Page 24 of Along Came Amor
She gestured at her laptop. “Do what I’m doing. Write about what’s important to you.”
“Then I’ll just be writing about you and Mami.”
“You really need to get out more.”
“I get out. Hell, I went to four galas last month. If I never see a tux again, it’ll be too soon.”
Another exasperated eye-roll. “Yeah, but when was the last time you went on a date that wasn’t arranged by your publicist?”
Tonight, he thought, but Roman slapped his hand to his chest. “Ouch, Mickey. Ouch. Also you’re not supposed to know that.”
She preened. “I know everything.”
“You’re scaring me.”
“I’m just saying, you should have a girlfriend. Or boyfriend. Whatever.”
“Girlfriend,” he clarified. “And no. I don’t have time for one of those right now.”
“Why not?”
“I’m busy.”
“Busy.” She made air quotes with her fingers as she repeated the word, like it was an excuse.
“Iambusy.”
“I know, you workallthetime.”
The pang of guilt was another direct shot.
“You’re really interested in boyfriends and girlfriends,” he deflected. “Got anything you want to tell me?”
She let out a plaintive groan. “I wish. I kind of have a crush on someone, but I don’t think it’s real.”
“No?”
“Well, we’ve only met one time. I should probably see someone more than once before I know if I like them, right?”
Roman thought of Ava. Sometimes one time was all it took.
“Probably a good idea,” he said, then got to his feet. “How about you worry more about getting into college and less about my love life?”
“Your nonexistent love life,” Mikayla muttered under her breath. “Going to bed?”
“Early morning tomorrow. Don’t stay up too late.”
“I’m a teenager. That’s what I do.”
He dropped a kiss to the top of her head, then went to retrieve his bags and bring them to his bedroom.
Mikayla would pry again—as she’d said, she was a teenager and that was what she did—but he was absolutelynottelling hislittle sister he’d spent the evening with a woman he’d just met in a bar. Even if he owned said bar.
But he had told Mikayla the truth about one thing: hewastoo busy for a relationship. Relationships required time, energy, and effort, and right now, all of those resources went toward expanding his business.
Besides, he liked working. Not everyone could say that, but he liked feeling useful, he liked helping people, and most of all, he liked having money.
Huh. He should write that down for the book he was supposed to be writing, which was yet another reason why he was too busy for love.
