Page 77 of Due Diligence

“Pause,” she advised.

I gritted my teeth as I watched Cass head over to the bar and disappear into the crowd. When I turned my attention back to Erin, she was staring at me with both of her eyebrows sky high.

“Well?”

“What?”

“You’re so stupid,” she muttered, shaking her head. As usual, she didn’t mince words with me—and I sure as hell needed the truth. “You didn’t tell me she was into you.”

“Is she?”

“Of course she is.” Erin’s eyes were so wide I could see the outlines of her contact lenses reflected in the string lanterns hanging over us. “Are you that dense? That’s not just a woman who likes sleeping with you. That’s a woman who wants you and wants to fight off anyone who gets too close to you.”

I sighed. “That’s not what she said. She’s been trying to put some space between us.”

“So?”

“And…I mean, look at her. She’s so hot I kind of suspect her parents made a deal with the devil.”

“I refuse to listen to your insecurities.” Erin took a drink. “You’re so frustrating sometimes.”

“Me?” I demanded. “What about her? She told me she didn’t want to be with me, so of course I just went on with my business. I told her I would respect her boundaries.”

Erin was visibly frustrated with me at this point.

“Oh, Marcus. You sweet boy,” she said. “Sometimes, people say things that don’t reflect what they mean. And that woman over there, that woman with a body that, honestly,Iwould fight you to get my hands on, wants you.”

“Fucccckkk,” I droned, feeling clarity wash over me like an ice bath. I downed the last of my drink. “Shit—Erin, was that my second drink?”

Erin’s eyes traveled down to my empty glass and then back up. A grim expression passed over her face. “Yeah, unfortunately. Does that mean you’re tapped out for the night?”

Another fucking L for me. “Damn it. I was supposed to nurse that.”

“Tough break, kid,” she said. She glanced at her phone. “Well, what’s your plan? Do you want to hang out here, or do you want to head out?”

I shook my head. “I’m done here. This night is a bust. It’s not your fault, obviously. You did everything right.”

“I know.” She grinned, her expression sisterly again. “And no rush paying me. I know that’s weird.”

Without a word, I opened the banking app on my phone, typed a few verifications, and within a few seconds Erin’s phone lit up.

“Gotta love online banking,” she said. “Thanks. This is going to cover rent, food—all that good stuff—for at least two months.”

I returned my phone to the inside pocket of my jacket. “Just doing my part to keep young people out of debt,” I responded. “I’ll call you a car. Give me a second.”

A few minutes later, Erin kissed my cheek and headed out, promising to set up drinks with me in the next few weeks.

Once she was gone, I took stock of my evening. It had been a shit storm of epic proportions.

As usual.

Erin was probably right. I was stupid, dense, and probably insecure. I could handle that. Nobody was perfect.

But despite my flaws, I was persistent—un-fucking-daunted in the face of setbacks. I had to be; I built a half-billion-dollar company with my own two hands.

I resolved to find Cass. My eyes immediately went to Alex, who was sitting at a table surrounded by a troupe of beautiful women as a waitress brought over a bottle of champagne with sparklers shooting out of the top. To my relief, I didn’t see Cass in the mix.

I took my empty glass and did a quick lap around the rooftop. Finally, I spotted her standing alone by the railing. Her long hair blew softly in the breeze and she was focused outward, in the opposite direction of the party behind her. Briefly, I wondered what she was thinking about. Some days, I would do anything to know.

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