Damien
I let out a short laugh and leaned back against the counter in the refreshment area.
“You still haven’t figured it out, have you?” I said calmly. “You don’t beat me, Charles.”
Charles smiled, but I caught the irritation hiding underneath it.
“Maybe not today,” he replied smoothly. “But eventually? I will.”
To anyone else, it probably sounded like two successful businessmen joking around. But Charles and I had been competing since college. What started as harmless rivalry had slowly turned into something sharper over the years.
I pushed away from the counter. “We should get back before they think we disappeared.”
“Hold on,” Charles said.
Something in his tone made me pause.
“There’s something I wanted to ask you.”
I turned slightly. “What?”
“How come I wasn’t invited to yo
