Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 59445 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 238(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59445 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 238(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
The camera snapped a few times, Mr. Nelson joining us for a couple pictures, and then thankfully, the photographer moved on to begging Nixon for the spotlight.
“We have to set a meeting,” Mr. Nelson continued as if the photographer hadn’t interrupted us. “I think our newest innovation could be applied to your Raptors’ technology.”
I raised my brows, immediately intrigued. Nelson Tech was one of the leading industries when it came to artificial intelligence programs and all their endless applications.
“Yes,” Lena said. “I’m sure his assistant would be more than happy to schedule us in.” She glanced around like she was expecting Brynn to pop up any moment. “Where is she? She should be available to you—”
“Brynn is away on business,” I cut her off. “I’ll make sure I set up a meeting, Mr. Nelson.” I nodded to him as he winked at me and headed across the room to talk to someone else.
“You haven’t been returning my calls,” Lena said once he was out of earshot.
“I’ve been busy,” I said. “And I thought you understood where I stand.”
“And I thought you understood I don’t give up that easy,” she said. “Especially when it’s something I want.”
I laughed softly, shaking my head. “Lena, I’m sorry if I made you believe otherwise, but what was between us was never anything serious—”
“I know that,” she said. “I’m not talking about commitment in that way. I explained that to you.”
“And I explained I wasn’t into that,” I said, sighing.
She narrowed her gaze on me but kept her smile bright for the cameras that were still all around the event. “You’ll come around,” she said. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“I won’t, Lena,” I said. “But you have a good night.”
I decided that a run-in with Lena was the best cue for an exit I’d ever seen, and headed out of the hotel to where my driver waited. I slid into the backseat of the car, loosening my tie as I pulled out my phone.
Me: Miss you already
Brynn: It’s been fifteen minutes
Me: Your point?
Brynn: Miss you too. Maybe we can FaceTime later and watch our show that way?
I smiled down at my phone.
Me: It’s a date.
BRYNN
“And you and Hendrix were almost suspended,” I said through my laughter from where I sat at Weston’s dining room table.
Weston laughed, shaking his head. “That was all Hendrix.”
“Come on,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Hendrix may have thought to decorate the principal’s office for a prank, but you’re the one who told him to cover everything duct tape.”
“Hey, I gave him a signed Raptors jersey for it,” he said.
I laughed again, twirling my glass of wine. Our dinner plates were clean, but we’d remained at the table, reminiscing about the old days. We’d been doing that a lot lately, joking and laughing, retelling stories, falling into this wonderfully blissful kind of rhythm that I loved. We worked and then we spent time together where we weren’t allowed to talk about work, where we were just ourselves free of obligations. Everything was perfect.
“You’re one to talk,” Weston said as he grabbed my empty dinner plate and then his, heading with them toward the kitchen. “You were the one who told us we had to use the bright purple duct tape to do it.”
“It was pretty!” I called as he disappeared into the kitchen.
“Sure, but it cost a lot more,” he called from the kitchen.
“I’m sure it put such a dent in your bank account,” I said, reaching for my phone to do a quick email check while he was loading the dishwasher. I’d cooked, so he insisted on cleaning. I did the same when he cooked. Again, we’d fallen into this ease that I was legit so ecstatic about. Who knew being in love was this easy?
Not that he knew that I was in love with him, it still had barely been over four months of dating, and the last thing I wanted to do was scare him off. Wes had always had an aversion to all things commitment, and I knew that had a lot to do with how horrible of a marriage his father and mother had. But he was nothing like his father, and still, it was way too early to even think about anything that solid, right? Especially with how amazing everything had been lately.
I opened my email, answering a couple quickly before popping open my favorite financial journal’s weekly newsletter. The headline made me sit up straighter, and the photo knocked the wind right out of me.
Movers & Shakers: Nelson Tech Heiress Spotted with Billionaire Weston Rutherford.
The picture was of Lena and Weston looking super cozy at the charity gala I’d had to leave early from the other night. They looked…
Amazing.
Like they fit. She complemented him in a way I never would because she had that royalty look whereas I had...