The door opened, and Benjamin walked in with his girlfriend.
I stood there trying to figure out who had come up with this sick joke.
Ginger walked in, her palm pressed flat against my brother’s bicep as if she were anchoring herself to him.
She was in a long jumpsuit—modest but elegant.
Her red, curly hair hung loose, catching the light and holding my gaze just as it always did.
I tried to make sense of what was happening.
I stood at the end of the line, waiting for Ben to introduce her to everyone.
She shook hands with everyone—a significant improvement.
“And this is my younger brother,” Ben said.
“Caspian.”
Ginger saw me.
Her eyes widened as she looked from my brother to me, then back again.
She reached out to shake my hand.
“A pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise,” I replied.
“Virginia.” I put a little extra weight on the name.
“Perhaps we should sit,” Mom said.
Ben pulled out Ginger’s chair and sat beside her.
I stayed quiet.
According to their story, they had started dating at the beginning of Ginger’s internship, months ago.
I was beyond disappointed.
How the hell had she spent so much time with me while she was seeing Ben behind my back?
She was no better than Destiny.
“You don’t look like a college student, Virginia,” Destiny said sweetly.
“I skipped a grade in high school,” Ginger replied with a modest smile.
“Perhaps that’s the difference.”
“Or maybe it’s just your height,” I remarked.
Mom shot me a look of disapproval.
“We should go out for a double date,” Destiny suggested.
“Let’s make it a triple date,” I interjected.
“I’ll come and bring a guest, too.”
“Fine by me, Cas,” Evander said with a smile.
“I’ll book a table for mid-week.”
During dinner, Benjamin mostly talked about how skillfully Ginger had put together a financial report that was helping him and Evander be much more cost-effective.
Aunt Estelle, sitting next to me, glanced my way occasionally but said nothing.
Everyone was swooning over Ginger’s perfection.
Ginger looked my way a few times to smile, but I just turned my head away.
When dinner ended, Ginger and Ben said their goodbyes, got into my brother’s car, and drove off.
“She seems like a lovely girl,” Aunt Estelle remarked.
“Don’t you think, Cas?”
“I couldn’t care less,” I replied.
I gave Mom a kiss on the cheek and drove my red convertible to the beach to pick up some random girl.