Page 13 of The Cinderella Arrangement

A huge grin spread across my face. “I think I’m in love!”

She grinned. “Seriously, what was he like?”

“He’s young and gorgeous. And nice and—” I shivered at the mere memory of him. “I don’t know what he’s like, but he is hot. He looks like Ian Somerhalder!”

Her eyebrows were somewhere in her hair. “Wow. Well, what does he want from you?”

“I don’t know yet. I can pay you back now, at least. And I can get my car.” I slid my feet out of the heels and bounced across the room, brimming with happiness.

“I’ve never seen you like this.” Natalie’s voice was flat. “Am I dreaming?”

I shrugged and backed into my room, laughing at her stunned face. “I’m going to bed. Night!”

I set my purse on the bed and set the two thousand dollar check on my nightstand, feeling myself deflate once again. Don’t get attached to him. He might become my boss, but he’d never be my boyfriend.

Still, it was nice to dream.

4

The following morning, I headed straight for the bank to deposit my check, and then took a bus to the repair shop where my car was. Looking Randy straight in the eye as he swiped my credit card, I breathed a sigh of relief as the charge went through.

After driving home and paying Natalie the two months’ rent I owed, my bank account contained a paltry $432.50. Luke’s money helped tremendously, but I still needed more—and fast. I couldn’t muster the energy to send out another few dozen applications to jobs.

My stomach roared with hunger as I stood in the kitchen. Debating whether to buy food at the grocery store, I dug through my cupboard and found a battered packet of ramen.

Score.

I inhaled the tantalizing smell of the dry noodles and the spice packet as I ripped open the plastic, poured the noodles into a water-filled bowl, shoved it in the microwave, and then blasted it.

Top Ramen fueled my childhood. There were many school lunches where I would rip open the plastic, dump the spice onto the dry noodles, clench the package in my fist to break them into tiny rings, and then shake it to distribute the seasoning. My fingers coated with MSG dust, I ate the whole bag of uncooked noodles.

At least microwaving was a step above eating it raw.

Maneuvering the piping hot bowl to the kitchen table, I gulped down my pitiful supper.

The front door opened. “Hey,” Natalie called out.

Feeling that twist of anxiety that took up residency inside my stomach, l looked up. “Hi. I have a check for you on the table.”

She put her messenger bag down with a weary shrug of her shoulders and hung her coat inside the closet. “What do you mean?”

“I mean the billionaire paid me two grand last night just for showing up. So I can pay you back.” I slid the check closer to her.

I need to stop calling him ‘the billionaire.’

A slight frown on her lips, she took the check in her hands and peered at it. Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Jess, I still don’t think this is a good idea.”

I knew this was coming the moment she walked inside, and her steely lookshowed she meant business.

“I don’t even know what he wants from me yet. If he sets up another meeting, I’ll find out.”

“I’m worried about you getting hurt. Last night you were talking about him as if he was your date.”

My fork stabbed at the ramen in my bowl. “I know.He’s just not what I expected at all.”

No, he wasn’t. My cheeks still burned as I thought about his soft kiss goodbye. He could still be an asshole. I didn’t know him at all, but it was hard not to be intrigued by a man planted so firmly in the spotlight.

“Do you know his name?”

---