Page 59 of Return Billionaire to Sender

“Are you even watching?” she asks.

“They’re so friendly with each other. Is it anything like your neighborhood?”

She stiffens. “What do you mean?”

“That was part of your inspiration for moving out of the boonies—to find more women your age. Fun things to do. It’s like a goddamn sorority at 341.”

“Those women do seem to love it there,” she says. “It seems like a wonderful place. A really nice place…”

“Go ahead and finish the sentence,” I say. “A nice place that the big, bad wolf is going to knock down. Or Scrooge, rather. Can we have a big, bad wolf named Scrooge?” Just then my driver buzzes. “Ah, hold that thought,” I say. “We’re at the Ling Tower.”

She frowns. “Wait, what? You’re leaving already?”

I look at my phone. “Seventeen minutes down.” I slide out. “I’m expecting this meeting to run no more than fifty minutes. I’ll ping you and the driver when I’m out.”

She looks affronted as I shut the door. Frankly, I’m glad for the interruption. Something about the proximity of her tends to put me off my game. The scent of her. The sound of her sighs. Her nimble movements.

I stroll into the cool lobby where my accounting team awaits. They’re recapping strategy, but I’m thinking about Elle.

What could she want beyond sixty thousand dollars? Presumably Corman paid her something to torture me with this footage. She took his money; why not mine? Is it possible she’s holding out for more? It doesn’t feel like her to hold out for more, but if it’s not money she wants, what is it? Is it love? Is it possible she’s involved with Corman? No way. She’d be loyal like that, but she’s not Corman’s type—not at all. Is it possible that she’s involved with one of Corman’s lawyers?

The idea bothers me intensely. I tell myself it couldn’t be true, but there really is something that doesn’t add up about her.

I hate the idea that she could be involved with somebody, but I can’t get it out of my head.

My thoughts race back to her Instagram feed. I would’ve noticed if there were signs of a relationship. And then there’s the fact of our strange chemistry—chemistry as strong as ours would feel like cheating to somebody like Elle; she simply wouldn’t allow it. I don’t know much about Elle in terms of her life, but I know a loyal person when I meet one.

We do another twenty minutes of video between my next two meetings. She’s not happy about the interruptions. I enjoy knowing that, when I’m up there in the meetings that she’s waiting for me down in the limo. I find myself looking forward to rejoining her, of once again resuming our strange dance. I enjoy her when she’s charged up, as if something essential emerges from her, as if she drops her guard.

We’re finally heading home.

“Twelve minutes left,” I announce.

She’s frowning—stewing, really, and it stirs something in me. Honestly, I cannot get enough of this woman.

“Ready?” I ask.

She folds her arms in a huff.

“What is it, little country mouse?”

“First of all, I’m not a country mouse; I am your coach. And second of all, from now on we’ll have dedicated sessions. You will not bend me around your schedule like a Gumby doll. You’ll bend your schedule around me.”

I almost don’t hear her words or make sense of them because she’s doing her chin-up thing and it kills me. I want her so bad I can’t think. Maybe it was a bad idea to bring her in the limo.

“Are you even listening?” she says. “No more chopped-up lesson time.”

I say, “I don’t recall any stipulation that the lessons have to be held over one continuous hour.”

“Well, they do have to be,” she says. “The interruptions ruin the whole flow of everything.”

“I can’t do that,” I say in my most finalistic, nothing-to-be-done voice. “Some days the lesson will have to be like this.”

“Surely you can find one uninterrupted hour,” she says.

“Not on days like today, I can’t,” I say. “And there will be more.” And also, it’s just too enjoyable to annoy her.

“We need an uninterrupted hour.” Her face is bright with emotion, just this side of pink. I imagine brushing my fingertips over her cheek; would her skin feel warm to the touch?

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