Page 19 of Fixer for the Billionaire

Jenny bursts into laughter, her hair bouncing. "Oh, I bet. I have a feeling this little spat of yours won't last another two business days."

"What makes you say that?"

"Girl, you and Quentin are like two magnets—constantly pushing each other away but always ending up back together."

I can't help but roll my eyes, though deep down I know she's hitting the nail on the head.

Hate, silence, iciness, and everything in between.

There's just something about the way Quentin and I click that keeps pulling us back, though I've yet to figure out exactly what that is.

Shaking my head, I say, "Right now, I'm more worried about launching Danity's new series and making sure your wedding doesn't turn into World War III."

"Ah, well, the path to wedding perfection is paved with good intentions...and 90’s West Coast rap, apparently," Jenny muses, giving my shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Just remember, it's all about having fun and spreading love. And as much as Quentin drives you nuts, I know you two will pull off something amazing. You always do."

Her confidence is a warm blanket on a cold night, even if I'm not entirely convinced myself.

As guests start arriving and the preparations for the evening fall into place, my thoughts shift from wedding disasters to making sure "Love in Seattle" by Danity Dandridge captures the hearts of everyone here tonight.

After all, spinning love stories is what we do best—even if my personal love saga reads more like a cautionary tale.

With my little sisters, Gabi and Val, now under my roof, my already minimal love life has hit the pause button. But hey, at least someone's getting their happily ever after.

As the crowd thickens, Freddie, our sparkly new PR specialist, practically bounces over in her ocean-blue dress.

"This turnout is amazing. I almost missed out on snagging an early copy of 'Love in Seattle'!" she exclaims, excitement radiating off her. Lowering her voice, she adds, "And let me tell you, I've already picked up some... adult tricks from just twenty pages in."

"Oh? And who's the lucky person testing out these new skills?"

"That would be telling," Freddie teases, her gaze momentarily drifting to Alton Anderson, our CFO, and his fiancée Lena Cho making their entrance. "Actually, I should share these tips with Lena. Not that she and Alton need it, but still..."

Jenny laughs, shaking her head. "Share with her, then me!"

I can't help but smile at the camaraderie and banter. Moments like these make all the wedding planning stress and late nights worth it.

What matters is knowing our hard work will bring a little love into readers' lives. And that should be enough.

Or so I keep telling myself, even as Freddie winks at Jenny and dashes off.

Love is for those with freedom, not for someone keeping their family afloat or dealing with the fallout of parents who've left their kids to fend for themselves.

With that thought trailing off, I eye the glasses of Cabernet on the table.

Jenny, ever the mind reader, narrows her eyes at me just as I reach for a glass. "Hey, hey. You're not escaping that easily, Car. I want in on your secrets," she insists, watching me closely. "What about you?"

I take a sip of the Cabernet, avoiding her gaze. "What about me?"

"You never did tell me what happened with Alex. One minute you're movie-bound, the next, it's the end credits. Did you ever get to try any... tricks?"

Another sip buys me time. "If I did, that'd be magician-client privilege, wouldn't it?"

Jenny's gaze doesn't waver, so I let out a sigh that feels like surrender. "Fine, Alex and I... We never got to the 'tricks' part. Everything fizzled after he realized my sisters were moving in. Made some comment about not being a 'kid person.' Said it was cool, but then, poof, ghosted."

Admitting that leaves a bitter taste, the wine turning to ash on my tongue.

But Jenny just shakes her head. "No, no, no." Snagging a glass of Cab from a nearby tray, she declares, "That's unacceptable."

"Unacceptable? You're starting to sound like an HR manager."

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