Page 97 of The Reluctant Billionaire

I sigh. ‘I went to his office to have it out with him and it was all a bit embarrassing, actually, because it turns out we’d met before, years ago, and my dad was actually his seed investor. So the joke was on me. And then he fucked me on his office sofa and we made up.’

Theo winks at me. ‘That’s my girl.’

‘And ironically,’ I continue, ‘he’s the first actual billionaire I’ve dated.’ I blow out a breath. ‘I thought it’d be more fun.’

‘Something tells me you’re not with him for his money,’ Noah says softly, ‘so I’m sure you can have fun without him this weekend. And you two will hopefully get a chance to talk through all this properly when you’ve had the weekend to put a bit of space between you.’

‘Noah’s right,’ Nora says. ‘You’ve always been the biggest party girl I know. We’re going to have a blast. It’ll be amazing! I’m telling you—it’s the wedding of the century. There’s no way you won’t have fun.’ She pauses. ‘And if what you and Noah say is true, then it sounds like you’ve found yourself a seriously amazing guy. But maybe he’d benefit from you spelling out that you need him, too. You’re so confident and dazzling. He probably thinks you’ve got this without him.’

I shrug. ‘I’m sure you’re right. What the hell.’ I hold out my glass for a mimosa refill. ‘Half of Hollywood should be there, right? There’s no way I’m moping my way through a weekend like this. It’s his loss.’

I’ll have an amazing weekend. I’ll dazzle and party and shine like I always do, and I’ll try not to think about my beautiful boyfriend and the fact that, right now, he’s in that community centre, working his arse off for those poor little kiddies.

37

AIDE

‘Baby’s here!’ Judy shouts, bustling into the kitchen and brandishing her ancient iPhone. It’s probably, like, an iPhone Three, if that ever existed.

I stand up and shut the fridge with a grimace. I’ve been bent over, trying to fit in every last item of food from the massive delivery we’ve received.

‘Thank fuck,’ I say. ‘What is it?’

‘A little girl.’ She beams. ‘No photos yet. Or a name.’

I close my eyes.A little girl.A tiny granddaughter for Sylv. That is just fucking amazing. It makes me want to well up. ‘Everyone doing okay?’ I ask huskily. ‘Mum and baby?’

‘Sounds like it.’ She looks at her phone again. ‘The baby’s going into the neo-natal ward, but Sylv says the docs are happy.’

‘Well, I think that calls for a coffee break,’ I say. ‘What do you reckon?’

‘Abso-fucking-lutely.’ She puts her phone down on the work surface and heads for the Nespresso machine. Sylv wasn’t the only one Lotta got hooked on this stuff.

The mere sight of it makes my chest ache.

I’ve felt torn in two since I spoke to her. I know what I did to her was seriously shitty, and I one hundred percent deserved for her to call me out and, to be honest, for her to put some distance between us. But it didn’t make it any easier.

I hated being apart from her last night, I hated hearing that hurt and disappointment in her voice, and I hate even more knowing she’s en route to France with her friends and I’m not there by her side.

I can’t even imagine how pissed off I’ll feel tomorrow night, knowing she’s ripping up that dance floor with proper movie stars. Davide de Luca’s going to be there, apparently. So’s Brad Burton. It’ll be like the Cannes fucking Film Festival over there.

And something tells me my girl won’t be short of attention.

I grit my teeth and set to work with the Nespresso machine.

‘Everything okay?’ Judy asks as I wearily usher her out the kitchen door and into the yard area in front of me.

‘Fine.’ I rub my eyes as I put my cup down on the shitty uneven table. ‘I’m just tired.’ I’m exhausted, actually, because doing what I thought was the right thing did not sit easily with me last night and upsetting Lotts sat even less easily. Ergo, sleep was not my friend.

‘I see.’ She sits down heavily and I observe, not for the first time, that she’s getting frail. Stiff. ‘And how’s Lotta?’

‘She’s fine.’

She purses her lips. ‘How excellent that everyone isfine. What’s going on?’

‘Nothing.’

‘Nothing. Jesus Christ, you dimwit. You realise you two getting together is one of the most exciting and happy things that has ever happened in my life?’ She glares at me. ‘You’re the son I never had, and she’d damn well better be my daughter-in-law at some point, so don’t fuck this up. What. Is. Going. On? Where is she this weekend?’

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