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I could do what he did. I knew I could.Probably better.
But for a moment, I found myself lost in a sea of endless parties and pictures. “I have a date tomorrow,” I told him.
Michael looked up from his phone. “Did you let Lionel know? He’s on your detail this week.”
“No.” I didn’t like talking to Lionel, since it was perfectly obvious that he hated us. He didn’t know us at all, which always made it particularly frustrating. When others had disdain for me, I could practically taste it in my mouth. “And I’m not going to tell him, either. He hates me. Any advice?”
He set his phone down next to him. “About talking to Lionel? I’m sure he doesn’t hate you. Well…no, actually I’m not sure, if I’m honest. He might hate you. I’ll reassign him. I need more people to hire. People I can trust.”
“Trust to at least hide their disdain?” I lifted my eyebrow, and he grinned at me. Michael was a gorgeous man, and when he smiled, I struggled not to be enchanted by it.In his thirties and totally off limits to me, but yes, gorgeous. He never looked at me, not romantically, even if I was old enough. He probably liked Layla. She was already so much more glamorous than Hope and me, although Hope was catching up fast.
He looked up at the stars, just visible past the lights of the city. “To at least go so far as to try to hide their disdain.”
“You don’t hate us.” I knew it to be true on some bone deep level. I would’ve figured it out if he did by then. “No, I don’t need advice for talking to Lionel.”
The apartment upstairs was so noisy right then. My father yelling at the maid, Hope and Layla arguing about clothes… They would all go out soon, and then I could be alone to read. That’s really what I wanted. I didn’t have to go to a party that night. I was free. “I wanted advice about dating,” I explained.
Michael gawked at me. “Why would you think I have advice on that?”
“You’re always dating.” I shrugged, but Layla and Hope certainly didn’t date, and Justin hated everything and everyone this year. I didn’t even want to speak to him lately. My father?Forget it.He’d grunt and then he’d scream at me. I didn’t have friends, since it was too hard with my forced appearances at events and my need to have alone time to fit friendship into my schedule. “I thought you might have advice.”
He shook his head before running a hand through his thick hair. “I’m not always dating.”
I shrugged, considering him carefully. “Women are always texting you. Presumably you date them.”
I struggled to read Michael, which was unusual because I could read most people. I didn’t have the slightest idea what he thought about what I’d just said, and his expression revealed nothing, as usual. Finally, he answered me. “How do you know women text me?”
I shrugged again. “I notice everything. Hard for me not to. It’s like a blur of information sometimes. Anyway, women text you, and I noticed. Any advice?”
“You could be a spy.” He shook his head. “But then you’d probably tell everyone you were a spy, and it would all go to hell. Okay, first of all, I don’t date those women. I really don’t have time to date, if I’m honest. I spent most of my twenties in the service, or overseas, or getting my degree and my MBA.”
Yes, he did sound busy. Very busy. Of course, being impressed by Michael wasn’t something new for me. I hoped I got to go to college. I really wanted to, but I wasn’t sure if it would fit into my life yet.In another year, they’ll have to be past needing me to pose, right?
“You’re in your thirties.” I knew that much about Michael, at least. And that, although he was born in China to an American father, he came to the States when he was ten. “You could date now.”
“At the moment, I’m building something, which takes a lot of my time. I’m not sure I’m made for relationships. You’ll understand, maybe, when you’re older. I see those women but it’s not really dating.”
“Oh,” I sat up straighter. “They’re just hook ups?” That I understood.
He held out his hand to stop me like he really didn’t want to go there. “Who is this kid that you’re going on a date with? Does he go to your high school?”
The cars on the street honked, but I was so used to the background noise of New York, I hardly noticed it anymore. The wind blew, cooling my face. “He goes to NYU, a freshman.”
“What?” His voice was louder, and I peeked at him. “You’re still in high school. You have, what? Another year to go? What does this ass think he’s doing with you?”
Well, that was unexpected. I rolled my eyes. “I’m seventeen. He’s nineteen. It’s not illegal or anything.”
“No, it’s just…never mind. I was living in a tent in Afghanistan when I was nineteen, so you’ll have to excuse my perspective. It might be skewed. You wanted advice? Fine. Here’s advice: go somewhere in public, and he pays. You’re a rich girl with a lot of publicity. Guaranteed, he knows that. It doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy, just…makehimpay. Whatever you do, he pays whether he’s rich or not. That’s how you’ll know he’s not after you for the wrong reasons. I know it’s not modern, maybe, but he shouldwantto take you out and pay. That’s my opinion. At least four or five times before you start offering to split the check.”
Huh.I hadn’t thought about that at all. I considered the possibility, then pointed out, “Surely, if he wanted money or publicity, he would’ve gone after Hope or Layla. They’re much more popular than me.”
“No. He’d go after you. Trust me, Bridget. You are the one they’ll pick a million times.”
I shook my head. “Don’t you read the papers? I’m the girl next door of the group.”
“Don’t you know what that means?”
My father bounded down the stairs. “Let’s go. I need to get out of here. Now.”
