Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 96129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
“You’re not going to set me up with Gabriel, are you?” I asked warily. “Because that’s a hard pass.”
“God, no. It’ll be someone completely unknown to him.” She laughed. “We actually already have someone in mind.”
“Who?”
“Patty’s godson. He’s a pro athlete. Plays football for the Jets.”
“Ew.” I scrunched my nose.
“See?” Veronica laughed. “This is brilliant. Dom hates them too.”
“Dom is a Patriots fan. He hates everyone.”
“We really don’t want to push you, especially if you’re not interested in getting back together with him.” Veronica’s smile faltered. “If that’s the case, we can continue to drink and not mention him at all.”
“Would it only be this one guy?”
“You want to make it two?” She raised an eyebrow. “That can be easily arranged, but I don’t think it’ll matter if it’s one or one hundred.”
“Does Patty’s godson understand that this isn’t a dating service?”
“Not really.” She shrugged. “We’ve explained it to him dozens of times, but, well, funny story, we took a little family trip to see The Nutcracker. I pointed you out and he said you were hot. I told him you were one of our girls, and he said he was looking for someone to take to a team event.”
“A team event?” I frowned. “Like a Jets event?”
“Yep.”
“What kind of event?”
“The kind that club-level owners go to. He doesn’t have to take a date, but he’s new blood here. He’s taking the starting QB position from a well-loved guy, so he’s nervous. I figured since you’re an athlete, you might know what that feels like.”
“Yeah.” I licked my lips. It was tough for me when I first moved here, since everyone already had their cliques formed. Most of them had known each other since they were kids. I knew how difficult it was to be a newcomer, and I knew it was much worse when money and fame were involved.
“Look, he just ended things with his long-term girlfriend, and just moved here after a trade, and the event is this weekend, so you see where the dilemma is,” she said. “He wants to pay you five grand to attend with him.”
I blinked. “Five. Thousand. Dollars?”
“Yep.”
“To go to one event?”
“You want to see a picture?”
“He’s willing to pay me five thousand dollars for one date. I don’t really give a shit what he looks like.”
“So, you’re in?” She laughed.
“I’m definitely in.” I picked up my drink again.
“I’m going to be fully transparent,” she said after a beat. “We’re going to carbon copy Dominic in the emails we send you, and act like it was a mistake, since he’d been included in the originals.”
I felt my eyes go wide.
“I know,” she said. “One last thing. The only requirement Jimmy has for this is that you meet him before the event. He wants to make sure you’re not an overenthusiastic fan who’s going to make a scene there.”
“I don’t even watch football, but sure.” I pulled out my phone and opened up my calendar. I mean, five grand. “When is the event?”
“Saturday night at The Bay Room.”
“Fancy.” My brows rose. “I’ll have to figure out what to wear.”
“Oh. He’s paying for that too. When he meets you, he’ll sort that out.”
“I’m starting to think this may not be a good idea. I’m falling in love with this Jimmy guy already.”
She laughed. “Hey, if that happens, then tough luck for Dom.”
My smile faded. I knew I wouldn’t fall for anyone else. Dominic owned me and I was starting to resent him a little bit for it. It wasn’t like this plan was foolproof. It might not work at all, but if it didn’t, at least I’d be heartbroken with an extra five grand in my bank account.
41
DOMINIC
I walked into the bodega with Rocco and saw Santiago Vega standing by the Snickers with a price gun in his hands. He lowered it when he saw us.
“Nope. Get the hell out of my store.” He walked toward us pointing a finger at the door. “Now.”
“Nope,” I said right back.
“Aw, and here I thought we’d get a warm welcome,” Rocco said behind me.
Santiago scowled. “It would have been a warm welcome if my house hadn’t been invaded the other night.”
“And you think that’s my fault?” I asked. I thought it was my fault too, but his hands weren’t clean by any means.
“I . . .” He shook his head quickly, eyes wide, as if it just occurred to him that we all knew about the debt he owed Tommy. “Look, I know what you did for me when I was locked up, and I’m grateful for it, but I can’t have you putting my family at risk.”
“I’m here to put an end to the risk.”
“An end?” He shot me a look. “The only way you put an end to that is by never seeing my daughter again.”
My chest instantly ached. I swallowed and looked around, ignoring what he said. I had left her alone. I’d left her alone and it was fucking me up more than I ever imagined it would.