Page 44 of Charming Deception

“Nicole…” I sigh. “You’re amazing. I’m sorry this is happening.”

“Hey.” She catches my arm and gives it a squeeze. “It’s all good. You’re welcome here. As long as you need.”

“Thank you. I really appreciate it.” It’s not ideal. As I look around, I know that. I’m not Nicole. Living like this will be stressful for me. I need a bit of my own space, to think, to write, but I can’t afford that yet. “And I’m happy to sleep on the floor. I don’t want to bother you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re sleeping right in the bed with me. It’s way more comfy, there’s room for both of us, and I won’t snuggle or snore, I promise.”

I smile because she’s trying to cheer me up.

“I know you won’t be here long anyway. You’ve always taken care of yourself. You’ll find a way. And who knows.” She shrugs. “Maybe you stay more permanently, we get bunk beds.”

I laugh a little. “You’re not serious.”

“Hey, I’m not here forever either. Only until I meet my Prince Charming and he sweeps me away from all this.” She swoons her way into the en suite bathroom, flicks on a light and rummages around. “I’m making room for you in here too!”

“Thank you!”

I find a spot on the floor to untie my suitcase and lay it open. I open my backpack, too, and start gathering my toiletries and cosmetics. The least I can do is unpack and get my things stowed out of her way. Settle in.

Commit to this.

Not just for her, but for me, too.

It cost me a lot to take the taxi here. I’m terrified by the minuscule remaining balance in my bank account. But I know this is for the best.

My first few impressions of my brother’s best friend, overall, did not bode well. Besides his overwhelming good looks, which are a whole problem of another kind… I’m not sure I like him much.

I threw myself into gardening today, optimistic. But then I found out from a couple of the other staff that Jameson had fired Romeo. I couldn’t live with that; I couldn’t take that man’s job from him. He needs it more than I do, and he definitely earned it more than I did.

“So, what happened at your brother’s?” Nicole eyes me as I bring my things into the bathroom, to put in the drawer she’s cleared out for me. She places a folded towel on the counter for me, too. “You guys weren’t bonding? Enjoying catching up? You were always so close.”

We were. When we were younger. Nicole was Cole’s age, but she was always closer to me. We were Team Girl.

“Would’ve loved to, but there was this growly homeowner in the way.” I shut the drawer and head back into the bedroom. “Because get this. Cole is living with his billionaire best friend while his new house is renovated.”

Nicole leans in the bathroom doorway. “Billionaire?”

“Yup.”

“And he’s not over fifty?”

“His name is Jameson Vance. He’s the youngest sibling of the Vance family. You can look him up.” I know I did. “You know, that Vance family? The one who owns the hockey team?”

Nicole doesn’t answer because she’s suddenly nose-down in her phone. “The hockey team, and the arena… Black Mountain ski resort…” She scrolls, reading the same list of properties owned by Vance Industries that I’d found online.

I start organizing my clothes into the dresser as she rattles them off.

“There’s an endless list of upscale bars here. Liquor companies, wineries, high-end restaurants, luxury hotels. They own, like, everything on Bayshore Drive downtown, in Coal Harbour. The whole several-block waterfront. Including the posh new resort hotel, which they’re calling the Vance Bayshore resort. And endless surrounding properties.”

“I know.”

She goes silent for a moment, then: “Holy shit. He’s beautiful.”

“I know.”

She laughs. “You sound disgusted.”

I grimace. “It’s been a crazy week. I’m not really in the headspace to admire any man’s beauty right now or, you know, think of him that way.” Bullshit. My eyes have admired him plenty.

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