“Working.”
“Your birthday is on a Saturday.”
I shrugged. “I work Saturdays.”
“Wow…don’t get too crazy.”
I rarely celebrated my birthday, rarely acknowledged it. It was strange to mark every year of age, to say goodbye to the years you’d lived and remind yourself of the time you had left. Last year, I spent it with Derek, taking him to the movies before we went go-karting. But I wouldn’t see him this year, unfortunately.
“You wanna do something?”
“I don’t care.”
“Party animal. What are you doing tomorrow?”
“I have a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Brooklyn.”
“What’s opening?”
“A new hospital.”
“Did you build it or something?”
I didn’t understand the question because I clearly wasn’t an architect or a construction worker.
“I mean, why are you going?”
“Oh.” I took a drink. “They’re naming the hospital after me.”
Both of his eyebrows rose. “What? You serious?”
“Why would I joke about that?”
He ignored the question. “That’s great, Deacon. How many people have a building named after them?”
“A lot of people—”
“Besides presidents and stuff. That’s great. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
“Did you donate money or anything?”
I shook my head. “I got a call about eighteen months ago when they started the project. They asked my permission.”
“That’s so cool. If my wife has a baby, she’ll deliver there, just so we can tell that story.”
I lifted my gaze and looked at the TV behind him.
“You going stag to this thing?”
“Cleo is coming with me.”
His eyes narrowed. “Again?”
I nodded.
“Didn’t she come with you to the last one?”
“That’s why I asked her again. People talk to me less when she’s with me.”
“Well, I wanted to take her to Coney Island, but she said she was busy. Now I know why.”
I drank my beer.
“You know, you hog a lot of her time.”
“She didn’t have to say yes.”
“You’re her boss—of course she does.”
I tried to understand his tone, because it was different than usual. “Are you mad or something?”
“I’m a little annoyed. I feel like every time I try to do something with her, she already has plans with you.”
“Why don’t you take her on Sunday?”
“I have to work.”
“Then take her next Saturday.”
“That’s your birthday.”
“We both know I don’t give a shit about my birthday.” When I woke up, I’d probably forget. Until my mother called, it would be the furthest thing from my mind.
“Come on, you’re turning thirty-three. That’s a good year. I thought we’d go fishing or something.”
“Honestly, I don’t care.” I didn’t care about the major holidays either, unless Derek was around. I always put thoughtful gifts under the tree, gave him a nice birthday party, and did special things on Easter. But without him around…I didn’t see the point.
“I’ll find another time to take her out. Was just a bit disappointed that you beat me to the punch. I’ll never take her to a dinner at a hospital that’s being named after me…fucking show-off.”
“I doubt she’s impressed.”
He laughed loudly. “Yeah, okay…”
“All of her clients are successful people.”
“Yeah, but they’re Wall Street assholes and real estate sharks. You’re special. You should hear how she talks about you.”
She talked about me?
“She told me you’re her favorite client.”
“I am?” I blurted, surprised she felt that way.
He shrugged. “I couldn’t believe it either.”
I remembered that conversation I’d witnessed between her and another client. They were arguing in front of her office, going back and forth until the tears in her eyes reflected the light from the chandelier. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but I’d never seen her so upset. “Her other clients can be dicks. Maybe that’s why.”
“How could anyone be a dick to Cleo? She’s awesome.”
I was a bit cold to her when we first met. I still felt a little guilty about it even though I’d apologized. “I came home one night, and one of her clients was yelling at her. She started to cry.”
“What?” he snapped, his nostrils flaring. “Who the fuck is this guy?”
I couldn’t remember his name. “Jake something.”
“Why was he so mad?”
“She gave him the wrong dry cleaning or something.”
He rolled his eyes with an irritated look on his face. “I hate motherfuckers like that. They come into the hotel sometimes. Treat you like shit over the smallest thing. Like, you’re a millionaire on vacation. What the fuck are you so mad about?”
I didn’t know how that guy could get so upset with Cleo. She never made mistakes, so if she messed up every once in a while, it was no reason to berate her in public like that. Sometimes it was hard to forget she was human because she was so perfect all the time, but she was just like everyone else.
“Let me know if he ever moves out of the building. I’ll beat his ass.”
I’d lost my temper with him, made enemies of someone who lived in my own building, but I didn’t care. Watching her shake at her desk, her eyes wet, no longer composed like she usually was, made me feel things I couldn’t describe. I wasn’t a violent person, but my fist ached to shatter the guy’s cheekbone. “I wasn’t very nice to Cleo when we first met, but I never behaved that way.”