Page 94 of Assistant to the Billionaire CEO

“He has a new car.”

“Really?” she asked, disbelief coloring her words. “He got rid of his Lambo?”

“Yeah.”

“What’d he get?”

“Well, so…he got another Lambo. But it’s asmallerone. A much smaller one. At 393K, an almost ten times less costly reprieve.” That was the wording the website had used.

“Sorry. Lambo is Lambo. Like banana is banana. Like douche is douche.”

“I guess,” I agreed, albeit begrudgingly.

Over the next few minutes, I brought Bonnie up to speed about all that had happened after having been caught snooping, and all the sex—the mind-blowing incredibly, fiery-hotsex—that had followed, all around the company and my apartment.

Bonnie just frowned. “So, you’re dating him now?” she asked, clearly unimpressed, sucking her bright-red strawberry daiquiri through a bamboo straw. Bonnie and I bonded over all things strawberry.

“I think so,” I replied. I’d ordered a “Frullato alla fragola,” a true strawberry heaven of a milkshake. It was sweet and creamy, and it had a real strawberry on top. “I asked him whether we were in a relationship, and—”

“Let me guess, he said no?”

“—and he said yes. He just wants to keep it quiet for a while. I guess he doesn’t want to face the drama that will ensue when people find out just yet. I mean, people at the office would gossip. Let’s not even start with Damon. It’s such an important time for Windsor Architects. Ace just needs to invest all his energy in the company right now.”

“Nope. That’s a major red flag if you ask me,” she said, taking another sip, confirming Jay’s words. “Keeping things quiet meansno.”A lazy bee buzzed between us, drunk on the late-spring sun. She sighed when she saw my wide eyes. “But, I’m happy for you…as long as you’re happy.”

“I am happy.” I slurped at my heavenly milkshake and then promptly tore up the white paper straw sleeve into a bunch of small pieces. They fell onto the table like snowflakes. “And I’m worried.” The words just burst out of my mouth. “I’m starting to think all I am to him is a ‘dirty little secret.’ I mean, he’s never even invited me over to his place. What if I’m just a plaything, a fling, a little distraction at work—”

“Hold on. First: You’re wifey material, and if Ace is as smart as you say he is, he should know that, right? If not,screwhim.” Bonnie clicked her tongue at me. “But yeah, I’m worried too. What if you’re his side chick?”

“No. Bonnie. Stop. I’m sure he’s single.”

“Okay, if you say so…” she said. “In that case, don’t listen to me. Ignore the past. Ignore the facts. Ignore the red flags. Just enjoy it.”

“But I want more than just a fling,” I sniffed, averting my gaze to avoid having to make eye contact with her. “I want him to love me.”

40

DAMON

Thursday

Ihad two things to do: talk to Stella, talk to Ace—in that exact order.

“What’s with your face?” I asked my sister after I sat down.

“Nothing. What do you mean?”

“You look guilty.”

“I donot.” Stella was trotting between her apartment’s modest kitchen and the living room, ferrying around a variety of snacks and a pot of tea she’d prepared for us.

“Try this,” she said, pouring a crisp-looking brown liquid from the teapot’s spout. It swirled around in my teacup like a whirlpool stirred up by a tempest as she handed it to me. “It’s vanilla chai. Did you know chai means tea?’”

She was trying to change the subject.

“Everybody knows that,” I replied, taking a sip. It was sickly sweet. “How much sugar did you put in this?”

“Not enough.” Stella sat down on the couch next to me and crossed her legs at the ankle. She looked out of the window and adjusted her glasses. “But I suppose you didn’t just come for the tea.”

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