Can we talk about this later?” Adam asked, glancing uncomfortably at John and the rest of the restaurant.