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“He… he saw me a few times in the bar and wanted to buy me a drink but got called away to work. The next time he saw me, I was walking in to meet Margaret and fill in the questions.”
“So he pretended to be an escort to sleep with you?”
“It sounds bad when you put it like that,” I admit.
“Yeah, it does, Imi. It sounds really bad.”
“I know what you’re thinking, but it wasn’t like that.”
“Are you sure? Because it sure as hell sounds a lot like he lied.”
“He did lie, but I can’t deny that I had the best night of my life. He said he didn’t want any other man touching me.”
“And you’re okay with all of that?”
“I wasn’t. I was mad. But then when he told me that, I guess I was so caught up in how amazing he was and how he treated me that night that I realized it was kinda sweet. In a fucked up kinda way.”
“Jesus, Imi. I don’t know about this guy.”
“I was on the fence a little, too. But Ari, he’s wonderful. I can’t stop thinking about him.”
She frowns. “Oh my god. Are you… are you falling for him?”
“I don’t know,” I say honestly. “We have this chemistry that I’ve never felt before with anyone. It’s electric.”
“So you spent the night with him last night, obviously?”
“Yes.”
“Is that why you’ve been floating around here on a cloud this entire week?”
I glance up at her. One thing about Ari is she is understanding. She married her ex’s dad, so it isn’t like she’s no stranger to controversy.
“Yes, I guess I have,” I admit, trying not to sound like a lovesick fool. “I was mad when he told me what he’d done. Maybe I should have made him sweat a little more, but I also saw the romantic side of it. Or maybe I’m just naive and have a warped way of looking at fucked up situations.”
“I just want you to not jump in with both feet. I know how romantic you are.”
Maybe it’s my downfall?
Ariana’s opinion matters to me, and I can see she’s worried. “I admit I am, but this is intense. It’s not just about the sex, which is beyond amazing. He really gets me. He listens when I talk and treats me so well.”
She gives me a warm smile. “I just don’t want you to get hurt, Imi. If he’s your boss now, and you’re still screwing, it makes things messy. What if things don’t work out?”
“It’s early days, we haven’t figured that out yet.”
Now probably isn’t the time to tell her what we did on the boardroom table. The man is an animal, and I’m no better.
She nods, watching me carefully. “Did you know about what happened, all those years ago?”
I nod. “I read about it online.”
“Lukas said he was devastated.” Ari sounds sad as I look up at her. “And it took him years before he’d even leave the house and go back to work.”
Oh, my.
“I can’t even imagine,” I say.
“But that was a long time ago. He has a reputation around New York; a tyrant and a playboy. He’s Manhattan’s most eligible bachelor for a reason; he can’t commit.” I know what she’s saying. It’s a warning.
