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I can’t tell her the truth. There’s an NDA. There’s the threat that Hudson made.
It’s all very real.
I’m going to have to cram more small lies in.
“Clothes and… There’s a man.”
Her squeal of joy stabs at me for the lie. Okay, there is a man, but it’s not what she thinks. Still, I quickly pick and choose my words, keeping it vague and with just enough information to keep her satisfied for now. I hope. “He has money and he seems nice.”
Even I know that’s lame.
There are a lot of words out there to describe Hudson, but nice is definitely not one of them. A sugar cookie is nice; a sunny, warm day is nice. Hudson is an exquisite martini in a dark, decadent speakeasy.
“Go you, nabbing a rich, mysterious dude, Scarlett.” She’s on her feet and digging about in her closet. “What’s his name?”
Terror grips me, which is completely stupid. I’m a grown woman.
“What I need is a plan and a dress.”
Amber spins to face me, hands on her hips. Her eyes narrow. “Do not tell me he’s married.”
“No!” I cross my heart with my finger. “I’m not that stupid.”
Clearly, I’m some kind of stupid, but not that.
“So why—”
“It’s really new and I don’t know if this is in my head or if there’s something else, but he asked me to go to this thing and…” I drop my voice even though we’re in her bedroom, “I work with him.”
Her eyes widen. “Why didn’t you just say, ‘hey, Amber, I gots me a maybe thing with a rich, hot dude I’m working with’?”
“I thought I did.”
“No, you did not, Scarlett. You did not. Office romances are hot AF, but also frowned upon, and if he’s rich, then you’re not on the same pay level, so there’s an imbalance of power—also frowned upon and also hot as fuck. So, let me find you a dress and then we have to go shopping this weekend.”
My head is spinning. I have no idea where she got the whole office dynamic thing from, but I dismiss it. There’s too much going on and she’s right, it is hot AF. “Shopping?”
“Yes, that thing you do to buy things.”
“I shouldn’t spend money.”
I still need to help my brother, and I haven’t passed the test yet to get Hudson what he wants, and that means I haven’t been paid.
Amber rolled her eyes. “Spending money is your god given right as an American. And it’s fun. You’re going to need some outfits and there are some good places we can go that are affordable.”
“Okay. But help me tonight, first.”
“Deal.”
An hour later, I’m waiting outside the apartment building. I actually got here early enough I chatted with the doorman, and buttered him up with some cookies from the best little bakery near my subway stop.
Not only did Amber pick the dress tonight from her collection, she helped me with a plan in case something happens with Hudson. Which it won’t. But…just in case, we’ve decided to say that I had to stay with my friend out in Brooklyn due to an issue in my apartment.
He’s not going to buy that, but it’s worth a shot, and besides Sarah’s the type to pretend she has more money than she does.
The difference is she actually comes from money and I don’t.
Hudson’s car pulls up and he gets out in a dark suit that makes my mouth water. It’s not black, it’s richer than black, but I can’t say what color it is, exactly, only that it makes him sexy and dangerous and debonair.
