Page 62 of Forking the Billionaire

“You’d be spectacular,” Gabriel said.

“I hadn’t considered it, but I don’t know. Could be fun,” Layana said. “Are you volunteering to be my next subject?”

I shook my head. “There’s not much to share. Oscar, on the other hand?—”

“Not much to share?” Gabriel leaned forward and knitted his brows together. “Plenty of people would be interested to read about the greatest home restorer in Epiphany.”

“Don’t forget eligible billionaire,” Layana said.

“WhileIfind restoration titillating, I don’t think it would be nearly as entertaining for others to read about.”

“People love that stuff,” Layana said. “There are tons of shows about it. Magazines. And as I said,eligible billionaire.Women would buy it just to find out how to win a chance with you.”

I shrugged. “If you’re still interested when you’re ready to write, I’d be happy to talk out details.”

I still couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to read a book about me, though. An unpleasant thought occurred to me then.

I asked, “What about jilted exes?”

“Do you have jilted exes?” Layana asked.

“Every woman I’ve seen you with seems perfectly happy,” Gabriel said.

“I keep them happy, sure, then I move on. Not everyone likes that, even when I make the terms clear up front,” I said. “I wouldn’t say I have jilted exes exactly, but given the opportunity, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone would step forward anyway and pretend our relationship was more serious than it was.”

There were more than a few women who may describe me as a womanizer, just like Esme had. I had never thought of myself that way. I always made my intentions clear. But her voice repeated in my head now, proving that I had no control as to how I was perceived.

“Sure, there are always going to be haters and grifters trying to make a buck off of anyone in the spotlight,” Layana said. “But you aren’t actually cheating or dumping people in nasty ways, right?”

“Never.”

“Then you’re probably good.” She flipped her braid over her shoulder. “No secret babies, either?”

I choked on my drink.

“If they were a secret, he wouldn’t know,” Gabriel said.

“Ialwaysuse protection,” I said. Even that one night when I’d fallen so hard and so fast for a complete stranger that I’d almost started believing in fairy tales, we’d used a condom.

I’d dreamed about my mystery woman in the months since, but the more time that passed, the less that night felt real.

“Best not to be surprised with an itch or discharge or two-year-old popping up out of the blue who looks just like you,” Layana said.

That was one way of putting it.

“No secret babies,” I said, my voice rough.

“Great,” Layana said.

I turned the conversation to Gabriel and the new business deal he’d secured. If there was a surefire way to take the attention off of me, it was to get Gabriel talking about his bioengineered eukaryotic organisms.

I didn’t understand half the words that came out of his mouth when he got on a roll about his work, but I admired his enthusiasm and his commitment to making the world a better place.

We chatted about families after that—my brothers, Layana’s parents who couldn’t make the trip, how Gabriel’s uncle and driver was hoping to make more ridiculous upgrades to the SUV he rarely drove Gabriel around in. We discussed the plan to video chat with both Layana’s parents and Gabriel’s oma during the service so they could watch. We chatted about nothing, which might have been my favorite part.

Then, eventually, we went to dinner.

And Esme wasn’t there.

---