Page 11 of The Billionaire Babe

“Your timing is impeccable,” I whisper to Simone as I grab my bag and coat and we walk out of the Four Seasons like it is on fire.

“Yes, well, I saw the moment your father brought the old guy over and knew I had to get you out of there. Who was he?” She waves to her driver.

“He was an oil guy. Just back from Dubai. I think he might be the one,” I tell her, feeling suffocated and like I want to vomit.

“Your father sure knows how to pick them,” she growls.

“Surely, he wouldn’t try to match me to a man like that?” I ask her, almost pleading with her to tell me not to be so silly.

“From where I was watching, that is exactly what he was trying to do,” she says, as we both slip into her waiting car.

“But he is older than my father?” I shriek as soon as we are in the back seat and the doors close, giving us privacy.

“Your father has always been money hungry. You always told me that.” She looks as angry as I feel. “Let’s forget about him and old man oil baron too.” I look out the window at the passing city and try to control my breathing.

My cell vibrates in my purse, and I pull it out, my nerves running wild as I look at it. My father’s name lights up the screen, and I swallow. I go to answer, but my finger hovers over the button. Apart from this week, I have always answered him. I never ignore my father. I do everything he asks, and I do it all with a smile.

“Was that another stalker message?” Simone looks at me with concern.

With everything going on, I totally forgot about that. “No. Not at all. I haven’t had another one. I told you, that was just kids mucking around. My father is calling me, no doubt to scold me for our little stunt back there,” I tell her, and she rolls her eyes.

Deep down, I know that William Schmidt is the man my father wants me to marry. A man who will be on to his third wife, with kids my own age. A man who will cheat on me at every opportunity, a man who will expect me to be silent, not work, not have an opinion, and just open my legs whenever he feels like it. So I ignore his call and place my cell back in my bag.

I have had enough. My decision is made. I am not going to marry him. I am going to go against my father’s wishes for the first time in my life. As I think about the decision, my chest already feels lighter, my shoulders lowering, and I start to think about what my next steps should be.

“We are going out tonight,” Simone states, breaking me from my thoughts, and I lay my head on the back of the seat, looking at her.

“I don’t really feel like it tonight,” I say, feeling battered from the week already. The gossip from Society News doesn’t help.

“We are going back to Club Vine,” she says and I sit up quickly at that.

“Have you lost your mind?” I ask, looking at her like she is crazy.

“Well… the owner Jimmy called. Apologized, of course, and I thought he was kind of cute…” With a sigh, I sink into my seat.

“Ohh, he left me a very apologetic message. I haven’t had a chance to return his call yet,” I tell her, and she gives me a small smile.

“So I told him we would be there tonight…” Simone says, giving me her puppy dog eyes.

“But why do I need to go? Can’t you girls just go?” I ask. I’m not in the mood to dance or be kicked out of a club again.

“You need to let your hair down. Society News was shit, but if you go back tonight, then you are just proving their horrible gossip wrong. Jimmy has given me his word that you won’t get kicked out again. We will all be left alone, and we’ll have free drinks all night. Plus, you worked hard putting today together. I heard Abigail. You raised close to half a million dollars today and that is all because of you. Now it is time to dance the night away, look at hot men, and drink champagne.”

“I might have something else worth celebrating…”

I proceed to tell her all about my conversation with Ben Rothschild, and I need to cover my ears from her screams of delight at the prospect of me collaborating with the Rothschilds.

“That’s three things we can celebrate!” she says with an excited clap as the car pulls up to my apartment building.

“Three? What’s the other one?” I ask as we step out of her car and cross the sidewalk to my apartment complex, my doorman Victor opening the large glass door for us.

“You seeing that sexy security guy again?” When she wiggles her eyebrows, I shake my head at her. I won’t lie. I have thought about him this week. His deep scowl, his strong hands on my waist, and his tattoos.

“I think I should stay well away from him,” I murmur. “Hey, Victor.” I greet my older doorman as we walk through the doors.

“Maybe we will enact operation: Get Val Laid Tonight,” Simone says too loudly, and I hear Victor cough.

“At least we now know that even Victor thinks that is ridiculous,” I whisper to her as I grab her elbow and we walk swiftly to the elevator banks. Simone cackles a laugh so large it rolls around the entire marble foyer.

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