Page 55 of Dating the Rebel
About their shared past...
But Miranda had shared that past, too. She knew Blair as well as he did—probably better. And as she’d pointed out, his sister was incredibly strong-willed. She wouldn’t have let anyone talk her into doing something she hadn’t really wanted to do.
“You don’t know Miranda,” she said. “Or you would know that she would never ask me to sacrifice my happiness for her business. Hell, she won’t even let us help her with it, and we’ve both offered.”
He groaned as that frustration coursed through him again. “I know. I offered to join her damn dating service, and she refused.”
Blair laughed. “You were willing to make such a sacrifice? And she turned you down? I can’t imagine why...”
He glared at his sister. “Neither can I.” He dropped wearily into the chair behind his desk. He was so damn tired.
Teo chuckled. “Yes, you made such a magnanimous offer...”
“I did,” he insisted. “I told her I would even show her my bank statements—since all her damn clients seem interested in his money.”
“Ouch,” Teo said. “Is that my only appeal?”
Blair glanced at him and nodded. “Yes. You’re so damn ugly...”
Instead of being offended, her boyfriend laughed. He knew he was good-looking.
Grant was, too, though. “Her sisters tried to talk Miranda into letting me join. They think I’m good-looking.”
“You’ve always been mean to Miranda,” Blair said. “Why did you think she would trust you to treat her clients any differently?”
“Because her clients aren’t trying to mess up my sister’s happiness.”
Blair’s brow furrowed. “But isn’t that exactly what they’re doing? They all wanted a shot with the man she set up with me. That’s why they’re angry and leaving or threatening to leave. Catering to them isn’t going to save her business. Miranda already told me that. She wants new clients—not the ones she inherited when she bought out her mom.”
His head was beginning to pound. “She said something about that...”
“But you weren’t listening,” Blair accused. “You never listened to Miranda. You just yelled at her—”
“I did not yell,” he insisted. “I did everything but yell at her...”
Blair stepped closer to him and pointed toward his missing button. “What exactly waseverything? Have you been harassing my best friend?”
“I’ve been auditioning for her,” he said. “Trying to prove to her that I could be the perfect date.”
Both Blair and Teo laughed—too hard and too long.
Heat flushed his face, but it wasn’t anger this time but embarrassment. “I was doing it for the two of you,” he said. “You should show some appreciation.”
“That you thought so little of us and our relationship that we would break up for any reason?” Teo asked and shook his head. “No. I do not feel any sympathy for you, my friend.”
“My sympathy is for Miranda,” Blair said with a sigh. “I hope she forgives me.”
“Forgives you?” Grant asked.
“She sure as hell isn’t forgiving you,” Blair said. “Not for thinking so little of her. And I don’t even know what you mean by auditioning and I don’t want to know.”
His anger was gone now, leaving only this sick feeling in his stomach and this hollow ache in his heart. He’d screwed up his mission. And he wasn’t sure if he’d ever be able to make it right—with his sister and Teo.
And especially with Miranda.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“WILLYOUFORGIVEME?”
