Page 37 of Last Chance Seduction
“I don’t think that’s any of your business.”Jamie lifted her nose.
Brooklyn snorted.“Seriously though, how did it go?”Her phone chimed for a text, and she held up one finger.“Hold on.It’s Duke.”
“Oh yes, let’s stop our work conversation to talk about your boyfriend,” Dash drawled.
“We have four minutes until the meeting starts, and I promised I would text back right away.”
“That doesn’t sound controlling or anything,” Reece bit out as he headed over to the coffee machine.He pressed a few buttons, and a latte started up.I raised a brow as the man added caramel to it but sighed as I realized he was making a second cup.This one just black coffee.
Without another word, he handed the caramel latte to Brooklyn, who just beamed at him.
“Thank you.Though this does not count as the coffee you owe me.”
“You didn’t say I had to pay for it.”Reece shrugged and met my gaze.
“I lost a bet on a football game, and here we are.”
“Okay then.Seriously though, I want to know about the controlling part,” I put in, worried.
Brooklyn just smiled widely.“It’s not what you think.Promise.He just got his new promotion, and I said I would text back as soon as he told me because I wanted to celebrate with him.But I have to sadly go to work and be an adult.But Duke got his promotion.”
Jamie cheered for her as the rest of us made rumblings of happiness.
I didn’t know Duke, but Brooklyn seemed happy with him.And from the way that Nash already had his phone out, I had a feeling that one of the many group chats would be doing their own Montgomery search on the man.
You didn’t get to date into the Montgomery family without a full background check.
We had principles.
“So how did it go?”
“Yes, how did the fake girlfriend thing go?”Reece asked, the smile in his eyes making me want to punch him.
“Everybody bought it.And Mercy did great.It turns out that Mr.Arnault’s wife likes Mercy’s work, and so it came full circle.”
“Did we get it then?”Jamie asked, clapping her now empty hands together.
“I don’t know.I think we pretty much have it settled, but not fully.I was too late last night after we got home going through all of my notes, and I emailed you guys everything that I know so far.There are a few other projects that we could be good for, as well as some I don’t think work for us, but I want you guys to go over it too because I’m not actually the boss.”
“You say that and yet I don’t believe you believe it,” Dash said with a flutter of his eyelashes.
“Honestly, I’m with him on this,” Reece added as he gestured towards Dash.“Which doesn’t happen often.”
“You are boss-like,” Brooklyn agreed.
“But I want to know if he’s bossy when it comes to Mercy,” Jamie added, and I rolled my eyes at her as the others whistled.
“Mercy’s my friend, my neighbor, and if the Arnaults ask, my girlfriend.”
“What are you going to do when they realize you’re not together?”Reece asked, worry in his tone.
My mouth went dry.Were we together?I didn’t fucking know.Because what we’d done in that hotel room wasn’t something two people who didn’t want each other would do.I wasn’t about to explain that in this office, however—even if Jamie gave me a knowing look.“It won’t be a problem.By then, maybe one of you guys will be married and will take the pressure off me.”I tried to sound as if I knew what the hell I was doing, but everyone in that room knew the whole gamble had been idiocy at its best.
An awkward silence settled over the group, and I had no idea what the hell to say.
“We’ll go over everything that you learned at the event,” Brooklyn said.“And we’ll table everything for Q1 and Q2 when we’re ready.”
“Yes, because in addition to this, I guess we do have to celebrate the holidays,” I said dryly.
