Page 110 of The Billionaire Mismatch

“Nothing or everything…” he says and I pound the rest of my aged whiskey before shoving up from the barstool.

“You know what?” I growl at both of them. But they’re just smirking, and it makes it hard for me to say what I was going to say to them. Which was to respectfully fuck off. Instead, I throw some cash on the bar, enough to cover all the drinks, and grab my jacket.

“Are we leaving?” Sadie asks eagerly after tossing back her own whiskey.

“I am leaving,” I say. “You two do what you want.” Then I stop and look back at them. “Maybe take her to dinner,” I tell Matt. “She deserves it.”

With that, I head for the door.

“Listen to the podcast!” Sadie calls out, and I intend to do just that.

I get into my car and let out a heavy sigh. I’m frustrated. For one, can’t a man just enjoy a drink and hang out in his own head for a while? But also…I have that same itching feeling I did the last time Sadie told me to listen to the podcast. Only this time it feels different.

I go to the episode and set my phone down as I drive, looking down at it every once in a while. Then I finally get tired of it staring up at me, filling my car with anticipation and tension.

“Fuck it,” I say, pressing play.

And I listen. I listen as her coworkers do what they can to keep the script on track, while Olivia deviates from it, questions it, and eventually goes quiet. The tension between her and the other girl is obvious even without being able to see their faces. And it occurs to me that at some point, Olivia walks out. She walks away. And based on timing, that was right before I texted her about fettuccine.

Suddenly, I am sitting at a red light, questioning everything.

Chapter 40

Olivia

“We needto do some collateral damage,” I tell Kiersten and Henry. We are at a cafe down the street having lunch, but I am so focused on the task at hand that I have hardly touched my sandwich.

“You don’t think Kiersten’s series is doing that?” Henry asks as he takes a bite of his grain bowl.

“I’m not saying that,” I say. “The series is a hit. I’m surprised how many listeners have been loyal after the Luca fiasco. But speaking of the Luca fiasco, we need to address the elephant in the room. Because people are still probably curious about what happened.”

“Are you going to tell them?” Henry asks. “Admit that we fucked up? No offense, Livv but it sounds a little risky.”

“It would be suicide,” Kiersten says flatly.

I nod. “I know. I know. We have to be tactful. But not addressing it is just as risky. It makes us look like a drama podcast going for shock factor instead of self-help,” I say.

“Or, as I like to call it, empowerment and improvement,” Henry says, and I smile.

“Exactly.”

“So how exactly do you plan to execute this?” Kiersten asks. “Because it’s going to be nothing short of brain surgery. One wrong cut and it’s lights out.”

But I just continue to smile. Suddenly, Sadie takes a seat next to me. “Sorry I’m late. Work is insanity,” she says as she sets her sunglasses on top of her head and smiles at Henry and Kiersten, who are lost. “Did you tell them yet?”

“Tell us what?” Kiersten asks skeptically.

“I’ve thought this through. And if you trust me, I have a plan. Well. Sadie came up with it. But we think it could work,” I say.

“Wait,” Henry cuts in. “So the two of you are…”

“Good,” I say, and Sadie agrees with a grin.

“Of course we are good. And I’m also good with Livv and Luca,”

“Alrighty then,” Henry says. “Let’s hear this master plan.”

“I want to do an episode about catfish,” I say, and Kiersten and Henry both look confused.