Page 35 of Hello Billionaire

At the front door, the bouncer didn’t even bother checking my ID. That feltgreat. I couldn’t believe there was a time in my twenties I was annoyed by suspicious servers or liquor store clerks.

Inside the bar, music echoed off the walls and pounded in my ears, drowning out some of my doubtful thoughts as I looked around for Mia. There was a massive wooden dance floor where couples twirled and spun to country music. Around the edges of the room, people mingled and drank, and then farther back, there was an area with pool tables and booths.

That’s where I found Mia, sipping a screwdriver, her drink of choice for whatever reason. Orange juice just gave me heartburn ever since I had kids. But across from her, I spotted a sweating glass with what looked like my favorite—a margarita on the rocks. Salt on the rim.

“Hey, girl!” I said, relieved to see someone familiar.

She got up from the booth, giving me a hug. “Hot, hot, hot, Farrah!”

“You look amazing too!” I gushed, loving the way she filled out her jeans tucked into pointed-toe cowboy boots with worn light brown leather. She had on an off-the-shoulder black top that contrasted her light skin and blond hair perfectly. “How have you kept the men away?”

“Just told them I was waiting on a sexy mama.” She winked at me, then sat, angling her mouth over her straw for a sip. “Gosh, it’s so good to be out with you again.”

I nodded like I agreed. Mostly, I felt awkward, even though I loved hanging out with Mia. “Everyone here looks younger than me,” I muttered.

“You’re thirty-four, not fifty,” she said. “Besides, if you’re old, I’m old. And I’m not old.”

I shook my head at her. “Having kids makes you old. I feel like these bags under my eyes have been here for years.”

“You know you could try Botox,” she said. “I have a great girl who could fit you in.”

Shaking my head, I replied, “Something about putting poison under my skin doesn’t feel right. Besides, I have you to help me feel young.”

She grinned as she tucked straight blond hair behind her ear. “So how are you liking working with Gage? I feel like we’ve been so busy we’ve hardly talked.”

I bit my lip, worried whatever I said would give away just how much I liked working with him. “He’s... intense.”

Mia nodded.

“But fair.”

She nodded again.

“I know I’ve heard you tell me about him, but I just didn’t realize how much it all was until I met him myself.”

“He’s like that. But he really is the best boss I’ve ever had. He’s even let me take on more and more—it’s like I’m not just an assistant; I’m learning to grow in the company when the time comes.”

“That’s amazing. I always knew you’d be running the world someday.” Looking down at my drink and trying to act casual, I said, “Has there ever been anything... more between you two?”

Mia laughed like I’d told her the best joke of the century. “Good one.”

My eyebrows drew together. She had to know this man was sex on a stick. “Why is that so funny?”

She adjusted her bra strap before replying. “Okay, I’ll admit, I had a little work crush on him at first, but Gage is very professional. He didn’t even let me call him by his first name until I’d been working there for a year. And you know how I’m putting in fifty, sixty-hour weeks? He’salwaysworking after I leave, working when I arrive. Business is his life, and even though his discipline is admirable, a guy being chained to his desk is not sexy. I’d never want to be that woman he showers with gifts and never sees.”

A painful, embarrassing twinge hit my heart. Mia was on point with all her logic. And shouldn’t I know better? I’d just divorced a cheater who couldn’t be dragged away from his work. Why was I fantasizing about someone who would never have time for me, much less my children? And why was I getting so far ahead of myself as to include my children in my romantic daydreams?

“Plus,” Mia said, “the whole boss, secretary thing? So cliché. That’s for losers like Caleb, not me and Gage.”

I laughed, trying to get this heavy feeling out of my chest. I hated focusing on the hard things—I just wanted to smile and appreciate the good parts about life. “Speaking of cliché, I’m a single mom of three who hasn’t had a night out in forever. Thank you for inviting me.”

“Of course.” She grinned. “I thought it would be good for you to dance, maybe get your flirt on with someone who sees you for what you are.”

“And what is that?” I asked. Because looking around this club, I hardly expected any man to notice me at all. Most of the women were at least ten years younger than me and way cuter.

“Trust me. Men love a mature woman with curves. We know what we want out of life, we’re experienced in bed, and we have plenty to keep their hands full.” She winked to my blush. “We’re the total package. And besides, do you really want Caleb to be the last man who made you come?”

Damn it, she was right. I needed to get out there, to erase Caleb from my body if nothing else. I downed the rest of my margarita, the sour, sweet liquid tingling on my tongue, and then followed Mia out of the booth, toward the dance floor.

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