Page 52 of The Player's Obsession

“Don’t worry about it,” she says as she folds her hands in her lap again. “I need the money. I was going to be okay with my bonus from work, but my brother stole my bank card and my savings, leaving me in the lurch. I’ve been helping him out.” She shrugs and stares straight ahead.

“What’s going on?” I question her.I knew there was something going on.“I saw some shady characters in your complex, and with your brother’s past, I assumed he might be into something illegal.”

“You know about his criminal record?” She is not as surprised as I feared. “Of course, you do,” she sighs, having figured it out. “You did a background check on me and my family, didn’t you?”

Oddly, her tone isn’t accusatory, it’s worse, it’s one of resignation. She’s not surprised because it’s what she expects from a billionaire who has to protect his assets and screen everyone new in his life.

“Yes. I only did it because I was interested in you and needed a date immediately. I’ve had months to ask someone to the wedding, and I kept putting it off.”

“You were waiting for Melanie to come back,” she murmurs and fidgets with her new ring.

“I guess I was. And since we’re sharing our family dynamics, I have no clue why Melanie dumped me. She never said. She’s Russian. I thought she’d get along with my parents who live in Boston. Believe it or not, she didn’t fit in. They thought she was—cold and not right for me. When I introduced her to Nathan there was a spark in her eyes she never had with me. She lit up around him.”

“How do you know it wasn’t just gas.” She says this with so little emotion I have to laugh.

I never considered that, but my heart was broken at the time. I blamed everything that went wrong in my life on her or Nathan “Maybe it was, but she’s marrying him this weekend, so there’s that.”

“There is a wedding. Who knows, she might break it off at the last minute.” Her attempt to cheer me up is appreciated.

“Mm, that would be terrible, wouldn’t it? I know what it feels like to be dumped,” I reply.

“Don’t we all? And before I forget, my brother, Carlo, texted me this morning. I have to warn you about him. He needs money for drugs, and I’m afraid he’ll try to get to you or get to you through me. I’m sure he’ll sell my name to the press to get money. After that, I don’t know. I’m not bailing him out anymore. I have for a long time, and I’m over it.”

“That’s a big step. Are you up to that?”

“It’s tough. I mean, it’s like you and your brother. What wouldn’t you do to help him? Right?”

“Yes, I would, to a point, depending on the situation. I can’t judge you on that, it’s family. However, I’m not happy knowing you could lose everything because he has an addiction.”

“I have a difficult time saying no to the people I love.”

“Well, you had no problem shooting down my request for a first date.”

“It wasn’t a request. You didn’t ask. You played games.”

“That’s fair.” I shift in my seat. She’s right. “I’m sorry about that. I should have just manned up and said you’re attractive, and I want to take you to dinner.”

“You’re attracted to me?” I can sense her looking at me.

“Is that so difficult to believe?”

“Kinda.” She sinks into the seat.

“You really need to own the fact that you deserve happiness. You obviously care about the people in your life. Your family should appreciate the fact that you support them.”

“That’s implied with the word family, isn’t it?”

“Not as much as you think,” I reply.

“You’re right. My family is as dysfunctional as the next.” She smiles and turns her face to her window. “How much snow are we supposed to get tonight?”

“I’m not sure. It’s Maine, it could be a blizzard for all I know.”

“I doubt that.”

Not satisfied with my meteorologist skills, she digs in her purse and pulls out her phone.

“We should get a few inches,” she reports while checking the weather app.

---