Page 26 of Mid-Thirties Slightly Hot Mess Female Seeking Billionaire

"I’ll write it." I grab my phone. "But just because it’s fun, not because I would ever actually put such an ad out. Oh wait, hold on. I have a message here from Dave."

"Dave you work with?"

"Yeah. Let me see what he’s saying." I read it quickly. "Oh, I guess the HR department just announced a company-wide intranet for suggestions to other departments. Boring," I say and close out of the app and rest my phone back on the table. "Okay, so what should I say? What do I start with?"

"Put the title at the top," Isabel suggests and grabs my phone. She starts to type, and I sip some more of my drink. "Mid-thirties, slightly hot mess female seeking billionaire," she says as she types. I take another sip of my drink and laugh. I love goofing off with my friends.

I know I’m being silly, and I know I’ll never actually post a personal ad in the newspaper, but sometimes it’s just fun to mess around and act stupid. That’s what my friends and I love to do, and it’s certainly better than me worrying and thinking about Ethan Rosser and how I’m going to impress him at work. It’s definitely much more fun than thinking about how much money I’m going to have to spend to completely change my image so I can look like a bombshell. I have to remind myself that I’m not doing this for Ethan and that I’m doing it for myself.

Though I know, if I’m being completely honest, I am doing it for Ethan because of the way he makes me feel when I’m around him. He makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. And he makes me laugh. More than any man has ever done before in my life. Though, I’m not going to question it. I know he would never date me. And I don’t care, but it would be nice if we could somehow wind up as friends. It would be nice if he trusted me. It would be nice to spend more time with him, and I’m not going to question why I feel happy every time I’m around him. It is not lust. And it is not love. It’s something in-between, and I’m not going to dwell on what it means.

10

Ethan

"Hey, Ethan. Have you seen the new intranet board recently?" Jackson’s voice sounds like he’s bemused as I answer the phone in the early hour of the morning.

"No. Why would I be looking at that? I’m doing actual work, not wasting my time online." I huff as I stare at the stack of papers on my desk. I have a million things to do, and I haven’t been able to concentrate on any of them because of a certain young lady in copywriting.

"Well, turns out one of your favorite employees has put a…"

"Who’s one of my favorite employees?" I cut him off.

"You know."

"Are you talking about Edith?" I ask. "What has she done now?"

"Not Edith, your other favorite female at the company."

"I have no idea who you’re talking about," I say, though my mind does flash to Sarah. But that’s ridiculous because I don’t even know her well. There’s no way that she’s a favorite employee of mine. I don’t even know what her work ethic is like. I don’t know if she’s talented. I don’t know anything. I know I like her, but there’s no actual basis for my like.

"You know, that girl in copywriting."

"Sarah is not one of my favorite employees," I blurt out and instantly regret it.

"Oh, so you do remember her name." He chuckles.

"What is going on, Jackson?"

"I think you need to pull up the intranet."

"Why?"

"Because Sarah has posted something."

"She has?" I’m befuddled now. Didn’t that just go up yesterday afternoon? What is she posting? I want to look but don’t want to feel like I need to look. "What has she posted about?"

"I think you’re going to want to read this for yourself," Jackson says, chuckling. "Or I can read it to you."

"I do not have time to play games right now, Jackson. I have work to do, and I’m pretty sure you have work to do, as well."

"Unlike you, Mr. Rosser, I know when to leave my work at home. Life is all about balance. You work as hard as you can, and then you play as hard as you can."

"Well, it doesn’t sound like you’re playing hard to me, right now, seeing as we’re on the phone."

"I’ll have you know that I just finished a date with a very beautiful supermodel who I’m not going to name."

"They’re all very beautiful supermodels, Jackson."

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