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“I’m Sophie.” She stuck her hand out. Therewere stacks of gold bangles around her wrists.
I shook her hand and introduced myself.“Charlotte. I’m Matt’s girlfriend.”
“Lucky you,” she said with a laugh. “You’renew in the city? Did you move in with him?”
“Not yet.”Yet?Was I actuallyconsidering it?
“Neil—that’s my other husband—says Matt’sapartment is incredible. I’ve never been there.” She rolled hereyes and made air quotes, saying, “‘boys’ night.’ At least, beforethe accident.”
“I’m sorry, how do you know Matt?” I had agood idea what she meant by ‘boys’ night,’ and I didn’t necessarilywant to think about her husbands jacking off in my living room.
Matt’sliving room.
I’d only been here a few days, and I was waytoo comfortable.
“He’s a big donor to my husband’sfoundation.” She didn’t explain what the foundation was butbarreled ahead to the important part. “We all hit it off. Likeminds, and all that.”
“Right. Like minds.” I nodded inunderstanding. Sophie’s lifestyle wasn’t traditional, and Matt wasopen-minded enough that he could overlook stuff like that.
Plus, she didn’t seem snobby. That wasprobably a trait that was difficult to come by with Matt’sbackground.
And it might help me out now.
“I don’t want to interrupt your day, and ifyou’re in a big hurry, I totally get it,” I began to blather, “but…Do you think you could help me? Matt sent me here to buy stuff,but…”
She nodded as if listening to a story she’dheard a thousand times. “I knew I picked up the normal-personvibe.”
I tilted my head.
“I’m a normal person,” she explained. “Or, Iwas. I’ve been rich for like a decade, now. But I didn’t start outthat way. Let me guess, he sent you out here with a credit card,thinking you’d stroll in and buy whatever you wanted?”
I almost fainted with relief. “Yes. And Ihave no idea what I’m supposed to do. We’re going to his mom’shouse in Connecticut this weekend—”
“Old money?” she interrupted me.
I nodded frantically.
“Right. Well, I was coming here to meet myshopper. I think this is a clear sign that the universe put you inmy path for a reason.” Then, as if we were old friends, she linkedarms with me. “What’s the budget?”
I let her steer us toward an elevator.Having someone else’s help should have made this all lessoverwhelming, but she was so determined that I got twice asnervous. “I have to spend at least fifty thousand. It’s part of agame.”
She snorted. “Okay, at least fifty thousand?Then you’re going to spend a hundred thousand.”
My stomach roiled. “I don’t think I can dothat.”
We stepped into the elevator, and she puther hands on both my shoulders, looking me directly in the eyes.“Trust me. He will be thrilled. There is very little that powerful,rich men like more than seeing women spend their money.”
And when she put it like that, it wasdifficult to argue.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
(Matthew)
When I got home, the apartment was dark. Atfirst, I worried that Charlotte wasn’t able to find the lightswitches. Then, my phone pinged.
Meet me upstairs.
I threw my bag, keys, and jacket on thefloor and headed to the elevator as fast as my bum leg allowed.