Beauty and the Billionaire

Alice's expression turned sharp. "Now you're just lying to yourself, Penn. You need to think about the actual truth of your relationship."

"I should go," Corsica said.

"You're leaving?" I stepped forward to catch her hands, but she flinched away.

Then Corsica stepped towards me with a wave of fury that bowled me back on my heels. "I'm not leaving the ball, if that's what you think. I've been alone long enough; I don't have any problem being on my own."

She swept away in her midnight blue dress, looking regal. The tears were gone and Corsica's expression was set in a pleasant, aloof smile that had more than one head turning.

"I hate for her to be so lonely," Xavier said, "but, damn, she looks better off alone."

"Well, let's see how our son does on his own. Something tells me he won't pull it off," Alice said.

My parents drifted away into pleasant conversations. I heard crystal glasses tinkling as their engagement was celebrated.

I didn't know what my mother meant by me being alone because I couldn't go more than three feet without someone stopping me to chat.

"You know, my entire company changed once we hit the Forbes list," an older gentleman said without preamble. I recognized him, but in a vague way connected with my father. "Have you thought about how to preserve what got you there in the first place?"

"Avoiding events like this," I said.

I stepped around him and followed Corsica as she meandered through the dining hall. She was stopped here and there for introductions, and her smiling conversations were always effortless. People were seeking out her connections, and my parents happily nodded and waved when she pointed to them as her friends.

Corsica was at ease in the pretentious company, in a way that I started to envy. It occurred to me more than once as I stalked around the edges of the social event that she was much better suited to my millions than I was.

I stuck myself in a doorway where I could see her, but easily escape any conversation that came my way. Watching Corsica charm entire swathes of the room gave way to a wild fantasy. What if I just gave her all my money? I could disappear back into the wilderness and keep growing my company off the grid, just the way I liked it. She would probably create some amazing charity or scholarship and change the lives of countless kids with pasts like hers. Corsica could probably take my money and find a cure for cancer.

I kept reminding myself that the point of my daydream was that I was better off alone. I loved being alone. It didn't matter that twice that evening I overheard people talking about me as a confirmed bachelor or an eccentric solitary.

I tried to focus on the next trip I would take and how all of this pretentiousness and show would drop away as soon as I was outside.

That's why I loved camping. All the weight of other people's expectations

, jealousies, and influences just fell away when I was out in the wilderness. Except for Corsica.

I'd practically fallen off a sheer cliff face because all I could think about was her. I hated to think what would happen on my next trip out. I would probably stumble off the trail and die from some horribly amateur accident, like a broken ankle.

"You should smile before people think you've gone feral." Alicia sidled up to me and slipped her hand through the crook of my elbow.

I refused to smile and tried to shake her off, but it didn't matter.

"What a lovely couple."

"Oh, what a dream wedding that would be." The older women sighed happily as they nodded to us and walked by.

"Alicia," a man's voice boomed behind us. "I was hoping you'd introduce me to your gentleman."

I couldn't escape. Alicia made the introductions, despite my curt nod. I had lost sight of Corsica, and it made my chest tighten. Still, I was trapped by Alicia and her upper echelon heiress status. I could practically see dollar signs in everyone's eyes as they smiled at us.

"So, you've finally met the one that can save you from bachelorhood, eh, Penn?" the man asked.

"What? Who?"

"Alicia, of course. She's your perfect match. No worries about uneven financials."

"Donald is my family's accountant," Alicia reminded me again.

I shook her arm off mine. "What do bank accounts have to do with being a good couple?"