Page 95 of City of Sin (Men of Manhattan 1)

"I told you, I was just checking the score."

Matt whistled. "Whipped."

I grabbed my coat and stood up. "Whatever. Fuck you guys. I'm gonna go get laid."

James laughed. "Yeah, I'm gonna get going too. The joys of not being single."

Rob groaned. "Lame. I'll be your wingman, Matt. Come on."

"Sounds good to me," Matt said. "Have fun with your girlfriends."

I didn't bother protesting. It didn't matter what they said. I knew it wasn't true. The wind hit me hard on the way out the bar. I was slightly buzzed and overheated inside, but there had to be a wind chill of below zero out here. "Shit it's cold," I said and buttoned up my jacket.

"Let me give you a ride," James said. His car was already waiting for him outside and the driver had just opened his door.

"No, it's fine. I'm just going to take a taxi."

"Her office is on my way. Come on."

"I thought you were going home?" I asked.

"I need to make a stop first."

I shrugged. There weren't any taxis driving by at the moment and it was too cold to stand on the curb waiting. "Yeah, that'll be great." I walked around the side of the car and got in. I used to have a driver. I used to have a lot of things. "So, where are you going?"

"I'm going to go see my parents."

"Are they still refusing to meet Penny?"

James sighed. "I don't even know why she wants to meet them. But I want to give her what she wants. And the fact that I can't is driving me crazy."

"They'll come around."

"Like your parents?"

"My dad will get over it," I said.

"How is the new venture going?"

"Okay. Slower than I wanted."

"I know you always say no, but if you just need some seed money..."

"Thanks, but no thanks." I didn't want his handouts. He had more money than he knew what to do with. And I was going to get there too. Without anyone's help. "I'm more just waiting for the right account. It needs to be something big if I'm going to quit my job." But it wasn't just the account. I was used to living a certain way. And the money I had from my parents was running out. Just thinking about it made me feel like I was drowning. I didn't want to have to crawl back to my parents. Time was running out and all I was doing recently was hanging out with Bee. What is wrong with me?

"Remember that time you convinced that kid at camp that chocolate was poisonous and he threw it all out?"

I laughed. "Yeah. We got to have s'mores every night for the rest of camp."

"You can convince anyone to do anything. You've got this."

"Yeah." But my mind wasn't on my business. It was on Bee. I was starting to think I wanted her more than I wanted to start my own company.

James pulled an envelope out of his coat pocket. "Here."

"I don't want your money."

"It's not a check."

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