Page 44 of Billionaire Romance

But the fact that my life is in an office building across town doesn't change the fact that what Bianca just said is true. If I show up to the party alone my mother won't be happy, or worse...

"Yeah, I don't know," I say. "Have you found someone?"

Bianca shifts uncomfortably. "Yeah," she says. "I've been seeing someone for a few months. I hadn't told anyone about it, but now seemed like as good a time as any to introduce him to the circus."

I stare at her. "You want to introduce Mom to your actual boyfriend on Valentine’s Day? She's going to be thrilled. But then you're going to have to marry him."

"Don't be silly," Bianca says. "She'll understand if it doesn't work out."

It's my turn to roll my eyes. “Have you met our mother?”

“James is nice,” she says, “and I really like him. It’s to that point where I need to introduce him, otherwise it looks like I’m intentionally hiding something. He wants to meet the family, even though I’ve warned him about everything, so I’m stuck. It has to happen.” She shrugs, “I’ve resigned myself.”

“Well,” I say, “if you’re bringing someone maybe that means that she’ll be okay if I don’t.”

Bianca laughs out loud. “That was funny.”

"It could happen," I say.

Bianca takes a sip of her wine. "It's not like you to be delusional, Eric. You show up alone, Mom is going to be heartbroken, and she's going to spiral. And then she's not only going to take you and me down with her anxiety, she's going to take the whole family down. And as much as I want you to not have to bring a date, I really don't want to see that again, do you?"

I sigh. "No."

"You could call Susan," she suggests.

"No thanks," I say, taking a swig of the scotch. "I'd rather piss off Mom than do that."

Bianca swirls her wine in her glass and levels her most forceful stare at me. "That's a little dramatic."

"I promise you it's not. Susan was only here for the money, and on top of that, Mom hates her."

She sighs. "Fine." A second later her eyes light up and she claps her hands together, waking Edison who is snoozing on her lap. "I have a much better idea," she says as John places the plate of pasta in front of her. "I'll find you a date!"

John and I lock eyes for a second as he places the plate with my steak on it in front of me. It's a second of shared male terror of allowing your sister to set you up with one of her friends. "No thanks, Bianca."

"Oh stop, it won't be like last time. I know someone who owes me a favor. Kind of. Or at least she believes she owes me a favor."

"You're going to blackmail some poor girl into going to this party with me?"

Bianca looks offended. "Blackmail? I don't think so. The poor girl would practically fall over her feet to pay me back what she thinks she owes me. It's a win-win. You get a date, and I won't have to spend any time convincing her that she doesn't actually owe me anything. Besides, she's cute. I think you'll like her."

"And this mystery girl that you've pulled out of your sleeve isn't going to be someone you hired?"

She rolls her eyes. "No."

"Last question," I say. "She's not going to be offended that she's going as arm candy? You're not going to paint a romantic picture in her head that I'm going to sweep her away for some kind of romantic date and live happily ever after?"

Bianca laughs. "As perfectly ironic as that would be, considering how much you hate this time of year, no. I'll make sure she knows it's just so that our family doesn't fall apart." She grins. "With as little detail as possible, of course."

There's something nagging at my brain, but I can't find a better way than what she's suggesting. I'm never going to find someone in time if I don't take her offer. Might as well suffer through it. The party is going to be hell either way. "All right. I want to meet her before the party though. Can you have her stop by the office later today?"

"Sure," she says, a conspiratorial grin on her face. "Who knows, maybe you'll actually want to sweep her off her feet."

"Not likely."

“You never know.” Bianca winks.

“I do know. It’s not going to happen.”

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