Page 19 of Certified Heartthrob

I was flustered for a moment, stammering before I finally replied, “Great. I mean, obviously someone so stubborn and determined...it takes time to convince a guy like that of anything. But I’m on it, and it’s all under control.”

“Joshua said you hand-picked some matches for him. Heard any updates on that?” He pressed on relentlessly, not missing a beat.

“It takes time, like I said. The first date went better, but didn’t quite persuade him fully. And the second…” My heart pounded. There was no second date, just an accidental tumble into bed with me. “The second was even better. A huge improvement, from what he’s told me. And he’s even asked to see her again. So...now we wait. But I have every confidence that his next date could end up being the end of our troubles with him.”

I was starting to feel dizzy from making up so much on the fly. It wasn’t entirely lying. There was a thread of truth hidden in there somewhere...one that I had no interest in divulging to my brother.

“Oh, good. You’re both here.” Joe’s voice echoed suddenly from the doorway.

“Knock, please, Joe,” I grunted with a heavy sigh.

“Sorry, ma’am. I just thought you’d want to know right away. Our internet troll is at it again. Another bad review went up last night.”

Lucas turned back towards me with a scowl.

“Last night!?” I echoed, my voice tight and shrill. “Impossible! Was it from an older date maybe?”

Joe shook his head. “No. This poor girl clearly posted it just after she got home from her crappy date with the guy.”

Lucas cleared his throat and straightened his jacket. “Looks like your tactic isn’t working as well as you thought. It also sounds like this guy is insane...which means you should probably stop being in such close, personal contact with him.”

Close, personal contact.If only Lucas knew just how close and personal that contact had been...

“I want to see it,” I snapped. “The review. Show it to me.”

Joe showed himself in and squeezed between my desk and my computer. As he navigated to the review in question, my heart pounded with rage. We had just slept together the night before last—he was in my apartment yesterday morning. How could he leave my place and immediately skate off onto another date to sabotage!? Not only was it bad behavior on account of his rebound time, but to go from sleeping with me to taking another stab at my family...It made me sick to my stomach. Then to text me right after and have the balls to ask me to dinner! Was he messing with me on purpose? Just trying to see how low he could stoop and dragging me right down with him?

“Same spiel,” Joe said, stepping aside so I could see it on the screen for myself. “Girl shows up expecting a nice evening with the guy. She gets an anti-love lecture instead. And somehow, this is all our fault.”

I thought I might cry when I read what she had to say. This was Mark Silver’s work alright. He had struck again. Only this time he did so right after sleeping with me, which only made the sting worse.

“Thank you, Joe,” I murmured, wondering if they could both see the humiliation written all over my face.

Joe wandered off, unphased, leaving me to face Lucas, who was looking less than pleased to say the least. “I think I should take over this,” he suggested firmly.

“No!” I argued. “No, I have it under control.”

“You obviously don’t!” he scoffed. “Look. Valiant effort on your part. You tried the nice approach. You tried holding his hand through this to find a solution. But a solution is obviously not what this guy wants, Camille. You did more than you should have, and now it’s time to try a firmer approach.”

“Like what?”

“It’s time to bring our lawyers in,” he replied. “I’m sure there are a number of charges we could threaten him with. Whatever it takes to get him to lay off. There is a myriad of other dating apps this sicko could go pester instead.”

Sicko.The word rolled around in the pit of my stomach, turning sour. Before seeing the review, I would have vehemently defended him against such an insult. But now I was starting to fear that it was more accurate than I wanted to believe. And what was wrong with me for not seeing it sooner? How could I go out with the guy and then actually sleep with him, knowing everything I did about his little...hobby?

Lucas stood up to leave and I was too speechless to stop him or argue any further. I’d done what I could. If Lucas wanted to call in the lawyers, he had every right. There was no use in trying to stop him. That was the next logical step, and maybe it’s what I should have done to begin with.

But now my feelings and pride were involved. Maybe the lawyers could solve things with his vendetta against my company, but I still had a personal score to settle with him. He’d roped me into thinking he was a good guy who was bitter about love, and I was stupid enough to think I could fix him somehow. My head spun from the absurdity of it all. I was angry with myself more than anything, but it was all his fault. I couldn’t let this go without telling him off.

Jada walked in just as I was gathering up my purse. I lost it the moment she walked in the door.

“What!? Is there a sign on my door today that says Camille has nothing better to do than sit around and chat with her siblings and IT and everyone else!?”

Jada stopped with wide eyes. “Uh...sorry to bother you. But...these came for you.”

She pulled her arm around to reveal a big, heaping vase of flowers. A colorful arrangement of roses spruced up with lilies, mums, and pincushions. I could smell it from the other side of the room and instantly resented the perfume.

I lunged forward, snatching it from her arms before she could read the note...assuming she hadn’t before bringing them in to me.

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