“Don’t know yet, but I guess it’s something I’ll have to think about.”
Her shoulders sank in disappointment, almost as if she expected me to offer to escort her, even after everything. Everything, which was exactly nothing at all. “Right. Okay. I thought maybe you were taking Joss.”
A small part of me wanted to think it was jealousy, but the bigger part of me knew better. “Joss and I are just friends.”
“Oh, but I saw you having lunch.”
“Yeah,” I sighed. “We did.” I couldn’t tell if she was fishing for information or genuinely curious.
“Are you seeing her?”
“I just said that we’re friends, Soph. What is this?”
She sighed. “I was thinking that maybe a TFL voucher-,”
“I don’t need your help,” I growled and walked away. The nerve of that woman! I was so frustrated that the taste of my coffee was bitter, and not even the cheesy goodness of Mara’s croissants could make me feel any better. Damn her.
“Whoa, man, where’s the fire?” I nearly smacked right into Xander because I was so damn distracted and angry.
I looked up, and the surprise on his face said my expression was as stormy as I felt. “Just ran into Sophie.” I told him all about our little interaction, getting even angrier the second time around. “She asked if she could help me find someone. Are you kidding me?”
Xander whistled and shook his head while he raked both hands through his hair. “Wow. That’s…ballsy.”
“Right?” It was unbelievable, but I knew she wasn’t being purposely cruel. “Anyway, we should go out tonight. You game?”
His smile spread and his spine straightened. “Yeah, I’m in. Where do you want to go?”
“Not The Mayflower.” His eyes went wide, and Xander nodded slowly. “I need to get serious about moving on.”
“Really?” Xander laughed and smacked my shoulder. “I’m happy to be your wingman, brother! You’ll need all the help you can get!”
“Screw you,” I told him.
“See man, that’s where you got it wrong. It’s not me you should be trying to screw, it’s the hot ladies we’re gonna meet tonight. Don’t worry, we’ll get this sorted out by tonight. Dinner first?”
“Yeah, let’s hit that new barbecue place. I could use a good plate of ribs.” And a few beers to make me forget just how mad I was. “Maybe I’ll even find a date to Eva and Oliver’s engagement party tonight.”
“Let’s not go crazy, yeah?” I glared at Xander and he laughed.Sophie“What are the odds that his solo mixer produced not one request for a date?” Olive’s eyes were big and wide, disbelief written all over her face. “I mean he had top shelf champagne, gourmet canapes and a red carpet, how could not even one woman be interested? Even if just for the money?”
Eva barked out a laugh. “Right? I mean, he’s not that bad and he is loaded. Like super loaded.” Her laughter died and turned to sigh. “What are we going to do? If we piss off Magnus, he’s exactly the kind of guy to threaten to ruin us.”
“And then do it,” I pointed out with a frustrated groan.
“Then we have to cast a wider net. Maybe do some very specifically targeted marketing.” Olive’s nervousness gave me pause, and I sat up straighter.
“Are you talking about ads on those sugar daddy websites? Again?” For some reason, sweet and gentle Olive was fixated on this particular idea. “That’s basically prostitution.”
Olive growled in my direction, actually growled, as her annoyance grew. “And? What do you call marrying a woman who wouldn’t want anything to do with you if you didn’t have a seven figure bank account? Or marrying a man who has a lot of money just because he has a lot of money?”
“Marriage,” I scoffed.
“And if it isn’t a love match? If you’re not sleeping with him because you want to, but because you have to because, let’s say, children are a part of the contract? What is that, Sophie?”
“Damn,” Eva said, surprise thick in her voice. “Little Olive is all grown up and I think I like it.”
Olive’s lips twitched as she tried to keep her laughter at bay. “Thank you, Eva.” She flashed a grateful smile before turning back to me. “It’s just an ad for our matchmaking service, no for sugar daddy hookups. What’s the problem?”
I was smart enough to know when I was beat, so I sat back and eyed my friend across the conference table. “You’re right. This isn’t about what I think, it’s about the business and if you think it’ll work, let’s do it.”
“Really? That easily?” Olive blinked and shook her head, a move that would’ve been comical if it didn’t make me feel like such a tyrant. “Really?”
I blinked. “Yes, really.”
Eva smacked her hand on the table. “Now I know for sure something is going on with you.” She pointed a freshly manicured finger in my direction, eyes narrowed in accusation. “Speak up.”