Page 18 of Forty, Flirty & F*cked

"Real smooth, boss." Yasmin appears in my doorway with her tablet, one eyebrow slightly raised at the coffee carnage. "The Q1 revenue models needed work, but I’m not sure this was the solution."

"Very funny." I give up on the papers. "Any messages?"

"Your father called. Twice. He wants the updated cloud cost analysis for tomorrow’s board meeting. Grayson sent an email about bachelor party logistics. And..." She pauses, professional mask slipping slightly. "Someone from the Graceland Wedding Chapel wants to discuss reality show rights?"

The coffee mug slips from my hand, adding to the growing puddle.

"I’ll get maintenance," she says smoothly, already typing on her tablet. "And I’ll hold your calls until you’ve had time to... handle whatever that last one is about."

My phone buzzes as she exits:

GRAYSON: So

GRAYSON: Heard you had an interesting weekend in Vegas

GRAYSON: I assume this means I win the yacht after all…

GRAYSON: Accidental marriage seems like an unnecessarily elaborate way for me to lose out on our bachelor pact prize

I ignore him and open my email, where my father’s message sits like a digital time bomb:

FROM: Harrison Reeves

TO: Connor Reeves

SUBJECT: Tomorrow’s Board Meeting

Connor,

The investors want concrete numbers on how Clearwater’s optimization algorithm reduces AWS costs. Your last presentation was too theoretical. Fix it.

Don’t disappoint me again.

Dad

P.S. Your mother called. Something about crystal healing for the server rooms? Handle it.

I close my eyes, counting backward from ten. When that doesn’t work, I try counting the ways this week could get worse:

The board could find out about Vegas.

The Elvis chapel could sell their story.

Ariana could?—

No. Not thinking about Ariana. Not thinking about warm brown eyes or sharp wit or the way she looked in that ridiculous Elvis robe or?—

My phone buzzes:

GRAYSON: Though I must say

GRAYSON: As your fellow Stanford MBA

GRAYSON: The risk assessment on this particular venture seems questionable

GRAYSON: Have you run the cost-benefit analysis on accidental matrimony?

Before I can respond, another email pops up:

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