Page 51 of Billion Dollar Dispute

I glance at him, then drop my eyes to the floor as I twist the hem of my sleeve as I let him into my past.

“We met at work. He was my boss. I was young and made some dumb decisions.”

“Why do you say that?”

I uncross my arms. “My parents warned me he was bad news, but I didn’t listen.”

“We all need to learn things on our own. Mistakes make you human.”

I exhale, glad he’s not pushing for more.

Leaning forward, I ask, “Tell me something about you. Something you wouldn’t normally tell anyone.”

“I want the consultation firm to prove to myself that I’m not just another young, rich member of the Lincoln family. That I’m successful on my own.”

“But you said you still need your trust fund, which is from your family,” I ask, trying to understand.

He sits back. “Ouch, no need to rub it in.”

“Sorry. I didn’t think before I said that.”

“No, I like that you don’t bend and that you challenge me,” he says in a hushed tone.

A lump forms in my throat, but I swallow it down and ignore it. “You are successful. And you’re not at all like I thought you’d be.”

His eyebrow lifts. “Which was?”

“Do you really want to know?” I ask.

He eats a piece of chicken and some noodles. “I told you; I appreciate your honesty.”

“Young, mean, selfish, and an asshole. Though I’m still debating the ‘asshole’ part.” I laugh, and when he joins in, mine turns into a full belly laugh. For a second, I forget everything, the tension, my worries, the walls I’ve built around myself. It feels good to let go for a minute. I haven’t laughed in a long time. I haven’t spent time with a cute guy in even longer. This feels scary and way too easy.

He’s a charming fucking trap. Too good to be true…They all are.

He swallows, as if he’s struggling with something. So when he speaks, it’s coming from a vulnerable place. “I think I come across that way because I want to be taken seriously. Being called the ‘cute, rich young, Lincoln,’ never made me feel worthy.”

“So now you work hard.”

He continues eating the noodles, which smell amazing.

“Make a name for myself that's separate from my parents.”

“Are you angry at them?”

“No, it wasn’t intentional. They always wanted to push us to reach our potential.”

A warm smile spreads across my face as I understand what he means. Before I became a mother, I had no idea what that truly meant. Now, with Chad, all I want is for him to follow his dreams. Right now, he wants to be a basketball player, and I’d love to have the money to get him into a better club where he can follow his passion. That innocent hope without fear is so special.

“I understand.”

“Meeting Chad was scarier than meeting someone’s parent.”

I laugh again, the sound coming out more freely this time. “He’s six.”

“I haven’t been around kids,” he adds, running his hand through his hair, as his eyes flick to the floor.

“So none of your brothers have kids?”

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