Page 1 of Playing Pretend with Love and Billions

Chapter1

Ava

Just when I thought life couldn’t get any worse than being in this city, when I’m a full-blown country girl, I find out how terribly wrong I was.

Because wanna know what’s worse than that? Catching the man you moved multiple states over and gave up living your old life in your hometown for, balls deep in his assistant.

The bitch isn’t innocent either, she’s watched me come to Alex’s office for lunch almost every day since I moved here. I work a floor above him, so it’s not like coming for lunch is hurting me much. Today though, I was overloaded with tasks to complete by the end of the day and they took me longer than I had hoped.

Being the lovely girlfriend that I am, I texted Alex to let him know I was stopping for food at our favorite place and he texted back to let me know he would be working late, not to wait up for him. Instead of texting him back, I decided to grab his favorite dish and surprise him with dinner in his office. Keep him company. I’ve been thinking about if Alex is the one for me, and I was ready to tell him that we could take that next step together. Seeing as the one fantasy I’ve had running rampant through my mind lately takes place in his office.

But, to my surprise, I walked into the office to the scene of my fantasy right in front of my face. Except, instead of him bendingmeover, he was slamming intoBrenda.Who the fuck names their kid Brenda anyway? You’re just asking for your child to get bullied.

Not really, at this moment I just really hatethisBrenda, specifically. Scratch that, I’ve hated this one ever since I stepped foot in this office because she always seemed to keep her gaze on Alex and flirted with him openly in front of me.

I guess when Alex never pulled away from her advances I should’ve noticed the red flag between the two of them, but who wants to believe that the person you gave up your whole life for is screwing someone behind your back? I tuned it all out, hoping that it was just me overthinking everything like I normally do.

God. Is there a damn “cheat on me” sticky note clinging to my back or do I really know how to pick them? I simply stand there, not moving an inch while I watch the man I thought I loved go to town on this blonde bimbo. Her moans sound as fake as the rest of her looks. Gross.

My nose scrunches in disgust, and that’s the moment when Alex decides to open his eyes and stare straight at me. At least he doesn’t have the stupidity to stop and claim it’s not what it looks, he only keeps going while staring at me. He probably thinks I’m getting off on it, like some spicy romance novel. Hard pass from me, I like a man to be mine and mine only. Brenda can have him.

Without a word, I throw his food at Brenda’s stupid fake face and storm out of the office with my head held high. Her screeching echoes through the office floor right before the elevator dings and I smile brightly before walking through the opening doors.

Well, that was satisfying.

Millie is going to have a field day with this when I tell her later.

As if I’d mentally summoned her, Millie’s name flashes on my phone as it vibrates with her call. Thank goodness I’m not completely alone here and I didn’t rely on Alex’s ungrateful ass. Without waiting another minute, I answer the call.

“Hey, girl. What’s up?” I ask, pressing the phone between my ear and shoulder while I unlock my car in the parking garage.

“Bored. Come put me out of my misery.”

I chuckle. “I’m leaving the office now. Prepare the hard stuff, I’m gonna need it.”

Millie is a girl that works on the same floor as me. She’s a couple years older than me but we hit it off pretty quickly. She’s more out-going and a lot of crazy. I’m the more laid-back friend, but she knows when I need the hard stuff that shit’s going down.

“Oh, shit. See you soon, babe!”

A trip that would’ve taken a quick walk down the road in my hometown of Willow Peaks, Tennessee, takes about ten minutes of a drive here in New York City. The traffic is something I’m still getting used to, but at least the residents of this crazy city all have the same potty mouth I seem to have. When it comes to driving, I have no filter. Road rage is my middle name and I’m sure I’ve cussed out most of the population here, if that’s even possible.

Millie is opening her apartment door before I even knock, then she shoves me inside and immediately hands me a drink. She’s pushing me to sit down on the couch with an eager twinkle in her baby-blue eyes, and I can’t help but laugh out loud.

“Spill, bitch,” she says with narrowed eyes.

Millie’s into as much gossip as she can get a hold of, not that she’d ever betray me by spilling all the dirty secrets I’ve told. Like the time I told her about my one ex who was a complete germaphobe, refused to touch anything without a disinfectant in his hand, and actually attempted to hold my hand with one.

That should’ve been my first red flag. Guess I keep missing those glaring fuckers with everyone. Just as we were about to sit down for a dinner date, he got so anxious about being about a crowd of germs that he threw up all over my new shoes. Then he had the audacity to wipe his mouth, smile, and ask if I was ready to go inside. There was no date after that. And to this day I can still feel his puke between my toes. I shiver just at the thought alone.

Anyway, the point is that Millie has kept that tidbit of information about me strictly to herself and I love her for that.

Before I can get into what I walked into this evening, Alex’s name pops up on my phone with a text. I scoff and shut my phone off, then give Millie my full attention.

“I no longer have a boyfriend,” I say while quickly chugging the drink in my hand.

Damn, that’s good. Just what I needed right now. When I steal a glance at Millie, her mouth is hanging open and her eyes are wide. I’m sure she is surprised, she was rooting for me and the cheating fucker.

“That’s not the best part though!”

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