Page 24 of The Bluffing Game

I wonder what my bachelorette party will look like. Maybe if I find a real billionaire, it will be somewhere classy, like Paris or Florence. That would be cool. For a moment, I picture Dalton having a bachelor party in Paris, and us meeting up near the Eiffel Tower, with him offering me a glass of champagne.

Ugh, I really need to stop thinking about him.

“Izzy, Sage and Rosie are trying to move into their horrible apartment tonight, and I told them that we’d help them shop, clean, and get the place ready tonight,” Lucia blurts out immediately as she slides into the booth. “But I have a better idea.”

“What’s your idea?” I ask as I sit next to Rosie.

“Why don’t you both move in with Izzy and me? We have a third bedroom that we don’t use. You guys can share the room, or someone can sleep on the couch and then …” She pauses when she sees the look on my face.

I shake my head vehemently. “I appreciate the offer, Lucia. That is so sweet of you, but there is no way we can accept such an offer. We signed a lease, and I can’t afford to pay two rents.”

“We’ll help you get out of the first lease.” She grins. “I have a way with words and contracts. And you don’t even have to pay rent.” She giggles. “I mean, if you absolutely insist, it will be nominal. Plus, the room is furnished, so you wouldn’t even have to buy anything.”

“That is so generous, but I just don’t feel right accepting such an offer.”

“You’re new to town, our place is great, and like I said, I know my way around a legal document or two.”

“Is your dad an attorney?” Rosie asks.

Lucia bursts out laughing. “Not even close.” She looks over at Izzy. “What do you think?”

“Best idea ever.” She beams, and then her lips start to tremble. Her eyelashes flutter, like a thousand times, and it looks like she’s about to cry. “Sorry,” she says, grabbing a tissue and dabbing her eyes. “I’m so annoyed right now.”

“Oh, shit.” Lucia wraps her arm around Izzy’s shoulders. “Colton?”

“Yes.” Izzy sniffs and looks down at the table.

Rosie and I exchange looks. We’ve been wondering about this Colton for a while now. Ever since the incident in the diner.

“He wants us to go out to Lucky’s Valley on Friday night to barhop.” She presses her hands together. “I don’t know what to do.”

“You say no.” Lucia sounds angry. “And you tell him to go to hell.”

“But I don’t want to … he loves me.” Izzy plays with her hair, and Lucia rolls her eyes as she sits back and makes an exasperated groan.

“He loves you as much as I love picking up dog shit on a rainy day with my bare hands.”

“Lucia!” Izzy glares at her. “That’s not nice.”

“Colton’s not nice. He’s a dick. One that never fully formed either. Small-dick energy.”

“What happened?” I ask because I’m dying to know what’s going on.

“You ever have a friend who dated the worst man on earth, but didn’t seem to realize it?”

“Um, maybe. Or maybe that friend was me. I’ve dated some losers in life. That’s why I’m looking for a billionaire husband now. If he’s going to be a loser, may as well be a rich one.”

“Oh, I love it.” Lucia laughs. “I want to hear more about that, but I need you both to help me convince Izzy to dump that cheating jackass.”

“He’s not cheating,” Izzy protests, but she says it half-heartedly. “He’s a man with needs, and we’re not legally wed, so he’s just fulfilling those needs right now.”

“Huh?” Rosie looks confused as she leans forward. “Can one of you explain?”

“Izzy here is a virgin,” Lucia exclaims. “Which is good for her. She’s saving herself for the right man and marriage.”

“I mean, I’m just waiting for it to be with the man who will be my husband,” Izzy says slowly. “I want it to be special.”

“Uh-huh.” Lucia nods. “She’s been dating Colton, the small dickhead, for six months, and because she won’t have sex with him, he asked if they could open up the relationship so he could have his needs filled.”