Page 17 of The Billionaire Player

“We aren’t ganging up on you,” I said.

“Giving you a bad time is part of our job description,” Mac said.

“And it’s a lot of fun,” I added.

“I’ll remember that when it’s your turn,” Walker said to me.

“My turn? For what?” I asked.

“When you get involved with a woman, I mean really involved with a woman. You’ll be singing a different tune. I’ll be more than happy to give you a bad time about it.”

“No time,” I countered.

“That’s what I thought too and look what happened to me?” Walker asked with a huge smile on his face.

“I’m happy for you man, but leave me and my love life out of this.”

“Have you figured out what you’re going to do about Lizbeth? Are you going to take my advice?” Mac asked.

“Is she still bugging you?” Walker asked and gave me a concerned look.

“She’s trying to bug me and I’m not letting her. She keeps taunting me to get me to talk to her and I’m not falling for the bait,” I said.

“Be careful with that one. We still don’t know for sure she wasn’t the one who was the source of that ridiculous article,” Walker said.

“We don’t know that it was her, either,” I said.

I didn’t want to believe that Lizbeth would do something as cruel as to make a false statement to a newspaper about me just to get my attention, but Walker and Mac did. I had thought I had put the whole situation behind me but I could see that they weren’t done with it, nor was Lizbeth done with me.

“Actually, I’m glad you brought her up. There’s something I want to talk to you two about,” I said.

“You’re happy I brought up Lizbeth? What’s wrong with you?” Mac asked.

“Please, don’t tell me you’re thinking of getting back together with her? We have no problem sending you back to Italy until you get your head on straight,” Walker said.

“No. She and I are done, permanently, that’s never going to happen. But Mac is right, I need to find a way to get her away from me, off my back, and I think I’ve found the solution.”

“Move her to Italy?” Walker asked as the server came and took our empty plates away.

“If only but I don’t think it would do us well to kidnap a woman, even if she probably would love the Italian men.”

“You could give her that option. I would have no problem setting her up with a house, a pool boy, some wine, whatever she needs to leave you alone,” Walker said.

“I never considered that option. I’m in,” Mac added and leaned on the table.

“Thank you, but no. I’m thinking of doing something less nuclear, and taking my big brother’s advice,” I said.

“He gave you advice? And you took it? What is wrong with you?” Walker asked.

“I have some good ideas, occasionally. Unlike kite skiing,” Mac shot back.

“Still think that would have been a good idea,” Walker said.

“You were saying?” Mac asked me.

“Mac suggested the only way that Lizbeth would leave me alone was if I was with another woman. At first, I thought that was a ridiculous idea but I think it might have some merit,” I said.

“Well, short of kidnapping and I still think we might want to keep that option on the table, it isn’t a bad idea. You’ve tried everything else,” Walker said.

---