Page 23 of Meet Jon, the Billionaire

I struggled with my hair. I eventually went with a side-slung bombshell curls arrangement, which probably would fall out somewhat depending on how long the evening lasted. It was a chic, tidy look I could achieve without too much time investment, and I was running out of that particular commodity fast.

I hadn’t been able to wear any makeup to the tournament, so I applied it liberally beforehand. Smokey eyeshadow setting off dramatic eyeliner. Glossy red lipstick, blush… by the time I was plucking out the last of the hairs from between my eyebrows, I began to fear I’d overcompensated.

I stared at the woman in the mirror, and I was shocked at how happy she looked. As usual, I tried to shoot myself down.

“Jesus Christ, Amy, what have you done to yourself?” I considered washing the makeup off, but then my phone rang.

Jonathon. I picked it up and held it to my ear, careful not to disturb the colored dirt on my face. “Yes?”

“Amy, it’s Jonathon,” he said. “Listen, I’m out front and your doorman won’t let me in the building.”

“Oh, crap. I forgot, Stan’s a bit, um, overzealous. He thinks he’s in a Death Wish movie or something.”

“Can you tell him to let me in?”

I hadn’t picked out my earrings yet, or shoes… the thought of making him wait in my decidedly untidy apartment made me cringe.

“You know what? It would be faster if I just came down and met you at your car.”

“If that’s what you want, certainly—”

“Jonathon?” I said, because he’d been interrupted by static. “I’m getting a call from my aunt. It could be related to the bakery, I have to take this, but I’ll be out soon.”

“Take all the time you need. I’m double parked so I’ll just circle the block.”

I ended that call and began the next one. “Aunt Petunia, this isn’t a great time—”

“Pedro’s cousin Manuel came in for his weekly crueler and latte.”

“Um, that’s nice, but I really—”

“Manuel says that Pedro told him that Chui told Pedro that you were going on a date with your mixed doubles partner.”

“Um…” I took a second to untangle all of that. “Yes, that’s true. I also asked Chui not to mention this to anyone.”

“Oh please, Amy, at this point you should know that telling Chui anything is like posting it on the world wide web under the tagline ‘Emma Watson hot nudes’.”

“Aunt Petunia!”

“What, it’s one of the most searched things on the internet, next to Star Wars.”

I sighed. “Look, Aunt Petunia, speaking of dates, mine is waiting outside, and I’d better get out there before he gets a ticket, so—”

“Say no more, my dear, just remember: It’s easier for a camel to thread a needle than it is for a rich man to be worth two in the bush.”

“What?”

“Sorry, I’m watching Jeopardy, listening to a True Crime podcast, and talking to you at the same time.”

“Geez, I would go insane… anyway, I really do have to go.”

“Just be careful.”

I sighed and ended the call. I knew I was short on time, but that made choosing earrings even harder. I must have held up half the contents of my velvet-lined box before I settled on a pair of silver hoop rings. Silver goes better with black, at least in my humble opinion.

I slipped into a pair of black pumps with a sequined bow on the toes and stepped in front of the mirror. I smoothed a wrinkle out of my dress, or tried to, when I realized that it was the outline of my garter snap showing. Great, hadn’t counted on that.

My phone rang, and this time I knew it would be Jonathon. I shoved my phone into my purse and raced to the elevator.

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