“We’re at Pretty Things,” Aria told him. “The local florist. Do you know how to find it?”

He didn’t, so she gave him a few directions and said to be quick. “What’s this about?” he asked before ending the call.

“I’ll explain when you get here,” she said. “I’m sorry to drag you away from work.”

“It’s not your fault,” he muttered. “I’ll be there soon.”

The phone went dead, and Aria met Teri’s eyes. “I wouldn’t want to be you when he gets here,” she said. “He sounded annoyed.”

Teri stayed silent. It seemed to be her favorite method of communication.

“So, Eli is your brother? The golden boy?” She recalled the bitter twist to his mouth when he was talking about his parents during her interview. The silly man thought they were disappointed in him. Did he not realize they would never entrust their impressionable young daughter to him unless they thought he’d be a good influence? But then, such a logical thought wouldn’t have crossed his stubborn male mind.

“Yes,” Teri replied, scuffing the toe of her shoe on the floor. “What’s it to you?”

Aria ignored the question. “He’s supposed to be a good example for you, huh? Put you on the straight and narrow.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“That’s a lot of pressure on him, isn’t it?”

Teri looked up, eyes wide with surprise. “I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

“Maybe you could give him a break.” Aria got the feeling Eli wasn’t given many breaks.

Teri shrugged, but she was thinking about it. “You know my brother?”

Aria wrinkled her nose. “We’ve met.”

Teri laughed, and it brightened her whole face; she’d be very pretty if she didn’t try so hard to look cool. It was tough at that age, though. Aria had never had a chance to be cool because she’d been shy and chubby. She’d rallied at university, where she’d found her self-confidence and her own unique style. She’d realized she didn’t have to be the prettiest girl in the room if she could be the most interesting.

“I don’t really know Eli,” she said. “I’m a reporter. I’ve interviewed him about his project here.”

“Oh.” There was a wealth of meaning in the word.

“What?” Aria asked, baffled.

“Eli hates reporters,” Teri explained. “He always has, but especially after what happened with his ex. He thinks I don’t remember, but it wasn’t that long ago, and it was kind of a big deal.”