Page 13 of A Win-Win Situation

I tell them, word for word, how my interaction with the Greek God went and when I finish speaking, the look on both of their faces is enough to know they are out for blood.

"I can’t believe he said that!" Sophie seethes, her eyes flashing with anger. Adeline doesn’t say a word, which scares me more. She starts to back up toward the door, and I know exactly where she’s heading. My hand grabs hers just in time.

"Adeline, you’re not going up to him."

"But I just?—"

"No. I’ve already embarrassed myself enough. I don’t need my friends fighting any of my battles. Let’s look at it from another perspective. I flirted a little bit and completed the mission. That's a win in my book." I give them a fake smile.

"Look at you. This whole mission was for you to break throughyourwalls. Fuck him. I'm just proud you did it," Adeline says, surprising me.

Maybe the whole thing wasn’t a bust after all. I’ve always wanted to throw a drink in someone's face like they do in movies, and now I have.

Adeline squeezes my arm. "You don't need some guy's approval to feel good about yourself," she says. "You're stunning just the way you are. But if you're interested, we can always try again." She winks at me playfully.

I shake my head, feeling grateful for my friends. "Once is definitely enough," I say with a laugh. "But dancing, on the other hand, sounds like a great idea. Let's go!"

We make our way to the dance floor, and I spot him, again, sitting at a table.

Fuck me.

This time, however, his friend is with him. Scratch that; she's practicallyon topof him. She looks like a supermodel in a veryshort silver dress, her small figure accentuated by its shimmer, and her sun kissed skin contrasting with the metallic sheen of the outfit. Her blonde hair is up in a tight long ponytail and from what I can see, her lips are painted red. She's practically straddling him with her arms wrapped around his neck while her lips hover over his. I hope she squeezes him tight enough that he can’t breathe for a few seconds.

SIX

LUCAS

The club is packed, even more so than usual. Julien, my friend, stands by our table, his tumbler of scotch raised over his head as he moves to the music. I’ve been out almost every weekend since I found out about the whole marriage predicament, and Julien is the friend you call for a good time. However, today I’m not feeling it at all. The clock is ticking and now I have three months to not onlyfinda woman but to also make her my wife, all before the vote.

It’s an impossible task.

"See anyone you like?" Julien asks as he plops down next to me. I answer by giving him a sideways glance.

No, I don’t see anyone I like.There’s a bunch of beautiful women here tonight, but no one interests me in the slightest. Even though the whole thing is set up as a business agreement, I still want something to be there. Something that makes me want to choose her—to put my reputation on the line for. Because if this charade doesn't work, I’m screwed.

"Come on man, when was the last time you had some fun with a beautiful woman?" I know what he means byfun. I haven’t been with anyone other than my fist for the past fourmonths. Honestly, I’ve been busy with work, and just like today, I haven’t felt a pull towards anyone.

Except for the girl in the lobby.

I shake that thought away. She’s only a tourist, and I don’t have time for those.

"Why don’t you go and dance over there?" I say, trying to get him to leave me alone for a little while.

He laughs at my obvious attempt to ignore his question. "Why don’t you join me?"

"Not tonight, man," I reply, feeling drained from my long day at the office. "I just want to sit here and people-watch for a bit."

Julien shrugs, taking another sip of his drink. "Suit yourself. But if you change your mind, I'll be right over there." He points to the dance floor before he moonwalks away.

I nod, grateful for him being so understanding, and settle back into my seat.

As I sip my drink, I watch the crowd, scanning the faces for any familiar ones, but then my eye catches someone.

Her. The girl from the hotel lobby. She’s dancing with her friends in the middle of the dance floor, swaying those lovely hips to the beat of the music.

She’s gorgeous.

I had been on the phone with Harlow. I was stressed out and trying to keep my cool, but then I caught her staring at me and I couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. She was wearing a tight t-shirt and yoga pants, which hugged her curves in all the right places. To top it off, she had a hoodie tied around her waist, completing the effortless, yet irresistible travel look.

---