Page 1 of Jake

Chapter One

“Heard you and Celia broke up already,” Cade said as he dealt cards at their weekly poker game.

“Shut up.” Jake pulled off his tie with a yank and hung it over the back of his chair where it joined his blue suit jacket.

“Already?” Evan picked up his cards but looked at Jake.

“How do you even know?” Jake looked at his cards; his hand was crap, same as his love life lately.

“It was in the news. My sister told me,” Cade answered as he looked at his own cards, his dark hair falling forward as he looked down.

Cade’s sister, Catherine, was always in the know but was not a gossip about them. Her loyalty was everything to her and if you had it, she’d defend you forever. Cade Hawkins owned a successful marketing firm and Catherine did all their internal public relations. She’d helped all of them out at least once.

Jake blew out a breath and set his cards face down on the table. “There it is, as usual.”

Every woman he seemed to think was going to be worth dating always wanted their names in the press. No doubt she had painted him as the bad one, no matter that it was Celia’s demands for an engagement ring two weeks into their relationship that had caused him to break it off.

They all wanted his money and the status that came with it. Not a single one wanted to have a conversation unless it was about spending money, and he was so sick of it.

“What’d she do?” Evan scratched his chin and the stubble that he could never keep at bay. He shaved and still had a shadow right after.

“Surprised me by showing up at the office today with a selection of engagement rings for me to choose from for her.” He’d nearly lost his mind on her but had managed to calmly ask her to leave and just told her they were through. She, on the other hand, threw a fit.

Ryker, usually silent, let out a long whistle and rocked back in his chair, lifting the front two legs off the ground. “I don’t know why you keep trying to date these chicks. Too much hope.” He rolled his sleeves up, preparing to play, showing his tattoos.

The elevator chimed and Luke exited, completing their group. “What’d I miss?” he asked as he let himself into Jake’s kitchen, grabbing a beer from the fridge.

Luke was the youngest of them and couldn’t grow a beard if he tried, and he had tried. They’d teased him relentlessly. With dark hair like most of the men there, Luke was also tan always, a benefit of his daily runs at the park.

“Help yourself,” Jake called.

Luke grinned, by far the happiest of the group. “Of course.” He took the last seat at the table. “You started without me?” he teased.

“You were late,” Ryker grumped.

“I had a meeting I couldn’t miss, you know, work?” Luke threw at him.

Jake leaned back in his chair and looked around as the banter at the table continued. He had a penthouse apartment, open floor plan, magnificent view, everything he was supposed to want, but something was still missing. He was tired of meaningless relationships and bullshit conversations.

His kitchen was directly in his view and he took a critical eye toward it. The stark white cabinets shined against his dark walls and stainless-steel appliances. The granite countertops had been a feat for him to get; the bar was one massive slab and had taken engineers to figure out how to get it up to this floor.

They’d managed it; money always saw the impossible managed. He rarely used the kitchen, though, as he was hardly ever home. No woman had cooked in it either. He held all dates far from his private sanctuary until he determined they were not looking for money or fame, and sadly, no one had met that bar yet.

“Earth to Jake,” Evan called, pulling him from his musings.

He sat forward and picked up his cards. “Sorry, is it my turn?” He shuffled them, hoping for a better hand as he checked the cards on the table. After debating a few times, he sighed and said, “I fold.”

They went around a few times and Ryker took the pot on the table. They all had more than enough money to lose to each other every hand, but they never bet real money. Ryker, who won more than anyone else, didn’t gamble, and none of them had anything to gain by taking each other’s money, so they played for chips and bragging rights.

“Deal me in, time to take him down,” Luke added cheerfully.

“In your dreams, kid,” Ryker threw at him.

Luke shifted in his seat. “You’ll see.”

Ryker had called Luke kid since they’d added him to their friend group a few years ago. There was little else that annoyed Luke as much as being called a kid and Ryker knew it.

“Knock it off,” Cade told Ryker.

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