Page 23 of Damaged Billionaire Daddy
“Wow,” Clara laid down. “Seems like he’s been through a lot.”
“That Kayla girl is hot. I’m sure she would’ve turned my world upside down, too,” Mila commented.
“Hardly the point,” I reminded her.
“Just saying.”
“Well, what are you going to do?” Clara asked.
The question shouldn’t be so hard to answer, but the harder I thought about it, the more that my brain came back blank. “What he’s gone through shouldn’t change anything.” I was confused about who I was trying to convince with my words, myself or my friends.
“But it does,” Clara added.
“Maybe.” I groaned. “I still don’t want to date the guy.”
“Then be enemies who fuck,” Mila offered. “You don’t have to like him, and he doesn’t have to like you for the two of you to get it on. You’re not trying to fall in love, and neither is he. Argue by day and get railed by night, and when the two of you are over it then that’ll be the end of it. No strings attached.”
Her words intrigued me, but I was still not one hundred percent convinced. “You’ve been reading a lot of those erotica books again, haven’t you?”
She grinned. “All of them.”
“I don’t know if that would make things better or worse.”
“Who cares as long as you feel good about yourself? Maybe this is what you need to get your power back. He may not be the guy you would have chosen, given the circumstances, but obviously your inner woman can’t let him go. Fuck him until he’s out of your system, save your grandparents’ company and then move on happily with your life.”
I looked up at her. “You really think I can do that?”
“Honey, I know you can.”
A quick nodded. “Then, that’s what I’m going to do.”
* * *
The cabinets were loud as they closed. “I’m sorry, but I don’t see them here,” I apologized to Granddad. He was in someimportant meeting apparently and left something here, at the house, but I didn’t see it. “Is there anywhere else that I can look for it, maybe?”
“No.” He let out a sigh. “I’m sure it’ll come up eventually. Thanks Kandy-Kane.”
“No problem.”
“Have you heard from your mother recently?”
Not after I refused to give her money for cigarettes and she went off the deep end.“No, I haven’t.”
“That’s probably for the best.” It was sad that he felt that way about his former daughter-in-law, but I couldn’t blame him. She’d been nothing but trouble since my dad died. “Can you do me a favor and get started on dinner?”
“Sure. Anything you’re craving specifically?”
“Whatever you feel like making. Nia will be there soon, so I’m sure she’ll help.”
“Sounds good.”
“Alright, love you sweet girl, and I’ll see you in a bit.”
I hung up the phone and opened the fridge, looking through it casually to find what I could make for dinner. Their fridge was always stocked to the top with more food than I’d ever seen the two of them eat, as if they were always preparing themselves for company. I was pretty sure that’s just a grandparent thing though.
A few things called out to me, so I set them out to thaw just as the doorbell rings. I was not expecting anyone, so my guess was that Grandma forgot her keys again and got locked out, something she’d done several times before.
When I opened it, it was Richie’s face I saw, not my grandmother’s.
