Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 97921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Gio would have been perfect. I snort at the thought. You’re not ready for that life.
Apparently.
I have limits and it’s been so hard to find someone for me. Online dating hasn’t been so great. I make six figures, not counting the money I earn from my gaming channels and well, my extra business activities. You would think my financial independence was a plague to some. Others are deterred by my father’s military background, although he made his fortune in tech and is a bit on the nerdy side.
“Lizzy, that email,” Michelle huffs, losing her patience with me. That’s a first. Clearly, I’m really out of it.
“Sorry.” I find the dates and send her a quick email.
I take a breath and pull my shit together. I turn my focus back to the invites and requests for Dante’s appearance, getting a document together with a list of events and dates to present to him to see what he will attend and which I’ll have to send excuses for.
“Good morning,” Gio croons as he walks through the main office heading for his door with Jace at his side. He turns to me with a smile on his face.
“You, bring all that into my office. We can go through them together.”
I collect the basket with all the paper invites and grab my tablet with the emails and the scheduling system. Dante’s usually booked solid this time of year.
Jace holds the door open for me as I scurry inside. Gio removes his suit jacket. The man looks as if he never misses a day at the gym. His hair is neatly blown away from his face showcasing his handsome features.
As I settle in, Jace takes a seat on the couch across the office in Gio’s seating area. Silent as always. I can probably count on one hand how many times I’ve heard the man speak.
Gio comes around his desk to help with the paper invites. He will sometimes help out with the schedule as he handles blending Dante’s life. He acts as Dante’s executive assistant, but I know he’s more to his brother and the company than that.
He frowns as he skims the invites. “No, to this. We’re not going to waste his time with this. Hell no to this one. Honestly, why do they still bother with sending an invite every year? He never goes.”
I snicker. “Some people like to hold on to hope.”
“Well, at this point, they’ll die holding their breath.”
We both laugh. I look over a beautiful invite to a charity ball. “Does she know how lucky she is?” I murmur to myself as I note all the plus-one invitations I need to add to the list.
“Who’s that?”
“Bethany.”
Gio rolls his eyes and scowls darkly.
I bite my lip, not wanting to say what I’m thinking. However, he has become my best friend, if I can’t say what I’m thinking to him, who can I?
“Dante sets the world at that woman’s feet. All I want is someone to have a decent conversation with. I have no dreams of marriage or a family at this point. A nice boyfriend who can hold a conversation with me would be everything. Throw in some travel and I’m all over it,” I blurt out.
“You turned down an offer of a lifetime. I treat my dolls like gold,” he says and gives me a sultry look, then shrugs. “You will find the right one. Heck, would it really be illegal for me to push that bitch off a cliff? You would be so much better to my brother than she is. Fuck it, I’ll put a bullet in her head and solve everyone’s problems. He’ll be all yours.”
I lift a brow. He gives me a sheepish grin that belies the man I know so well. I laugh. “All of that is wishful thinking. I’d never have a shot with Dante. Every awkward bone in my body would ruin it.”
What is it my Aunt Denise used to say?
I wish, therefore I am.
I used to think those were magical words when I was younger. Then I had my heart broken—again and again and again. Wishing has never changed a thing about me. Wishing gets you nowhere.
“Is it?” he questions.
“Give me a book, I’ll take the guaranteed happy ending anytime. At least then, I know what’s coming for me.”
Gio only grunts.
My cell phone rings in my sweater pocket. I rush to check it. It could be my older sister. She travels a lot. I hate to miss her calls because I never know when the next call will be.
I haven’t seen my sister face to face in so long. We FaceTime and talk all the time over the phone and when she joins me on my Twitch channel, but it’s not the same. I miss sitting with my sister as she brushes my hair and talks to me in her soothing voice.