Page 23 of Tender Offer
Madison
Fifteen Years Ago
“Ithink you’re making a mistake.”
“This view of the Eiffel Tower says otherwise.” I bring the porcelain teacup to my lips for a cautious sip of Earl Grey tea. The citrus aroma blends with rising steam to scent the morning air. Drinking tea out on the balcony has become my favorite pastime.
“You’re moving too fast,” Tammi says.
“And you’re wasting my minutes.” I chuckle at her teeth kissing on the other end of the phone. “I told you the circumstances. I had a choice to make.”
Heather failed to mention that the nine-month study abroad trip I inherited only came with three months of housing. She opted out of the dorms and never got around to booking a rental for the school year. Imagine my shock when the building ownertold me I had forty-eight hours to vacate the premises. Another tenant had rented the unit for the remainder of the year, leaving me assed out in every sense of the word.
My so-called friend shrugged off my eviction with an “oops!” and that was that. The host university had no available rooms, and my savings account dared me to find the thousands of dollars I’d need to keep a roof over my head. Not to mention, the paid internship fell through, courtesy of Heather, who eventually stopped responding to my emails.
Preston flew back from a business trip to move me into his penthouse. “No” wasn’t an answer. Neither was me leaving early. That was two weeks ago. Did I expect to be shacking up with a man who was only supposed to be a fling? No, but Tammi never misses the chance to scold me about it.
“Okay, Julia Roberts,” she says. “Keep pretending to bePretty Womanwith a man you barely know. Preston could be out eating people whole while you’re playing house.”
Tea shoots through my nose at a cackle too undignified for this district. Between the luxury shops and the five-star hotels, she might be onto something.
“What’s your dream?” Tammi mocks. I double over in laughter.
“Tam,” I plead.
“Lemme guess. You’re perched up in a fancy white hotel robe with your toes out and your hair down. Is Edward negotiating mergers?”
I shift in the lounger to tuck my bare feet under the thickest cotton to ever grace my skin.
“Hmm?”
“The robe isn’t white. It’s navy,” I mumble.
The line goes quiet until we both bust out laughing.
“How are you not waking the dead with that donkey laugh?” I wipe the tears from my face.
“Bitch, everyone is asleep.” Tammi snorts like what I said is offensive and not the truth.
“Excuse me, Ms. PK? What was that? Pastor Johnson didn’t catch what you said.”
“Bitchhh,” she whispers.
If Tammi’s dad is anything like mine, she has him wrapped around her finger—pulpit and all.
Tammi went back to her college before Labor Day. We had fun as roommates, and we email to stay in touch. She’s one of the realest people I know, even if she jumps to conclusions all the way from Detroit.
My laughter fades through a sigh painted in frosted air. “You act like I had my bags packed and waiting by the door. Preston is in and out. We’re—” What are we? “We aren’t looking for anything serious.”
Come spring, my time in Paris ends. I’ll go home, and Preston will continue with whatever business has him working long hours between cities. Tammi can save her speech. Our chemistry is off the charts, but I know his type.
“Clearly not.” Tammi’s neck roll swivels through our six-hour time difference. “You’re in his penthouse right now.”
“With my own bedroom and private bath,” I clarify.
“He still doesn’t know your name! He’s probably flying back and forth to his wife and kids—or his mistresses scattered across every major capital.”
I grab my tea and head inside to an empty living area with fancy molding and Buckingham Palace floors. Every room comes with views of the district.
