Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 45284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
But that’s exactly what I thought about Dad, and I was still fooled. Dammit, I’m a grown man. I shouldn’t even think about that, let alone dwell on it. A fake summer when we went to the cinema, and the arcade is downright easy compared to some childhoods.
At home, I walk across the lobby. A woman stands and strides over to me, her heels clicking. She’s tall and thin, wearing a glittery gold dress that hugs her body. I notice all this coldly, with no passion, like a machine recording details.
“Mr. Tithing?” she says, stopping just short.
Her eyes have a telltale gleam to them. It’s like she’s silently letting me know I could do anything I wanted with her. It makes me sick.
“Do I know you?” I ask.
“I’m a friend of Mr. Jenkins,” she says.
He’s one of my business associates.
“All right…”
She steps forward, raising her hand as if to touch my arm. The thought is repulsive—any woman touching me, being close to me, who isn’t my woman, but is she really my woman if she’s been playing me?
“He wanted to congratulate you on your recent deal.”
I almost cheer when Loki starts to growl. He never growls at strangers, but I’ll let him make an exception here. The woman falters and lowers her hand.
“Are you telling me Mr. Jenkins sent you to seduce me?”
“I wouldn’t put it so bluntly.”
“I’m not interested,” I tell her.
“Oh.”
I walk across the lobby with Loki at my side. Even if there’s a chance Ami is playing me, I still can’t think about another woman. If it turns out what Emma said wasn’t a joke, I’ll spend the rest of my life alone. It will be Loki and me, then another dog once he’s gone, thinking about what could’ve been, dreaming about having something real, something money can’t buy.
Upstairs, I lie in bed, staring at the ceiling. Loki whines from the bottom of the bed, sensing my mood.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Amelia
“He thinks I’m a freaking gold digger now,” I snap, holding my cell phone so tightly it hurts my hand. I’m surprised I haven’t broken it.
“I’m sorry,” Emma says. “It was just a joke, a bad one, fine, but I didn’t mean it. Did you tell him?”
“Yeah, but I could see it in his face. He didn’t believe me. He told me a story from when he was a kid. I won’t repeat it, but he has good reason not to trust people regarding money.”
“Ami, seriously, I feel terrible.”
I sigh, shaking my head, though she can’t see me. To call this evening a whirlwind would be an understatement.
“It’s okay,” I say or lie since I don’t know if it’s okay. “Why were you calling, anyway?”
“I wanted to talk to you. I’ve been texting with Todd.”
Todd’s her ex, and we talk about that for a while. Even if Emma might’ve accidentally sabotaged this growing relationship, she’s still my best friend and deserves support.
Anyway, it was an accident. She didn’t mean it. I hope Tommy can believe that. Plus, it’s not like he’s not keeping secrets. I still have no idea why Oliver and his buddies are threatening us.
For three days, there’s been no sign of Tommy or word about Oliver or what’s happening there. Three days of a chauffeured ride to work, a fulfilling day, and then chilling in an apartment I never could’ve dreamed of before I arrived here. Three days of knowing that Tommy has abruptly cut things off because of what Emma said on the phone.
I don’t even have Tommy’s phone number. Whenever I ask one of the security guards or drivers to tell Tommy I’d like to see him, they tell me they’ll pass on the message, and still nothing. From how they answer, I’m guessing nothing bad happened to Tommy. Oliver’s twenty-four-hour deadline has come and gone, and there have been no other threats.
It’s Friday, and I haven’t got any plans for the weekend. I’ve been so obsessed with work and drained that I haven’t had the time or energy to do anything touristy. I haven’t got much cash, but I do have a driver who could take me around the city and let me see some sights. However, I can’t pay the entrance fees for some of the more expensive activities.
Sure, I could ask one of the guards to pass a message to Tommy asking for funds.
That would go down well since he already thinks I’m a gold medalist, gold-digging thief. God, I’m feeling bitter, but I can’t help it.
I sit on the couch, looking around the fancy apartment, then close my eyes and imagine a different life. Tommy and I are in a one-bedroom place, one of our babies in my arms and one in his. He’s broke, I’m broke, but we’ve got our cute bundles of joy, so it doesn’t matter if the wallpaper is peeling and the carpets are faded. We have each other. We’ve got our love. When I open my eyes, I know which life I would prefer.