Page 2 of The Bluffing Game

We don’t say anything else because there’s an unspoken deal between us. We both know that if we get too excited about someplace being permanent, we will tempt fate. And the last thing I need is the universe to once again upset me and change my plans.

“I sure hope so.” Rosie taps her fingertips against her thigh and leans back in her seat. “I hope that Billionaires’ Valley is like fairy-tale land to us, where magic is made, and dreams come true.”

“Do dreams really come true in fairy tales though?” I ask and quickly turn down our music as the GPS commands me to slow down and prepare to exit. My heart races when I see the signs signaling that we’re near our new home.

“We’ll find out soon enough.” There’s a wistful strain to Rosie’s voice.

I want to reach out, squeeze her knee, and tell her that it’s all going to work out. But our parents have fed us enough false positives to last a lifetime, and I don’t want to promise something I don’t know is true.

“What I do know is that I want my Prince Charming to be gorgeous. I want him to be Bradley Cooper’s look-alike, with golden-blond hair and big blue eyes.” She giggles loudly. “Shoot, it can be the real Bradley Cooper, if he’s interested.”

“I don’t think he lives in Santa Capinari, hon, but I’m sure if he did, he’d be after you.”

I exit the highway and try not to be too mesmerized by the golden-orange sky as the sun sets. I power the window down, breathe in the cool evening air, and I can’t help but observe all the fancy cars surrounding us—BMWs, Mercedes, Teslas, even a few Rolls-Royces.

“We’re not in the land of the poor anymore, Rosie.”

“Do you think we made the right decision?” she asks me, and I can hear the doubt in her voice.

It was a huge risk, moving here, using almost our entire savings to put down a deposit for a studio rental and this rental car.

“I think we made the right decision.”

The GPS tells me we are five minutes away from our final destination, and I can’t wait. As I drive, I notice a cute bar called Kettle King, and I swerve into the parking lot. A few sports cars are parked there, sparkling like diamonds. All of them costing more money than I can count in a day, and the facade of the bar screams selective, rich, and fun.

“What are you doing, Sage?” Rosie peers over at me in surprise, her warm brown eyes surveying me cautiously. “We’re not moving into a place above a bar, are we?” She sounds nervous. “I like hanging out, but when I’m done for the night, I want peace and quiet.”

“No, goof. Of course we’re not moving above a bar, but I thought we’d grab a quick drink to celebrate our new move. The first official night of the rest of our lives.”

“The good life,” she sings loudly as we exit the vehicle.

A Mercedes sedan pulls in next to us, and two tall men wearing suits and dark expressions exit the vehicle. They don’t even look at us as they make their way to the entrance, and yet I’m mesmerized by the way they carry themselves … with the cool, calm, collected air that wealth affords men. Rosie and I walk slowly behind them, and I think the entire moment will pass with them not even realizing we’re there, but then the taller of the men suddenly turns, looks me right in the eyes, stares at me for a maximum of three seconds, and then heads into the bar. No smile. No word. No nothing. And yet my heart can’t stop pounding. The look was nothing to him, but to me, it felt like he was looking into my soul. I’ve never seen a man quite so handsome. So intimidating. So feral. Not that he’d make an easy mark though. I need a man to be putty in my hands. And that stranger was very unlikely to succumb to my charms.

“Come on. Let me buy you a drink.” I hurry toward the entrance, more than ready to see what the Kettle King is all about. I stop by the door, waiting for Rosie to catch up, and I’m surprised when it swings open from the inside. “Oh.” The sound is almost a whisper as I look up into the eyes of the man from the parking lot. They’re the most striking gray-blue I’ve ever seen. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I haven’t even taken you on a date,” he responds smoothly, though he doesn’t even smile.

“I don’t have to go on a date with you to be polite.”

“Though you do wish to go on a date with me?”

“Huh?” I blink in confusion as Rosie finally catches up and we head inside. “Thank you for opening the door.”

“You already thanked me.” His eyes are teasing as he glances at me and then at Rosie. “New in town?”

“Why do you ask?” I’m taken aback yet again. Who is this man?

“I’ve never seen you here before.” He lightly taps his foot in time to the music in the background. I wonder if he even realizes he’s doing it.

“You never get new people here?” I cock my head to the side and smile. “At a bar?”

“We don’t.” He shakes his head, and his lips curl a smidgen before he takes a step back. “But welcome.”

“I can’t say you sound particularly welcoming.” I shrug as I take a step farther into the bar and look around.

It’s full of a lot of men. Wealthy-looking men. There’s a woman, holding a beer in her hand, staring at us, and I can tell from her expression that she’s bemused.

“I opened the door for you. Wasn’t that welcoming enough?”