Chapter 9

ASHER

We end up at the cozy Thai place near my apartment. I park beneath the hotel, in the same spot where my car has always been.

We walk three blocks together, her heels clicking on the pavement. My gaze drifts along the sidewalk, looking for anything to distract me.

The streets are pretty deserted, given the time of day. Most people are still at work, just getting back from their lunch breaks.

Ella is unusually quiet today. She doesn’t chatter away in the car like she usually does, and she hasn’t shared any of her usual exciting stories.

It’s been a while since we last did this. Too long, if you ask me.

I make a promise to myself to make sure Daniel isn’t hurting her in any way. So, this has become a monthly ritual.

Ella doesn’t know that’s why I make an effort to see her.

As we sit down, I notice she seems a bit irritated, holding it in just like our mom would.

I sigh internally, realizing I should help her get whatever it is off her chest. That way, we can enjoy our meal without this tension.

“What’s up?” I ask her.

“Huh?” she responds, feigning ignorance.

But her reaction tells me there’s definitely something bothering her.

Luckily for her, the waitress comes over to take our order, giving her a brief reprieve.

We place our order, and as soon as the waitress is four steps away, Ella squares her shoulders and looks me straight in the eye.

“You were late this morning,” she begins.

“Yeah, so?” I respond.

“Do you not think that’s irresponsible?”

“Irresponsible,” I echo. Was it irresponsible?

No, I just didn’t account for the time it would take to find parking and walk back to Daniel’s office.

But she doesn’t let me get a word in. She just rambles on about irresponsibility.

“Asher, I don’t know if you realize this, but Daniel is doing you a huge favor. He doesn’t have to do this for you; neither does Mom with her little arrangement, and Dad certainly doesn’t have to pay your rent…”

“Wait a minute. How do you know all of this?” I interrupt.

“Daniel…don’t deflect, Asher. You’ve been mooching off our parents for far too long, and when you’re finally pushed to take a step toward adulthood, you still can’t accept that maybe, just maybe, you need to be self-reliant…”

“Okay, El’s, just because you knew what you wanted to do right out of high school doesn’t mean I do. And that doesn’t make me a failure for not knowing what I want to do with my life. And working for your creepy boyfriend isn’t exactly on my bucket list. Maybe you should tell the tattletale to mind his own business. I was only five minutes late.”

“Five minutes? Asher, do you hear yourself? Five minutes in business is money—money that can be earned, spent, and invested. I get that you don’t like our relationship and how it’s affected your relationship with Daniel, but you’re twenty-one now. We didn’t make our choices lightly, and we knew it might cause some tension, but it’s been years. You need to get over this.”

“He took advantage of you, El…”

“He didn’t—far from it. In fact, I was the one who pursued him. He would never have crossed that line if I hadn’t pushed him.”

“Why don’t I believe you?”

“Because you’re as stubborn as our Dads,” she laughs.

Our food arrives then—giving us a break from the heavy conversation.

We both use the time to regroup and calm down, and it’s clear when we both apologize as soon as the waiter leaves.

“I’m sorry, El.”

“Oh, Ash, I’m so sorry,” she replies.

We exchange knowing smirks, reaching for our favorite dishes and filling our plates without a word.

“Listen,” I start, “I said I’d try to understand and accept your relationship, and I’m really trying. But he’s my uncle, and every time I see him, it just gets more complicated. I know you hate it when he’s upset, and my tardiness probably didn’t help his anxiety. So, I promise to do my best to be punctual from now on. Is that okay, sis?”

She smirks again, her mouth full of food, and nods after swallowing.

“Try to take some responsibility, Asher. It’s not our parents’ job to support your lifestyle.”

“You’re right. I get that, but I have no idea what I want to do, and the thought of taking over the club is just… unbearable.”

“Why?” she asks, a hint of confusion crossing her face.

“You know more about Mom’s past than I do, but I know enough to feel sick about the club. How can our dads keep running that place, knowing it’s probably the reason she’s even in this country? It disgusts me.”

“Mom loves that life as much as they do, you know that. This is something you need to deal with, Ash. Maybe you should just be honest and refuse to take over the clubs. Wouldn’t you be happier running the hotel and security business? You’ve always loved being in the spotlight.”

“I’ve thought about it, but the thought of dealing with seven floors of sex-crazed clients is a turn-off…”

“But you don’t seem to mind living in the same building,” she points out.

“Touché, El. Touché.”

It’s not about living alongside it; that’s not the issue. The problem is the moral judgment I feel and the judgment I’d get from others. I’d be a young man essentially selling men’s and women’s bodies for a quick buck.

I don’t want that for myself. That’s the real issue.

The rest of the meal goes by in silence; we eat what we want and leave what we don’t. We both know I’ll take the leftovers home anyway.

I finish eating long after El, probably because she’s been studying me thoughtfully the whole time—observing me as I eat my least favorite dishes first. Do you do that?

Do you save your favorite dish for last, savoring it until the flavors fade from your mouth?

“You never talked to Daniel about your work schedule,” she points out as I pay the bill.

“Huh! I guess I didn’t. I was avoiding.” I stop myself.

I just promised to try harder.

“I’ll text him,” I suggest as a solution.

“Just tell me, and I’ll tell him.” She shrugs, giving me an easy out.

“I can do Wednesday and Thursday afternoons.”

“Good, I’ll let him know. Your shifts will be from one p.m. until closing,” she informs me, as if she’s his secretary.

“When’s closing?”

“Sometimes three, sometimes later. But Daniel usually doesn’t get home much past five. It’s only on rare occasions that he works long hours,” she explains.

“Did he send you to talk to me?” I ask, needing to know.

“No, but he did mention that you left before you could sort out your shifts.”

I roll my eyes, annoyed that we’re using Ella as a go-between when we should be talking directly.

I’ll have to text him…later.

“All right, I have to go. Tilly and Josh are holding down the fort, and I shudder to think of how many surfaces they’ve had sex on.”

“Ugh, please. I really don’t need that image, El.”

She laughs, standing up and swiping the box of dumplings I was planning to snack on later.

“Sneaky.”

I chuckle, standing up and stacking my leftover boxes.

We leave the restaurant in silence, walking side by side toward my apartment until we part ways—her to my dad’s office and me to the elevator up to my place.

I can’t wait to kick back and relax tonight.