Page 8 of Grumpy Billionaire Seeking Wife

StarryeyedSabrina: I was asking if you were close with your parents. Like, do you have a tight-knit family?

GruffintheCity: Oh, yeah, yeah. Mom is in TN. Pops is in Detroit. Works at a factory. They divorced, but we are tight. You?

StarryeyedSabrina: My mom and I are very close. She was a single mom. My dad left when I was young. My dream is to one day help her retire early. You know?

GruffintheCity: Tight! Make that money. You got a good job?

StarryeyedSabrina: I work at a senior center right now, but I'm graduating from college next semester.

GruffintheCity: You in school? Where? John Jay?

StarryeyedSabrina: I attend Columbia University.

GruffintheCity: Oh, you got brains and money.

StarryeyedSabrina: One of the two, haha.

GruffintheCity: And a sexy smile...so, we going to link up?

StarryeyedSabrina: Is that your way of asking me on a date?

GruffintheCity: You and me. Bring a friend, and I'll bring one of my celeb friends for her. Just make sure she's cute.

StarryeyedSabrina: Umm, let me think about it.

GruffintheCity: Say yes and make my day, baby. You're the best thing about this site.

StarryeyedSabrina: Okay, let me ask my bff, and I'll let you know.

I screenshot some of his photos and decide to text Erica. I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but I will allow Erica to decide whether or not we should go on the date. It might be amazing, and Rudolpho may be the man of my dreams.

Chapter Four

Wes

"Guess who's going on a date tonight?" My younger and much more carefree brother, Miles, sounds positively gleeful as he leans back against the wall in my understated yet luxurious office. It's 5:00 p.m. and apparently, he thinks the work day is done. And for him, it likely is, but for me, it's just getting started. I have so many emails to respond to that I can't even think about a personal life right now. It's been six months since I even got laid, and Jessica was blowing up my phone for a repeat.

"Did you hear me? Don't you want to know who is going on a date tonight?" Miles's face is full of joy as he waits for me to mention a name. As if I care to gossip with him about the dating lives of anyone other than myself. In fact, I don't even like to discuss my own dating life with anyone. Nothing good ever happens when you talk about your relationships with others. Not that I've had one long enough to care about.

"Really? That's what you want to talk about right now?" I look down at my computer screen and frown at the numbers that have just popped up at the top of the screen. "The S&P 500is down 7 percent today." I grab a pen and make a note on my yellow legal pad. "We should buy stock in––"

"The Dow has already closed for the day." Miles shakes his head, as if he has no cares or worries in the world. "We can discuss that later. You need to guess who is going on a date tonight."

"I don't really care." I refresh the screen to see if there are any new updates, even though I know there aren't. My day begins and ends with me checking my investments. It is a constant that provides me with great joy, even when the numbers aren't positive. Which today, they are not.

"Really, Wes?" Miles takes a seat in the black leather swivel chair on the other side of my large cherry wood desk. He spins around before talking again. "I'm talking about a hot date that might end in fireworks." He throws his hands up, and the excitement in his face reminds me of when we were younger and he would yap on about the latest cheerleader or drama chick that was into him.

"Are you going on a date tonight, Miles?" I lean forward and clap my hands slowly and sarcastically. "Goody for you." Miles, like me, has an endless supply of women who want to date him. He, unlike me, tries to make as many of them as happy as possible. Miles has probably been on more dates this year than I have been in my life, and I have zero interest in hearing about his exploits.

"Not me, ass." He chuckles as he shakes his head. His eyes survey me for a few seconds. "Erica."

“How is that news?" I roll my eyes as he mentions our younger sister's name. "Isn't she always going on a date?"

"Apparently, she and Sabrina joined some new dating site, and they've been matched up with some extremely eligible bachelors, and Erica thinks there are wedding bells in her future."

"Wedding bells and she hasn't even met the man?" I raise an eyebrow at the ridiculous comment, though I'm not surprised. My younger sister is a glutton for romance punishment and lives with her head in the clouds. "She and Sabrina are going on a double date?" I ask casually, not wanting Miles to think that I have any interest in Sabrina Fillmore, my sister's best friend. I've known her for years now, but haven't seen her in over a year, and I have a feeling she is deliberately trying to avoid me, which for some reason, irritates the shit out of me. I’m not used to women choosing to avoid me, though I’m not going to go out of my way to find out why.

"I know. She's crazy." He laughs. "They're getting ready at your place, by the way."

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