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“I’ve been very proud of you trying to make better choices with guys.” She took my hands in hers. I was clueless about where this conversation was going.
“Yeah, blame it on a guy whose name was popular five generations ago.” This time, the side of her lips tipped up. “Good old Herb. The man who was almost meant to be.”
“Back to what I needed to tell you.” She gently squeezed my hands. Focus, Maggie, was what she was implying. “Do you remember me talking about Lucas Shaw, Barclay’s friend?”
“Sure.” It was a conversation I’d never forget. “The epitome of a lost soul is how you put it, I believe. Sugar daddy to avoid relationships. Etcetera.”
“That’s him. He’s Barclay’s friend connected with Iron Gate too. I just didn’t tell you at the time. He didn’t want you meeting him.”
“I do have a problem with bad boys, especially those who need fixing.”
“Exactly. Remember that when I ask you this question.” I nodded.
“I’ve aged a year waiting for you to tell me.” I laughed.
“Lucas is in trouble.” She took a breath. “It’s crazy, but an ex-lover, I guess you’d call her, left him with a baby. Like, she walked away and didn’t come back. She did leave a letter saying it was his.”
“Whoa. Who would do a thing like that to a child? Or a guy—even if he’s a manwhore?”
“I don’t know much about the situation, but he needs someone to help him take care of the baby. It all happened tonight. He called Barclay and asked if he knew anyone.” Her voice dropped off as I put two and two together.
“He thought of me.” It was more of a statement than a question.
“You were the first person who came to his mind. But he also isn’t sure it’s a good idea, given Lucas’s vices. He’s a modern-day scoundrel.”
“Nothing like a crying child to give him a dose of reality. Does he have anyone else?” Truth be told, I didn’t trust myself with him either. Tess mentioned he was a drop-dead blond version of Barclay. Kind of like Herb. Which made me think about something she’d just said.
“You said he’s connected with Iron Gate—where I interviewed?”
“He’s in line to be the CEO.” Interesting. It appeared I was on the right trail.
“Give me more details about him. Like eye color. Stuff like that.”
“He has the most amazing blue eyes I’ve ever seen.” She kept talking, but I didn’t hear another word.
“Show me a picture of him.”
She picked up her phone and entered his name for a search. After a couple clicks, she showed me a photo of Lucas Shaw—aka my Herb.
Well, fuck me six ways to Sunday…and I kind of meant that literally.
14
Maggie
I was in a dilemma. A personal friendship crisis with my lifelong bestie. Should I tell Tessa the guy I’ve been crushing on hard for two weeks is staring back at me on her phone, or should I pretend I’ve never met the man of my meet-cute dreams?
She had listened to me compare every guy on the dating apps to Herb…I mean Lucas. God, this was so confusing. Though I was happy his name was something other than Herb, but that was beside the point. What was the right thing to do?
Tessa already seemed leery of me meeting Lucas. After all, she had portrayed him as the fallen king of the bad boys. Heartless and self-centered. A man who lived his life seeking his own pleasures without regard for others.
I didn’t see those characteristics in Lucas the day I met him. Sure, he had been grumpy and borderline rude at times, but not dismissive of me as a person. Just the opposite, in fact. He had been a gentleman.
Combining the version of Lucas I saw versus the one he showed to others like Barclay and his lovers, confirmed what I had deduced about him, that he was an actor in his own life, playing a part to hide and protect what was troubling him underneath—his true self.
But what if he was truly bad to the core? The scar tissue tattooed on my heart was proof I’d been wrong about others like him.
“I’m working for the Wilson’s Monday through Friday next week. How long does he need my help?” I decided to trust my gut. Lucas was a better man than what he showed the world.
However, I didn’t want to seem eager and arouse suspicions about my intent, especially after viewing his handsome face in the photo. If Tessa saw me with cartoon heart eyes for Lucas, she would squash the idea of me helping with the baby. She was a protective friend.
“Just until a DNA test is completed. How long does something like that take?” She clicked away on her phone as I watched, wondering the same thing. “Google says it can be done the same day. Cost a lot, but Lucas’s family is worth billions according to Barclay. He’s also willing to pay you a thousand dollars a day.”
