Page 50 of Arrogant Playboy

“I may find excuses to be with her,” I confess.

“You’re so gone on this girl. I knew it the moment I saw the two of you together the other month, you were distracted by her.”

“I didn’t even know she and Emily were linked until she arrived with her friends to catch the plane. My heart almost stopped, especially when she told me she was going away with her family. She lied to me.”

Matthieu bursts out laughing. “And yet you’re still running around after her like a lovesick puppy.” I turn and glare at my cousin who only laughs harder at me. “And then her best friend hits on you, so she had no idea the two of you had something.” He continues to laugh at my expense.

“You’re not helping me,” I grumble.

“What do you want me to tell you?”

“I don’t know, something. Anything. I’m sick of thinking about her every minute of the day.”

“Then date someone else,” he offers. Knew this was a stupid idea. I should never have told him. I ignore him and sip my drink. Silence then falls between us. “You aren’t interested in anyone else, are you?” I shake my head. “Fuck. Have you even tried?”

“The offers haven’t stopped. I had Mariana come to an event the other day and she kissed me. I hated it. Rosie saw, she wasn’t happy.”

“She was jealous?” I nod. “How do you know?”

“We had a fight and she told me before pushing me away,” I explain to him.

“Why?”

I let out a heavy sigh, “Her career is important to her as is her reputation.”

“And she thinks dating you would be bad for her reputation?”

“No, dating a client is.”

Matthieu smirks. “Guess your plan backfired hiring her.”

I shrug as I sip my scotch. “Yeah, it has. She wants us to be friends.” The word is bitter on my tongue.

“She’s friend-zoned you?”

Guess you could say that. “Yeah.”

“And you don’t want to be friends?” Matthieu asks.

“Not my first choice, but I like hanging out with her, so, I’ll take what she is giving,” I confess to him.

“I feel for you,” my cousin says, “that’s why women and men can’t be friends.”

Knew he was the wrong person to talk to about this.

19

ROSIE

We arrive in New York a couple of days before Emily’s exhibition. The four of us want to have girl time exploring the Big Apple for the first time together. It is so much bigger and there is way more garbage on the sidewalks than I was expecting. It’s strange being in a place that feels so familiar, yet you’ve never been there before all because you’ve seen it in movies. We stroll through Times Square, overwhelmed by the buildings covered in neon billboards and the wattage coming from them. Of course, we have to sip Cosmos together, recreating Sex and the City.Apparently, I’m Charlotte or so my friends say.We then eat lunch on the Metropolitan Museum of Art stairs like they do inGossip Girl.There is a ferry ride down the Hudson, and we see the Statue of Liberty, which is much smaller than I thought. We take a carriage ride around Central Park, snap photos of Emily, and post them online just like her ex did with his new American girlfriend.

Tonight, Emily is heading to the gallery to check in on her exhibition, while we stay at the bar just around the corner from the gallery in Brooklyn.

“Ladies,” Matthieu calls out as he walks over to where we are seated. Behind him, I see Daniel, and beside him is another handsome man. “You remember Daniel,” Matthieu says, pointing to him, “and that guy is my brother, Deveraux,” he says. I can see the resemblance now.

“What are you guys doing here? Weren’t you meeting Emily?” Ava asks Daniel.

“Louis wanted a chance to talk to her before the exhibition, thought it would be easier alone than with people around,” he answers, his eyes landing on me. I look away, sipping my drink.

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