Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 148188 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 741(@200wpm)___ 593(@250wpm)___ 494(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148188 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 741(@200wpm)___ 593(@250wpm)___ 494(@300wpm)
“I can’t go on a date with you. I don’t think that’s even allowed. I’m sure it’s against company policy.” She ignores her friend’s advice. I could buy this company and change the rules I suppose, but all that paperwork would take so much time. Either way I should get those wheels going. I scribble it down for Mark to handle when he gets back.
“Hey, give me that.” There is a small scuffle before the friend’s voice comes onto the line.
“You pay a quarter now and a quarter after the date and you got yourself a deal.”
“Okay,” I agree.
“Really?” she asks, not buying it. “Coffee only,” she adds.
“I don’t like coffee,” Mia says in the background.
“Then get a hot chocolate,” she tells Mia. “She likes extra marshmallows,” she informs me before spouting off a time and place, then hangs up on me before I can even pay. My phone rings a second later.
“No backing out, Mia,” I inform her before she can even try to.
“I’m not.” She almost sounds shyer now. “It’s weird calling you back to collect the first quarter of the money now that we have a date.”
“You sound like a hooker.” Her friend laughs in the background.
“Shut up,” she growls at her friend. I fight a groan. Even upset, her voice still does it for me. I can’t imagine what she looks like. It doesn't matter really but I still want to put a face to that voice of hers. I’m sure she’s as soft and sweet as she sounds.
I give her the information she needs, waiting on the line until the money clears. “Maybe you should stop buying so much ahh—”
“Lingerie?” I supply for her.
“Yeah.”
“Maybe I’m just getting started.” I try and lightly tease her. Somehow, I know she’s blushing. “I’ll see you later, sweet Mia.”
“Bye.” She hangs up. I sit there hating that the call is over and her sweet voice is no longer filling my ear. I look at the clock, jotting down the hours until I get to put a voice and a name to a face. I smile knowing that I’m going to meet my future bride today. My sister really did me a huge favor by putting that wedding announcement in the paper. Now that’ll be one less thing Mia and I have to do before we get married. It just might have to be tweaked a little to add her name. I want the whole world to know that she’s mine.
“Sir!” I look to the blonde in my doorway, wondering when Mark is going to be back. “The phone is ringing off the hook about your engagement. Everyone is wanting to know who the woman is.”
“Then shouldn't you be answering the phone if it’s ringing?”
She narrows her eyes at me for a minute. I look away from her, pulling up an old friend's email. I want to know more about Mia Montgomery. If I want to win her over I’m going to need every advantage I can get.
10
Mia
“Have you lost your mind?” I ask Amelia as I dig through my closet trying to find something to wear again. I want to look cute. It’s not a date where I need to get dressed up like my last failed one. Oh God, what if this guy stands me up too? He could see me then bounce. Can I really get ditched twice in one week? I don’t know if my ego could take it.
“Have you lost your mind? You know the commission you’re making off this?” she reminds me. How the hell could I forget about it? It’s an obscene amount of money. I'm not used to having that sort of money. I live almost check to check but I was making it. I didn't need to do anything crazy like this. Amelia looks at money a little differently than I do. She’s gone without food and knows what it’s like to live on the streets. I get it. It’s just not who I am to do things for the sake of making a dollar.
My family has money. In fact it is basically all they care about. That always came first when I was growing up. I left with only a few bags and the little cash I had and never looked back. I don’t think they ever came looking for me either. It isn't just their focus on money. They are workaholics. Work is their whole lives. I think I was a last ditch effort to save their marriage when it was failing. It’s laughable how stereotypical it is actually. The classic Let’s bring a baby into the world to save us. It obviously didn't work, and they both went back to work, leaving me alone. Passing me from one nanny to the next until I was old enough to care for myself. I bounced back and forth between their homes after their divorce. It wasn’t the best childhood but at least I had a roof over my head and food on the table.