Page 109 of Forget Me

I tugged my shrunken tee down to cover my stomach. “I am dressed. I’m all set for a night with my favorite clubs.”

Miguelito flicked a glance at the television. “Leipzig-Chelsea? You hate them both.”

Fuck, I’d been too busy wallowing to pay attention to who was playing. “Maybe they can both lose?”

“Fuck that bullshit.” My cousin sliced a hand through the air. “You’re going with us to the gala. You’re going to shoot your shot with Mimi.”

“What?” Chills raced down my spine. “No, I’m not. She doesn’t want me.”

“Of course she wants you.” Ben ran a placating hand down my biceps. “She’s just forgotten.”

I bared my teeth and stepped away from his touch. “Because I’m forgettable.”

Ben’s mouth dropped open into a horrifiedO.This time, Miguelito gripped my shoulder, gritting his words out through his teeth. “You. Are not. Forgettable. Everyone who meets you loves you. Your mother? She had her issues, unrelated to you. And Mimi was a fool to let you go. She’s probably regretting that decision right now.”

I snorted. “Of course she is. She’s shown up to that gala alone, and Larissa’s—dammit, Larissa’s shitting all over her, isn’t she?”

“One way to find out. Come with us. Win her back.”

I turned to Ben. I mean, I loved my cousin, but his dating record was shit.

“Give her another chance,” Ben said. “If she fucks it up again, I don’t care if she is my sister. She’s going into cold storage.”

“I could never come between you and Mimi. You have to take her side. But I’m keeping Lito.” I slung an arm around my cousin’s shoulders.

He pulled away, brushing invisible wrinkles out of his tux. “Come on. I’ll help you pick out a tux upstairs.”

“The Versace brocade, babe,” Ben said. “You can never quite pull it off, but it’ll look amazing on him.”

Miguelito’s lips curled down, but then he shrugged. “It’s a little too flashy for me. But perfect for my primo.”

As I turned to follow my cousin upstairs, Ben snagged my wrist. Raising his eyebrows, he said in a voice too quiet for his fiancé to hear, “I’ll take your guest home. I wouldn’t recommend bringing him here again. Cooper won’t be as friendly about it as Coco is, and he might take back those nice things he said about you.”

I reached over the back of the sofa, uncovered Roger, and handed him to Ben. “Thanks, man. I owe you one.”

“Nah. Make my sister smile again, and all is forgiven.” He slapped my shoulder and tapped away, Roger almost invisible against his black tuxedo jacket.

“Coming?” Miguelito called from the landing.

I raced upstairs to join him. Even if I didn’t win her back, I’d save Mimi from Larissa’s ice-cold jealousy and help keep her in the running for the job she so desperately wanted.

Fifteen minutes later, I followed my cousin downstairs. I was dressed and styled, and he’d spritzed me with some amazing-smelling cologne he said he’d never liked. It reminded me of night-blooming flowers and the warm ocean breezes back home.

Ben got up from the kitchen stool where he’d been waiting. He pretended to shield his eyes. “O-M-G, I can’t even with all this hotness. Mateo, if Mimi doesn’t take you back, it’ll be no problem to find someone to help you forget her. Hell, I’d help.”

Miguelito growled deep in his throat.

“Kidding! Totally kidding. But walking in with the both of you, I’ll feel like Scarlett O’Hara at the picnic at Twelve Oaks.” Ben grasped his fiancé’s hand and led him toward the door to the garage. “Let’s go, handsome. We’re late.”

Miguelito brushed something from Ben’s shoulder. “Is that cat hair?”

“Couldn’t be, babe. Where would I find cat hair in our immaculate home?” He winked at me over his shoulder. “Come on, Mateo. We’ve done the fairy godmother magic. Now all that’s left is to win back your princess.”

Silently, I followed them out to the garage. What if Mimi didn’t want to be won back?

I squared my shoulders. I’d never know if I didn’t try.

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