Page 235 of The Friend Situation

Harper offers me a sweet smile, and her eyes display a hint of nervousness as she stands. “Give me one minute.”

“Harp”—the frustration is evident in my tone—“this is low.”

She knows we’re enemies—that we have been.Everyone knows.

I’ll file for bankruptcy before I allow him to save my ass. The mere thought of him having that power over me is unbearable. He’d never let me live that down.

She meets him outside my office door, but they speak loud enough where I can hear.

“You said she’d be aware,” he mutters, his tone laced with annoyance, the chip on his shoulder barely hidden.

“I had no other choice. I apologize,” Harper states, her voice urgent and tinged with desperation.

My heart drops at her tone. Are things worse than I thought? Are we so desperate we needhim?

“I should go,” he states in that deep growl that makes the hair on my arms stand up.

“Please, Asher.”

Their voices lower, and I can no longer hear them.

A minute later, Harper returns with Asher following behindher. They take their seats in front of my desk. The room is heavy with uncertainty.

“Why are you still here?” I ask, meeting his eyes. My irritation might bubble over.

“Because you needme,” he says, his tone dripping with cockiness, a challenge written all over his face.

“I need you?” I scoff.

“Badly,” he says, checking his watch. “And I won’t help until you ask me.”

“You can leave.” I point toward the door.

“Perfect. You’ll have to beg for my help next time.”

“We can find someone else,” I say, casting a worried glance at Harper, who’s already calculating our next move.

“You’ll beg on your knees.” He leans back in his chair, licking his lips, his gaze intense.

I burst into sarcastic laughter. “Goodbye, Banks.”

He stands and adjusts his tie before he moves across the room. “I’ll have the last laugh, Calloway.”

“Asher,” Harper whispers urgently, before the door snaps shut. She glares at me, frustration radiating from her. “Billie, weneedhim.”

“No, we don’t.” My response is immediate. “There are tons of marketing agencies who can help us pivot. Anyone other than him.”

“Lustre offered Asher a contract,” she blurts out.

“What?” I barely choke out the word.

My heart drops, a cold dread pooling in my stomach.

Lustre is our number one competitor. They play dirty and undercut us every chance they get. Somehow, they’ve stolen our designs and produced them faster and cheaper. It’s why our share of the market dropped so significantly last quarter.

“They approached him and offered a contract. So, either he helps us grow and takes Bellamore to the next level, or he becomes our worst fucking nightmare.”

“He’s already mine,” I snap back.

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