Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 57188 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57188 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
“I wouldn’t,” Lucy insisted. “Bros before hoes, except for Dante,” she said and smiled lovingly at her husband. “He’s my number one hoe so I’d tell him. But no one else.”
Dante grunted a reluctant acceptance of Lucy’s words which made us both laugh uncontrollably.
“Yeah well, I’ll make a new plan and I’ll call you when I’m there to let you know I’m safe. Just so you’re not tempted to play matchmaker.”
“I don’t need to play matchmaker. If there was nothing between you then you’d stay.”
“There’s a baby,” I growled. “That’s enough of a reason to get the hell out of dodge before he accuses me of sleeping around or something worse.” I shook my head, sighing with frustration. “Thanks for listening, both of you. But I haven’t made any decisions.” It was a lie, but a necessary one. I didn’t want Lucy to feel like she was in the middle so I flashed my patented haughty smile as I pushed away from her kitchen table. “I’ll figure it out.”
Lucy wouldn’t let me leave without a long hug that nearly brought tears to my eyes and I pretended to be unaffected as I hugged her back, waiting until I was in my car and driving back to Brady’s mansion before I let the tears fall.
Chapter 29
Brady
“We’re on track to launch in sixty days which means we need to kick marketing and promotions into high gear.” The game was officially finished and in the testing phase to make sure there were no bugs or plot holes in the game.
“We have a schedule laid out already, which you should have in your inbox.” Sierra spoke with confidence as she 0utlined the plan that had been approved for months. “Everything is on track. Don’t worry, boss.”
I let out a huff of laughter that I didn’t feel. “I always worry,” I told her. “But I trust you to do the right thing.” Strange that I trusted Sierra implicitly when I hadn’t been able to show Toni the same.
“You heard it here first, folks,” Sierra joked. “I’ll keep you updated, I promise.”
I nodded at the computer monitor where the team leads all stared back at me. “I know.” The phone screen on my desk lit up and then vibrated across the hard cherry wood. “I need to take this,” I told them and ended the video call all at once. “This is Brady.”
“Mr. Winsome, this is Serenity Woods, from-,”
“I know who you are, Miss Woods. How can I help you?”
She sighed and the hair on my arms and the back of my neck stood on edge. “I’m sorry to have to deliver this news but Toni has given her notice to quit her current position. It doesn’t have often but it does happen and I promise you I will have a replacement immediately.”
“No,” I barked angrily and instinctively. “That is unacceptable.”
“I agree but she’s quitting the agency and she plans to move out of state. There’s nothing we can do to change that fact, I’m afraid.”
She was leaving. Instead of facing me head on, she wanted to get as far away from me as possible. “This is entirely unacceptable, Miss Woods.” But it was more than that. “We have a twelve month commitment and it is still in effect. If Ms. Stafford leaves, I’ll sue you both.”
Serenity huffed out a shocked breath. “I’m not worried about me,” she growled. “I’ve dealt with men like you most of my life. But I will speak to Toni and get back with you.” She ended the call without another word and I smiled to myself, knowing Toni would hate me for it but I knew she would come around.
She had to.
I paced the length of my office, wondering what I could do to get Toni to change her mind. She’d ignored me for weeks, which was as clear a sign as any that she wanted nothing to do with me, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was an emotional reaction, that she wouldn’t leave if she didn’t feel something for me too.
When the phone rang and vibrated on my desk, it startled me out of my thoughts. “Yeah,” I answered right away because I knew it would be Serenity.
She sighed on the other end of the line and worry buried in my gut. “I’ve spoken to Toni and she’s willing to pay out the contract. She even offered to pay my legal expenses if it comes to that.”
“What?” Now I was really worried. Toni had mentioned that she came from money but I had no idea it was that kind of money. “Can she do that?”
“She wouldn’t have offered if she couldn’t,” Serenity said in a clipped tone.
“Why?” The question revealed more about me that I wanted Serenity to know.
“I don’t know,” Serenity said, her voice filled with sympathy. “But I’m sure we can both guess.”