Page 5 of Billionaire Romantic
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I stand up to leave.
I almost get the idea this whole thing was planned though, because Sloane is standing in the doorway, like she’s intentionally blocking me. She launches straight into her pitch. “It was written up in the New York Times as beingthenew big thing. The success rate for the matches is unprecedented.Everyone’sjoining it. It’s called Lucky In Love.”
“Not interested, Sloane,” I growl, hoping she’ll take the hint and let me out the door before I have to somehow physically move her myself.
“It’s supposed to have these really intelligent biometrics that get amazing matches,” Sloane insists. “It doesn’t go on things like, oh they both like dogs, let’s match them up. It’s way more nuanced than that. The algorithms are incredibly sophisticated. They deep-dive into your internet footprint. The app has a success rate of eighty-seven percent. Which is amazing. You should try it, Noah.”
I glare at her. “Maybeyoushould try it, Sloane.”
“I would but I’m seeing someone at the moment.” She blinks up at me, her excitement at the prospect of match-making for me glinting in her brown eyes as she firmly stands her ground. My glare slides to Colton. Then Cash.
Of all of them, I thought Cash might be my ally, but he says, “You should give it a shot, Noah.”
I’m being ambushed.
“Totallyworth a shot,” seconds Sloane.
Colton picks up his phone and starts tapping away.
“Don’t you fucking dare—” I grab for his phone but he’s already out of his seat, dodging me as he types. I outweigh himand he knows from experience—from the few times he’s pushed me too far, like he’s doing right now—that I can kick his ass. But I’m hardly going to chase him around the goddamn table.
“What harm can it do?” Cash asks me.
“This isColtonsetting up a dating profile for me. Are you hearing yourself?”
Colton gives me a smug grin. “There. You’re signed up. They’ll come back to us for more info over the next few hours. Then we can sit back and watch the matches roll in. And don’t worry, I gave you a fictional last name.”
“I’m going to annihilate you for this.”
“You won’t want to.” Colton gives me an earnest look. “You’ll be too busy getting laid and falling in love. I’m only doing this because itworks, Noah.” But I can tell he’s ready to run if I lunge for him. “We want you to be happy.”
Happy.
Colton’s phone is already pinging with incoming messages. He’s set the whole thing up so fast I’m wondering again if this was pre-meditated. “They’re going to email me the follow up questions shortly. If there’s anything I don’t know, I’ll ask Cleo.”
“Here to help!” my obviously-already-in-the-know assistant chirps from her desk.
Wonderful. So the entire office is in on it.
Cleo rushes in, high on her enthusiasm for their shared new quest. She grins at me. “Morning, boss.”
She never calls me “boss.” “Cleo.”
Cleo, Sloane and Colton start poring over the app like it’s Christmas morning. “Oh my god, Colton, this profile is too good. NoahSteel?” Sloane and Cleo erupt into laughter.
Just when I thought this day couldn’t get any worse.
Cash gives me a guilty, sympathetic smile but does nothing to stop their chatter. “Who knows, you might find the girl you’ve been searching for.”
“I think we both know that’s about as likely as Ashton Holdings being the investment of our dreams.” I take my opportunity while they’re distracted and walk out.
3
As I walkinto the lobby of my apartment building at exactly 6:02 pm, I notice my surroundings in weirdly acute detail.
It might be because of the adrenaline overload still coursing through my veins after a series of insanely intense meetings. Those stern lawyers, fuddy-duddy financial advisors and pissed-off shareholders really are a buzzkill, holy hell. Talk about doom and gloom. They had nothing to offer me except dire predictions about our company’s plummeting share values and were basically manifesting its imminent demise. My cortisol levels feel like they’re spiking through the roof right now.
I’m also taking in every detail because I know I might not be seeing the familiar lobby of my beloved building for very much longer. Which makes the luxuriousness of it all really pop.
