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He had done it to my other boyfriends.
“What’re you chuckling about?” Linley’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
I jerked my head up from where it was resting on the desk. “Oh hey, you lookhot.” I wiggled my eyebrows at her sweatpants and oversized shirt. “Working from home looks good on you.”
“Oh my god, shut up.” She laughed, handing me my pecan cranberry salad from Rob’s Diner just down the street. Her blonde hair was pulled up in a loose bun on top of her head in the most adorable way, and her no-makeup look just emphasized her natural beauty.
My best friend was a stunner.
“I mean it, Lin,” I said in my best serious tone. “Thanks for lunch.”
“Anything for you.” She kicked back, propping her Converse up on my desk. “So seriously, what’s with the weird head-on-the-desk laughter thing you were doing when I walked in? Is there a manic episode in the works or is it the funny cat meme I sent?”
I shook my head, hesitating. Should I tell her about the deal with Levi? Or would it be best to keep it on the down-low before having the details of whohewas telling?
Nah.
“You’ll never believe what Levi wants me to do.”
She forked a bit of her own salad in her mouth, curiosity filling her face. “And what’s that? I can’t think ofanything.”
“He wants me to be his date to Rachel Lewis’s wedding.”
She nearly choked on her mouthful of kale and spinach. “No way—like for real?”
“Of course not,” I laughed. “He wants me to do it as like a business deal.”
“And why the fuck would he do that?” Her tone was already growing defensive. “What is he scheming up now? Because you don’t have to do this.”
God, I love my best friend.
“He wants to buy some business from her dad, and has to prove that he’s matured or some shit like that. He thinks that if he takes a girlfriend who has her life together, he can convince him.”
“And why you?” Her eyes narrowed.
I shrugged. “You’ve seen the kind of girls he surrounds himself with.”
“Aspiring models, influencers, and actresses.”
“Exactly, and so to make it worth my time, I negotiated that I would get a percentage of the business that he buys.” I sat up a little straighter, proud of my business dealings.
“Dayumgirl, look at you. You’re a freaking boss. But how do you know he’ll come through on the deal? Weknowhow Levi is. He can be a real douche.”
“He has to sign a contract, and you betterbelieveI’m going to cover my bases. Also, Levi can be a real jerk, but he’s not like that. He’s always been loyal—think about everything he’s done for Josh. I don’t think he’ll bail on me.”
She was quiet for a few moments, but then nodded. “That’s true. And he wouldn’t risk messing up his friendship with your brother over it. Josh is like his only close friend.”
“Yeah, because my brother has the patience of a saint,” I snorted, grabbing for my water bottle on my desk. “But anyway, let’s talk about rules I should put in the contract. I don’t wantanygray areas.”
LEVI
“Abso-fucking-lutelynot,” Josh roared, throwing his hands in the air. “You’re not jetting off with my sister thousands of miles away to yourex’swedding!” He was pacing around my master bedroom, his chucks squeaking on the freshly polished dark oak floors.
“Dude, relax,” I said, shoving more of my clothes into my suitcase and shaking my head. I turned to look at him. “It’s really not what you think it is. Let me explain before you give yourself a heart attack.”
Don’t get me wrong, I knew that telling my best friend was going to be a shitshow, butthiswas a little overdramatic—even for him.
“Have you slept with her?” he demanded, slamming his hand down on my suitcase, stopping me from continuing to fill it. He wasseething, his light complexion burning crimson as his icy blue eyes bore into mine. “Because I will literallymurderyou if that’s what happened.”
