Page 33 of The Billionaire Love Match

ELEVEN

“Well if it isn’t thebillionaire bachelor himself, Mr. Casual.”

Colt gripped the phone tighter and groaned. “Not you too, Ty. I thought with you I could at least expect—”

“What? You could expect your best friend not to miss this chance to give you a hard time? No way. So how is life surrounded by women cat-fighting over you? And don’t tell me that it’s hard. You will get exactly zero sympathy from me.”

Colt chuckled, staring out at the waves from the scenic overlook where he was parked along the Pacific Coast Highway. He and Ty had grown up together and had shared everything from T-ball trophies to double dates at the prom. He didn’t need someone to tell him what he wanted to hear or someone who might lie. He needed someone he could actually trust. And when it came down to it, the only two people in his life who fit that bill were his bodyguard Mike and Ty.

“Listen. I need advice. And I might complain a little. But to make it up to you I could bring you on for one of the events or something. See how you like being surrounded by beautiful women. You could maybe meet someone if you’re still single. You are still single?”

“Dagger to the heart, Colt. Yes, you know I’m very much still single. But I wouldn’t touch any of the women on your show with a ten-foot pole. They all have eyes for you, man. And some of them, maybe fangs too.”

Colt laughed. “You are a smart man. Smarter than I was,” he said, sighing and gripping the steering wheel. This small gravel parking spot along the PCH was one he frequented, usually at the end of a long drive. Being behind the wheel had a way of helping him work through things. He wore out a new set of tires on his Mustang the year his dad died. Just drove until the grooves wore flat.

Usually he ended up here, or a spot like it overlooking the water. Something about the waves constantly in motion soothed him. He appreciated that the consistent pull of the tides, the waves beating down on the sand never stopped. No matter what, this did not change. It gave him a sense of comfort, this endless motion reminding him that he was small. Life carried on.

“So spill,” Ty said. “And start at the start. Because you only told me about this show a hot minute before it started. What the heck happened since we last talked?”

“Grace Wood.”

“I should have known. Of course she did. Let’s see—something about BeaconWood’s legacy? Am I getting warm?”

“You’re on fire,” Colt said. “Only she sweetened the pot. Offered me my own studio. To make whatever kind of films I want.”

Ty whistled. “So you made a deal with the devil.”

Colt grimaced but didn’t correct his friend. Ty was close enough to have seen Colt’s mother in action up close. Ty loved his family almost as much as he did, but that also meant he knew every wart and wrinkle. His mother’s faults, but Colt’s too.

“I already regret it,” Colt said. “I saw it as an opportunity I couldn’t pass up and just shoved all those doubts and nagging voices to the side. I thought maybe it would mean getting out from under her control finally.”

“How’s that working out for you?”

“Right now, not so good. Terrible, actually. Everything from the minimum number of women I need to kiss per date to who stays and who I send home.”

“Oh man. So now you’re her puppet, putting on a show and using other people as a means to an end.”

“Ouch,” Colt said. But it only hurt because deep down, he knew it was true. The thought filled him with a shame that wrapped around his shoulders like a moldy blanket, heavy and stinking.

“You called me for a reason,” Ty said. “I’m guessing it’s not because you wanted someone to sugar coat it.”

“Yep. And clearly you’re the right person to call when you want the full truth lobbed at your head like a grenade.”

“Look—”

“No, it’s fine. You’re completely right. And that’s my issue. I’m now in this thing. Contract and all. I don’t see any way out. I made my bed.”

“So you need what? Dating advice? Because I’m the wrong person for that.”

“You’ve got more experience than me. My last real girlfriend was my prom date.”

They both laughed. “And if I’m not mistaken, I think you might have kissed more women in the last week than you did in the past ten years.”

The two of them laughed and Colt wished they were face to face over breakfast. Or out in the surf in the morning sun, straddling their boards and catching early waves. He could see a few surfers now, just barely blips on the water from this distance. He envied their freedom.

Ty went on. “Well, if I may, since you’re still hedging around what you need, I have to ask if you’re actually connecting with anyone. One particular person comes to mind.”

Colt’s heart started an uptick in its rhythm. “That obvious?”

---