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“Priorities,” I said again.
I wasn’t going to discuss Lucy with this stranger. Being the billionaire I was, I felt so much of my life was already out in the open for everyone to see. Lucy was the most important part ofmy life, and I wanted to keep as much privacy as possible when it came to my daughter.
“Fair enough,” he said again. “Alright, then, where do we start?”
Once he’d finally taken the turn to talking about current business instead of my past, I settled in with my opinions and my paperwork. This was how I did things these days, and I was glad when he finally got the hint and started talking about himself.
By the time we’d finished with our meeting, we’d both signed on the dotted lines, and he was officially someone I’d chosen to invest money in.
“Don’t let me down, kid,” I said as I shook his hand. “There’s a lot more to life than fame, so be smart about the risks you’re taking and protect your body because it is what earns you money.”
“Yes, sir,” he said as he gave me a firm handshake in return. “I’m taking all that you said today to heart, and I’ll give a lot of thought to the direction I’m going next.”
“Make sure you call my agent once you do make that decision, and we’ll make sure everything is still in line with the contract before we proceed.”
“Absolutely,” he said again, shaking my hand eagerly once more before letting go. “Thank you again for the opportunity. Really.”
“Just make sure you’re worth my investment,” I said before the two of us parted ways. “That’s what I really care about here.”
He promised me he would; then, we went our separate ways.
I had a good feeling about Glenn. I could see him going far in his career, and I was glad to make the investment on my end to reap the benefits of it later. I knew it would be some time before I saw any return on this, but I was okay with that. I rememberedclearly what it was like to be in my early twenties and looking for someone to believe in me.
To be able to be that person to someone else really felt good, and I genuinely looked forward to seeing just how far that kid would go.
But, once the meeting was over and I was on the way to my ex’s house, my mind shifted to another kid, and I couldn’t wait to hold her in my arms.
I pushed the speed limit, taking the side streets and backroads as much as possible to get to my ex’s townhouse. I tried not to let it rub me the wrong way seeing the car I’d purchased for her out in the driveway or to think about how I was all but paying her mortgage for living here.
I’d been stupid marrying her.
At six foot one with a big ego, I had been used to getting attention from the ladies. I had an enviable tapered waist, and I took care of myself. My dark brown hair was shaved close on the sides and grown out a bit on top; while never unkempt, I did keep it styled in a flirty way.
My tanned skin tone brought out my green eyes, and the fact I always kept myself clean-shaven seemed to drive women wild as well. So, when Jordan started paying attention to me, I had, at first, simply been flattered by the attention and figured she was another one of the many admirers that come with the business of being a semi-well-known social influencer.
Then things changed. She had managed to convince me that she was someone different, and she was after something different. She acted like she wasn’t just another one of the women who threw themselves at me. She was more than that. That was what she’d convinced me of in the beginning, and that was why I had put a ring on her finger.
To her credit, she was a remarkable actress. She’d sold me on the idea she was in love with me, only to turn right around andmake unreasonable demands of me and the relationship as soon as we were engaged. I should have seen it coming. The divorce had been an ugly one despite the fact I wanted to get out of the marriage as quickly as possible.
If it wasn’t for our three-year-old daughter, I would have nothing to do with my ex after that final day in court. But Lucy was my world, and though I was the one with full custody of her, I still tried to allow her mother into her life when Jordan was being at least a little reasonable.
“Bout time you showed up,” Jordan said as she marched out of the house on Lucy’s heels. “I thought you said that meeting thing you were doing would be done by two?”
“I said it could run later,” I replied. “Aren’t you glad you had a little extra time with Lucy?”
“I’m far from glad you’ve made me late for my hair and nail appointment this afternoon,” she barked. “Then again, I never could trust you to do shit when we were married, so I don’t know why I keep thinking I can trust you for shit now.”
“I’m not here to bicker,” I said. “I’m just getting Lucy.”
“You mean you’re not going to compensate me for the extra time today?” she asked.
“You’re shitting me,” I said, staring at her. “You want me to pay you for watching your own daughter for an extra hour?”
“I had plans, and you ruined them,” she said. “Thanks to you, I had to reschedule. I want compensation.”
She glared at me, and for a moment, I wondered how I had ever been attracted to her in the first place. She was a shortie, and I liked that. But where I had once thought she had a beautiful smile, I only saw a set jaw. Her blue eyes snapped at me with disdain, and her dyed black hair was disheveled, as though she couldn’t be bothered with even pulling it into a ponytail.
Her hands were on her hips, and the length and color of her nails appeared gawdy in addition to the amount of makeup she was wearing.
