I called my stylist, Perry, for help.
“Perry,” I said. He was a concierge for rich people, procuring anything they asked for. It paid to roll in dough because you could buy anyone or anything.
“Mr. Wainwright, hello!” he said. “How can I help you?”
“Perry, question: I’m interested in a necklace going up for auction soon. Can you handle that for me?”
Perry’s voice perked up. “Of course, sir. You know that jewelry is my specialty.”
I didn’t, but it figured since Perry himself often wore pinky rings on both pinkies.
“Great, I’ll send over the details. Do whatever it takes to get it, okay?”
He paused for a moment, the phone line almost quivering.
“Do you mean no limits, sir? There’s no limit to how much I can bid?”
“That’s right,” I said. “Like I said, whatever it takes.”
Perry almost squealed then, the whine like nails on chalkboard.
“Oooh, I’m so excited. Yes, sir! Can’t wait!”
But before he could go on, I cut him off. “And while you’re buying the necklace, see if there’s something else that matches. You know, like a ring or earrings or something.”
The personal shopper’s voice fell to a near-hush. “You mean like a set?”
“Exactly like I set,” I growled, voice rough. “Plus pick a dress for the lady, something formal and long, and a suit for me. I’ll send over the sizes.”
“Of course sir,” the other man said obsequiously. “More than happy to.”
And with that, I hung up. This was probably going to be the highlight of Perry’s career, and yet all I could think about was that gorgeous emerald nestled between Mia’s breasts. That, and ripping the brand-new dress off her curvy body. My dick hardened, my balls on fire. Hell yeah, it was going to be good.
Because suddenly, everything was clear. I was in love with the gorgeous Mia Smith and nothing was too good for my best girl.
Chapter 9
Mia
It had been a crazy week for me between exams at school and an upcoming new Pictogram release on Friday, but it was okay because I loved what I was doing. That was what Theo had done for me. The billionaire provided me an opportunity to shine, putting me in a situation where I can’t help but succeed.
I’m grateful for that because before, it seemed like no matter how hard I tried, it just didn’t make a difference. Sure, my programs were good but brogrammers merely sneered, sure that some guy had taken pity and done the work for me. The resulting scorn made me hide behind my curls, shy and ashamed even though there was no reason.
But now, things were different. Theo demanded respect at Pictogram, and that went for male and female engineers alike. Plus, my Mark Janow ad had made me into somewhat of a celebrity, and the boys didn’t snigger behind my back anymore.
But still, work was work, and I couldn’t let Jill down. She was my oldest friend, confidante, and trusty lab partner. Besides, why would I want to let her down? My friend was a fantastic coder, and had had a critical part in my so-called success. So even though everything had changed, in some ways, nothing had changed as well because right now, Jill and I were sequestered in the computer lab, slaving away while drinking cold coffee and eating pizza.
Suddenly, she looked up from her computer screen. “It’s amazing,” she gasped.
I bit my fingernail, chewing away at my doubt. “You sure? Do you want run some more automated tests?”
My friend laughed. “No. We’ve run it like ten times. It passes all the tests every time.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay. You’re right.”
Jilly pulled a face at me. “You’ve been working your ass off, Mia. You’ve barely slept all week what with this project and your consulting job,” she said, tossing me a bag of Lucky Charms.
Giggling like old times, I picked out three marshmallows, throwing them in my mouth.