“You’re four years older than me, dickhead. It was hardly a fair fight.” I meet him halfway and confront him chest first, a whole inch taller than his short ass.
“I’m confident in Ava’s affection. Especially, since frivolity annoys her, and I had to wrestle her to the ground to slide my ring on her finger. You should be so lucky to find someone half as guileless.” He points a finger into my chest, but I clasp his wrist and knock his arm away.
“Get your fucking finger out of my face, asshole. Marry. Don’t marry. I couldn’t care less. Fill a house with little bullies just like their father. But stop telling me what to do. I’ll stay the three weeks. As a favor. Then I’m gone. And you better not try to swindle me on my half of the company.” I spit my words and turn away. As I reach for the door, he calls out one more time.
“Her name is Isabella Hamilton.”
“Who? What?” I swing the door open and glare at him over my shoulder.
“Your interview, dipshit. Isabella Hamilton. She’s the intern you’re hiring. She’s young and competent. Just meet her and hand her off to Seth. He’s much more professional than you. I don’t want you offending her.” He rolls his eyes, insults me and pivots back to the window.
“Offend her? Why would I offend her?” Now I’m offended.
“You hit on anything with a skirt. Don’t hit on her. She’s a nice girl. Not your type, anyway. Just get through the typical questions, shake her hand and send her to Seth. He’s expecting her.” He flips me off and sends me on my way.
Un-fucking-believable.
Two
Bella
“Are you upset? You look upset. Don’t lie, I can tell by your body language.” I hustle past her tense body and dart into her walk-in closet. Ava has the best clothes. Her mother buys her couture and ships it from Boston. Not my mom. She sends care packages full of Twinkies and photos of Samantha, her Maltese, in the outfit of the month.
“I’m not upset.” She mumbles as she follows, falling into her messy sheets still fresh from her morning sex romp. Three weeks ago, we were both single ladies on the prowl in the big city with next-door neighbor apartments. A dream come true. Now she’s sporting a ten-carat engagement ring from Cartier and planning her wedding. Years of planning down the tubes because she fell in love with a man twice her age.
In four days, my uptight older sister, a failed novice fresh from the convent, moves into Ava’s digs. What a freaking nightmare.
“You look like you have something on the tip of your tongue.” I narrow my eyes and yank a black mini skirt suit off the hanger. “Is this new?”
She nods. “It is. But I thought you were against internships. You made a big deal about me saying no to mine and now you’re signing up for one? I don’t get it. Just because I’m getting married doesn’t mean I’m giving up our work. I made it clear to Declan that you and I are chasing this dream.” She hugs a pillow and sighs.
“I’m not giving up on it either.” I pull a red and pink camisole out of her drawer. “Which one looks better? This is important. Your future husband set this up and I need your help.”
She brings her hand to her chin and stares thoughtfully at each one. “Not the red. It competes with your hair. I’m not saying you don’t look good in red, but you either go all the way or nothing at all. Wear the pink. It’s light. Better contrast.”
I hold it up against the suit and agree. “You’re right.”
“I don’t like that Declan fixed this up. He told me his brother is a bit of a player and I don’t want you getting hurt. You think you’re a badass, but I know you, Bella. You’re more bark than bite. If he hurts you, I’ll have to kill him. Is that what you want? Do you want me to kill my future brother-in-law?” She moves past me into the closet and hands me her favorite pair of Mary-Jane heels. “Here. These are for luck. To borrow, ma’am. Not to keep.”
I squeal and slip them on. “Thanks, Ava. You know how much I love them. They’re perfect for today. And I know you’re worried, but you shouldn’t be. I’ve got this planned out. I’ve been studying and taking notes. You know me. I’ve got a strategy for everything. Your man gave me the low-down on his baby brother. He thinks he’s incorrigible, but I think this is worth a shot. And the payout could be huge.”
I strut across her bedroom and show off my dazzling threads. Well, hers. “If this works, we’ll be sisters! Our babies will be cousins.”
“Notes? Strategy? What are you babbling about?” She drags me into her vanity seat and pulls out a comb. Ava’s the best at styling this mess of curls, and this could be one of the most important days of my life. I need her magic.
“Well, Declan says Jude can be a bit of a man whore. He’s never been in love. Never wanted anything to do with it. He avoids complications like the plague.” When she opens her mouth to speak, I hold out my hand. “I realize these are not the best qualities. But he’s exactly like Marcus St. James in this book called Billionaire Bad Boy. I’ve left it on your coffee table. You should familiarize yourself with my plan.”
She pulls my hair. “Isabella! This is serious! You are not basing your strategy on a damn romance novel!”
I shake my head. “Marcus was just like Jude. He didn’t have time for love. He didn’t believe in it. It was for suckers. Until he met the woman of his dreams and she turned him down. The heroine, Sophia Rinaldi, refused to have anything to do with him. And the more she dismissed him, the more it drove him nuts. He fell madly in love. It was beautiful. I swear to God, I cried my eyes out the last three chapters and then I read it again.”
“And that’s your plan? To turn him down? What if he doesn’t hit on you? What if he does and then never asks you out again?” She teases and fluffs.
I close my eyes while she sprays me down. “I gave your man instructions to warn Jude from hitting on me. He’s supposed to insinuate that I’m off-limits. A good girl. Bad boys love good girls. They can’t help themselves. Declan’s warning coupled with Jude’s desire to do the exact opposite of whatever Declan wants might light a small fire.” I glance at the mirror and hold my breath. A masterpiece. She even took out the frizz. Ava never fails me.
“That sounds complicated. Guard your heart, Bella. I’ve seen photos. My Declan is perfect for me, but Jude is...” She stops mid-sentence and censors her enthusiasm.
“He’s gorgeous, right? You can say it. You’ve got the good one. He’s the responsible, dependable one who tackled you like an overzealous linebacker bearing flowers. And Declan is fucking hot. But Jude. Dear Lord.” I take a deep breath and smile to myself.
How in the world am I going to get through a whole interview and pretend to be Sophia Rinaldi? That girl had her shit together. She made Marcus beg and plead before she gave him the smallest glimmer of hope. I’m no Sophie. I’m not sure I can hold out that long.
Am I setting myself up for failure? Jude is way hotter than that dude on the cover.
“Bella! Your interview’s in forty minutes. You need to get going. Midtown is far. Declan sent a car and the driver just text that he’s a mile away.” Ava grabs my resume copies, slides them into a folder and hands me my purse. “You can do it! You’re the best! And I’ll give you one hint that might help.”