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“That’s not the point of this story, Hayden.”
“Then tell a better one.”
“I think he’s the one,” I said. “Like, I think it’s fate that I ran into him—literally, after all this time and things never worked out with the other woman he was seeing. I think this is the guy I’ve always belonged with.”
“You could’ve summed that up in five seconds.”
“I thought you’d appreciate the extended cut.” I laughed and pulled out the napkin that Simon gave me at the airport. “He wrote his number on this since my phone was dead and he left his elsewhere. Romantic, right?”
“That’s not exactly the term I was thinking.”
“Just promise that you’re going to give me advice on getting him this time,” I said.
“I might give you advice.” His lips curved into a smirk. “Are you going to take it?”
“I always do.”
“No, you only take the parts that you like.” He tapped his chin. “That aside, what do I get out of helping you with this?”
“What?”
“You heard me.” He smiled. “What’s my incentive to help you land this guy?”
“You get the honor of knowing that you’re a good best friend.”
“I’m a great best friend,” he said. “I want something tangible. A real payment that I can collect.”
“You bought a thirty-million-dollar condo last month.” I scoffed. “You don’t need any more money, and I’m not giving you a dime of mine.”
“I wasn’t thinking money, per se.”
“No, I won’t replace your assistant Sarah at Cinder.”
“I would never hire you to work under me.” He laughed. “I just want your help with some letters I’m being forced to write. Well, unless Lawrence changes his mind.”
“I’m not changing my mind about shit, Hayden!” He called out from above, and we both laughed.
“What’s the catch?” I asked.
“There isn’t one.”
“Then how many letters are there?”
“Just a few.” He extended his hand like this was a business deal. “Deal?”
“Deal,” I said, shaking on it. “What’s my first step with Simon?”
“Nothing,” he said. “Wait for him to call you.”
“Did you miss the part where I said that he told me to call him?” I shook the napkin. “The part where I have his phone number and he doesn’t have mine?
“I heard you.” He eyed my dress. “But since he saw you wearing that, he’ll find a way to call you. Trust me.”
I stared at him, waiting for him to elaborate more—to show how his point made any sense, but no words fell from his lips.
“Just to be sure that you won’t do anything stupid tonight ...” He grabbed the napkin from my hand and tore it to pieces. Then he tossed the shreds onto the ground. “You’re welcome.”
“You think he’s going to find me by magic?”
“If he’s really into you, he’ll find a way.”
I stared at the shreds, tempted to pick them up and piece them together for insurance.
As if he could read my mind, he picked up a few of them and tossed them into the fire pit.
“He’ll call you, Penelope,” he said. “I’ll give it a week at best.”
“Fine.” I crossed my arms. “That’s when I’ll start helping you with your apology letters, then. Doesn’t make sense to hold up my end of the deal if yours falls through.”
“I don’t have a problem with that.” He smiled. “Is that when you’re going to tell me what you thought of my pictures?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You haven’t looked at my dick?”
Do not answer that. It’s a trap.
“I need to get home, so I’ll see you later.” I rushed back inside, then past the photogs, feeling my cheeks heat with every step.
Best friend or not, I wasn’t even sure where to begin with that discussion, and I didn’t want my mind to wander there ever again.
Five
Present Day
Penelope
Three days passed without a single call or a text from Simon.
I even started a brand-new Gmail account—[email protected], but the only thing that inbox received was a fresh dose of spam.
Five (B)
Present Day
Penelope
Day four came with nothing new.
Then day five.
Simon never called, and I was tempted to return to that fire pit and summon his number to life from the ashes.
Six
Present Day
Hayden
What the hell was Hayden Hunter thinking?” “Are any of the rumors true?” “Leaking dirty pictures in the middle of a PR crisis is not how to run a business!”
Loud voices blared from the television in my living room, cutting through the soft streams of my shower.
I cursed myself for not unplugging it from the wall the night before.
My pictures were still the talk of the gossip world, but they’d done little to quell any of my other issues in the business realm. Those were somehow getting worse.
Now, on top of being a “ruthless liar” and a “reckless playboy with Daddy issues,” I was now a thief. A “thief with a big dick [we’d] love to fuck” according to Cosmo.
Groaning, I stepped outside my shower and wrapped a towel around my waist before walking down the hall.
