Page 25 of Building Romance
“Not happening. He’s a billionaire-heir playboy asshole. No way. I don’t care…” I trail off as Roxy turns the phone around and I’m greeted by a photo of Fletcher McDowell in only his underwear. It’s clearly a paparazzi photo. He’s on a rooftop deck with earbuds in and a phone in his hand. But it’s not his surroundings that draw my attention. Nope. That would be his perfect male physique and the enormous bulge in his gray boxer briefs.
“You were saying?” Jocelyn teases.
Carly leans forward and gulps. “I think you should take one for the team,” she whispers in a breathy voice.
Roxy gives her a little shove.
“What? I mean…I know I haven’t had any in a while but look at that man,” she says as she glances over her shoulder at Roxy who just nods.
“Let me see,” Margie insists as she holds out her hand. Jessa and Cornelia lean forward and the three of them all look at the photo as their eyes widen.
“Wow,” Margie says after a beat.
“Wow? More like hubba hubba,” Cornelia says. We all giggle at her words.
Jessa looks over at me. “What is your plan?”
I sigh and consider all the things I’ve thought about so far. “I think I need to call a truce, and then once I have his trust, I’ll start asking about the new place, little by little until I get a better picture of what it will be. Then, I need to come up with my own marketing campaign and adjust bakery items and such.”
“OK, how will you gain his trust? He’s a playboy, but he’s not stupid,” Roxy says.
I nod. “I know. I?—”
“Mom!” Ava yells out her window.
Carly pokes her head out of Margie and Cornelia’s window. “Ava, so help me. Get your head back in your room right now.”
“But, Mom, I need you to text Unca Bray and tell him I can have a second cookie,” she whines.
“Ava, go brush your teeth. It’s bedtime,” Carly screams.
“But, Mom,” she whines.
“Sorry, Carly. I got this,” Bray’s voice calls out.
“Do you? Because it does not sound like it,” she says as she leans out the window and stares in the direction of her apartment.
“Yep, all is good. Someone is a little sour about no second cookie tonight,” he replies.
“Yeah. Tell me about it. I’ll be up in an hour,” she says.
“Take your time,” he replies.
Carly pops her head back into the apartment. And suddenly, I have an idea.
“I need to win over his family,” I state.
“Huh?” Carly says in confusion as she sits back down.
“Think about it. We all trust each other because we’re like family, right?” I start.
Everyone nods. “So, if I can win over his family, he’s more likely to trust me.”
Piper finally pipes up. “Project Infiltrate the McDowell Family starts now. We need a plan for you. These are billionaires. They aren’t just going to trust any old person.”
Everyone stares at Piper, mostly because she’s got a point.
“What? I watch a lot of reality television shows with rich people,” she says with a shrug.
