Page 3 of The Trouble with Runaway Brides

“Jeez, touchy much?” She scowls at me.

What was I thinking last night?

“Sorry, I have to go and so do you.” I make my way to my door and hold it open for her.

She searches for her purse near the front door, finds it and grabs it, then snags the phone while holding the coffee. “You know, you’re a real jerk. That article said you were the nicest of them all, but you’re the meanest. And one day, you’re gonna wake up and wish you had this body lying next to you.”

What are we, twelve?

“Hate to break it to you, but I won’t.” I release the door and it slams in her face.

“Asshole!” she shouts loudly enough to wake Mrs. Alcott next door, which will earn me a lecture the next time we meet up in the elevator.

I finish my coffee in my condo to make sure I don’t run into Lizzie downstairs, then I call for my car to meet me out front. Thankfully, by the time I climb in the back seat, she’s nowhere in sight.

By lunch, I’m starving, having skipped breakfast due to my quest to get Lizzie the Lawyer out of my apartment. Josh didn’t have to remind me that I’m meeting up with my cousin Brinley and her boyfriend, Van, who are visiting from Lake Starlight for lunch.

My driver pulls the car up to the corner of the restaurant I picked out. It’s my usual go-to place for lunch with clients—never overcrowded, friendly staff, and quick if I need it to be. Not that I don’t want to spend time with my cousin and her boyfriend, but I do have to get back to the office.

I walk in and the hostess smiles at me. “Good afternoon, Mr. Whitmore.” She takes three menus in hand. “Your table is ready. Right this way.”

I follow her to my table and sit down, thanking her.

“Lance.” The owner, Nico, approaches the table with his hand out. I shake it and he sits in the chair to my right. “Until your guests come.”

“Of course.” I slide my menu away, knowing I’m going to have my usual burger with sweet potato fries. It’s the best I’ve ever had.

“I’m glad you came in. I have something to discuss with you.”

“What’s that?”

The busboy comes over and fills my water glass, and I thank him.

“I’m looking for investors and I figure you might know people,” Nico says.

I chuckle and sip my water. He means rich people. “Is something wrong? Are you late on bills?”

He looks around, biting his cheek. “They raised the rent last year and then again six months ago. It’s been a struggle. This place hasn’t been overhauled in decades. I want to invest some money so that I can raise prices and increase profits. Ideally, though, I move to a new location. I can’t keep up with these increases, but I’d have to buy out the rest of my lease and then I’d need some money to invest in a new location. Then once things were back on track I thought about maybe opening some grab-and-gos around the city. So many people are all about the convenience these days and don’t want to take the time to dine in.”

This building is part of Asbury Enterprises. They own the land and the fancy condo unit above the restaurant, but Nico’s family has been leasing the space here for fifty years.

I went to Columbia with Will Asbury. His family owns Asbury Enterprises, big on condos and luxury hotels around the world. They’re Whitmore Hotels’ biggest competitor. Something I didn’t know until I did my summer internship under my grandfather during my freshman year. That’s when I heard the history behind the Whitmores and Asburys.

“Let me think about it and I’ll get back to you.”

I see the urgency in Nico’s stressed expression, and I wonder how long he has before he’ll have no option but to shut down. What an asshole move on the Asburys’ part because you want good restaurants on your properties.

“Thank you. I knew I could count on you.”

“I’ll make some calls today and get back to you.”

The door opens and I expect to see Brinley and Van, but my hand clenches my ice water instead. Why can’t I get away from her in a city of millions?

“Oh, I have to go.” Nico is quick to stand. “That’s the young Mr. Asbury’s fiancée,” he whispers.

I don’t bother telling him I know exactly who she is because, to me, she’ll never be my biggest rival’s fiancée. She’ll always be my first love and first heartbreak, Kenzie Gavino.

Two

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