months and he could finally say that he was no longer in love with Ophelia. “Yes,” he said, nodding.
Quentin’s smile spread wider. “You old dog. I knew you had it in you.”
Jonas just laughed. “Where’s Sterling? I thought we all were going out to lunch?”
“He should have already been here. He left before I did.” Q glanced at his watch. “We don’t have to wait for him, do we? I’m starving.”
“No. We can just call him on his cell phone on the way to the restaurant. He can just meet us over there.” Jonas stood. “It’s not like Sterling to be late. A woman must have caught his eye.”
“Please.” Q laughed. “Sterling is so straight-laced he wouldn’t know what to do with a beautiful woman if one leaped into his arms.”
Jonas did his best to clean up before he and Q headed out to lunch, but there was only so much one could do with a busted lip, a swollen neck and rumbled suit.
Quentin found the whole thing funny and emphasized how much he wished he could have been a fly on the wall.
“C’mon, man. It isn’t like I’ve seen anyone kick your ass before,” he goaded as they walked through the doors of Houston’s. “Sterling came close that one time, remember? It was right after you stole his girlfriend and took her to the prom.”
Affronted, Jonas’s chest puffed out. “For the last time, I didn’t steal Tracy Mathis from him. He never even told the girl he liked her. She was free game.”
“Uh-huh. You’d ever think that Solomon stealing your girl from right under your nose was the universe’s way of giving back what you put out?”
“Since when did you start believing in karma?”
Q shrugged. “This one chick I was seeing back in um...April...or was it February? Anyway, she was real cool. Really into this spiritual stuff.”
Jonas sighed. “What was her name?”
His baby brother’s face drew a blank, just as he knew it would. “If this karma stuff is true then I don’t want to be anywhere around you when you start getting your comeuppance.”
“What? I spread love and happiness to beautiful lonely women. By my estimates I should be the next Powerball lottery winner.”
Jonas opened his mouth for a rebuttal, but then thought better of it.
The hostess finally arrived at her podium. “How many are in your party?”
“Three. We’re expecting one more,” Jonas told her.
She nodded and reached for menus and silverware. “Follow me.”
The brothers fell in line behind her and navigated through a maze of tables. Suddenly Q’s hand clamped onto Jonas’s shoulder. “Oh, there’s Sterling.”
Jonas stopped and followed Q’s gaze.
“Looks like you were right. He did find a woman. A damn fine one at that.”
Jonas had stopped breathing at the sight of Sterling and Toni hunched, laughing and ogling like a pair of lovebirds.
“Would you like to join them over there?” the hostess asked when she realized that they had stopped following her.
“No,” Q said. “I think we should leave them alone. I haven’t seen Sterling glow like that since Tracy Mathis.” He started to walk away.
However, Jonas marched toward the couple.
“I stand corrected,” Q said. “It looks like we will be joining them.”
Damn right we are.
Enraptured by Toni’s L.A. stories, Sterling didn’t see or hear his brothers’ approached; but when Jonas cleared his throat, he jumped as though he’d been caught with his hands in the cookie jar.
“Jonas. Quentin. What are two doing here?” He frowned and did a double take on his older brother. “What happened to your face?”
“He got his ass kicked for kissing another man’s wife.” Q laughed.
Toni’s brow shot up at the information.
“We were also all supposed to meet for lunch to celebrates Jonas’s new business venture, remember?” Q asked.
While Quentin and Sterling chatted, Jonas’s gaze zeroed in on Toni.
She returned his stare with a benign smile. “So we meet again.”
Sterling and Q stopped
Quentin’s smile spread wider. “You old dog. I knew you had it in you.”
Jonas just laughed. “Where’s Sterling? I thought we all were going out to lunch?”
“He should have already been here. He left before I did.” Q glanced at his watch. “We don’t have to wait for him, do we? I’m starving.”
“No. We can just call him on his cell phone on the way to the restaurant. He can just meet us over there.” Jonas stood. “It’s not like Sterling to be late. A woman must have caught his eye.”
“Please.” Q laughed. “Sterling is so straight-laced he wouldn’t know what to do with a beautiful woman if one leaped into his arms.”
Jonas did his best to clean up before he and Q headed out to lunch, but there was only so much one could do with a busted lip, a swollen neck and rumbled suit.
Quentin found the whole thing funny and emphasized how much he wished he could have been a fly on the wall.
“C’mon, man. It isn’t like I’ve seen anyone kick your ass before,” he goaded as they walked through the doors of Houston’s. “Sterling came close that one time, remember? It was right after you stole his girlfriend and took her to the prom.”
Affronted, Jonas’s chest puffed out. “For the last time, I didn’t steal Tracy Mathis from him. He never even told the girl he liked her. She was free game.”
“Uh-huh. You’d ever think that Solomon stealing your girl from right under your nose was the universe’s way of giving back what you put out?”
“Since when did you start believing in karma?”
Q shrugged. “This one chick I was seeing back in um...April...or was it February? Anyway, she was real cool. Really into this spiritual stuff.”
Jonas sighed. “What was her name?”
His baby brother’s face drew a blank, just as he knew it would. “If this karma stuff is true then I don’t want to be anywhere around you when you start getting your comeuppance.”
“What? I spread love and happiness to beautiful lonely women. By my estimates I should be the next Powerball lottery winner.”
Jonas opened his mouth for a rebuttal, but then thought better of it.
The hostess finally arrived at her podium. “How many are in your party?”
“Three. We’re expecting one more,” Jonas told her.
She nodded and reached for menus and silverware. “Follow me.”
The brothers fell in line behind her and navigated through a maze of tables. Suddenly Q’s hand clamped onto Jonas’s shoulder. “Oh, there’s Sterling.”
Jonas stopped and followed Q’s gaze.
“Looks like you were right. He did find a woman. A damn fine one at that.”
Jonas had stopped breathing at the sight of Sterling and Toni hunched, laughing and ogling like a pair of lovebirds.
“Would you like to join them over there?” the hostess asked when she realized that they had stopped following her.
“No,” Q said. “I think we should leave them alone. I haven’t seen Sterling glow like that since Tracy Mathis.” He started to walk away.
However, Jonas marched toward the couple.
“I stand corrected,” Q said. “It looks like we will be joining them.”
Damn right we are.
Enraptured by Toni’s L.A. stories, Sterling didn’t see or hear his brothers’ approached; but when Jonas cleared his throat, he jumped as though he’d been caught with his hands in the cookie jar.
“Jonas. Quentin. What are two doing here?” He frowned and did a double take on his older brother. “What happened to your face?”
“He got his ass kicked for kissing another man’s wife.” Q laughed.
Toni’s brow shot up at the information.
“We were also all supposed to meet for lunch to celebrates Jonas’s new business venture, remember?” Q asked.
While Quentin and Sterling chatted, Jonas’s gaze zeroed in on Toni.
She returned his stare with a benign smile. “So we meet again.”
Sterling and Q stopped
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