Page 14 of Damaged Billionaire Daddy
If something important could be classified as going to my best friend’s house and telling her all about the wild sex I’d had with a complete stranger the night be then yes, it was very important.
“I’m just with a friend,” I told her.
“Then, I’ll make it quick. Your grandfather and I are having a special friend come to dinner this evening, and we’d really like it if you were there to meet him.”
“Okay,” I said evenly, picturing some older gentleman that they’ve met through business. “I’ll make sure to be there.”
“Good. I think you’ll like him.”
Chapter six
Richie
“Trust me, I didn’t anticipate being here this long,” I said into the phone, looking around the small boutique with annoyance clear on my features. If there was anywhere that I didn’t want to be, it’s here, but Rylie hadn’t exactly given me much of a choice in that aspect. Then again, I never have much of a choice, in general, when it came to her.
“Is this to your liking, sir?” I looked up, as the owner came back towards me with a long, silky dress draped over her arms. The color looked off to me, but it was something I could picture my sister, Rylie, wearing with her pink hair draped off in the weirdest hairstyle that she managed to find in a vogue magazine or something.
“That’s fine,” I answered, pulling the phone away from my ear, so I didn’t have to listen to her talking nonstop about all the things she wanted me to get her while I was out of town. She did the same thing every time I left, yet somehow, I had yet to get used to it.
“And how many more dresses did you need?”
“As many as I can get.”
I put the phone back on my ear, just as the bells signal that someone had entered the shop. Shock overfilled me when I recognized the girl that I slept with just a day or so ago. Quickly, I pulled off to the side, so she wouldn’t see me, not needing another unnecessary complication.
“Rylie, are you finished talking?” I asked, my voice almost a snap which had nothing to do with her.
She stopped before continuing. “Well, now I am. What are you even down there for again?”
“I’m taking over a business from this old couple.” When I peeked around the corner, the girl was right in front of me with something in her hand, and she looked just as surprised to see me as I did her. “Rylie, I have to go.” I ended the call before she could say anything else.
“Don’t end the call on my account,” the girl said quickly, looking incredibly uncomfortable.
“Look,” I started, oh so familiar with these kinds of conversations. “I’m sure that you…”
“You’re not sure of anything, and I can guarantee you that what’s about to come out of your mouth is wrong. You should probably keep it to yourself.” She picked up a dress, not even looking at me which, for some reason, made me want to talk to her. “We fucked, and that’s it. I’d never planned on seeing you again, and clearly, you’re here for business and won’t be here long. Let’s pretend like this never happened.”
Even though she was saying exactly what I wanted to, the words made me feel a certain way and made me frown, although I didn’t voice my agitation towards her. “Right, no need to make this any more complicated than it has to be.”
She smiled, and I hated myself for wanting to see more of it. “Exactly, Mr. No Name.”
That’s what she’s been calling me?
The boutique owner came back, offering me another dress. “Just wrap up everything in her size. I’m leaving.”
I didn’t send the girl another look as I walked out, although I desperately wished I had.
* * *
I gave myself one more glance over and was pleased with the way I look. Charles had stressed that this was more of a casual thing, not business. But a business tycoon, like me, knew that at the end of the day every outing was business.
My version of dressing casual was a pair of jeans that I had to buy in a nearby store because I hadn’t thought to bring any with me and a button down white shirt with the collar tucked down. Usually, I went out of my way to slick back my hair but hardly find a reason to and left it vaguely wild although I’d run a comb through it a few times.
If anyone I knew saw me, they’d think I’d completely converted over to being country as long as they didn’t look at my car. Which couldn’t be farther from the case. I was just a man of good perception and dressed to my environment.
Throwing the door open, I stepped out and locked it before looking at the restaurant that Charles had invited me too. It was nothing special, a far cry from the five-star restaurants with Michelin rated chefs that I was used to, but I did have to admit that there was somethingcozyabout the environment.
When I walked inside, the hostess immediately smiled at me. “Table for one?”
