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“I can help with your social media accounts,” Cedric offers before frowning and turning to me. “Am I allowed to do that? Is that part of my work?”

Another sigh leaves my lips. “Yes, it is.”

He smiles happily. “Leave it up to me, Sterling, I am good at this stuff.”

“There are four tickets,” Mateo says. “Are we allowed to bring friends?”

“Or family or a date,” I offer.

Mateo’s eyes light up. “That’s a cool thing, Sterlone! There will be other artists and potential buyers there. You can get your name out there.”

“That’s the plan,” I verify.

Mateo seems to be fully on board by now. I know that he is a business major, and I am sure he researched me beforehand and is well aware of how the business works. He might not be experienced yet, but he has the drive to pull it off.

The two men discuss who they want to take along for the event, while I text Lynn to prepare the papers. On my phone, Ican see the notification of a missed call and a message. It’s not Oliver this time, but one of my other brothers.

They really are persistent.

four

*NOEL*

“And why do you want me to come along?” I ask. “I am completely out of place there!” Not that it isn’t great that Ster got this deal, but I don’t belong to this crowd at all.

“For moral support,” Sterling says.

“You can flirt with someone there,” Mateo offers.

“What, you want me to grab a rich, sugar daddy?”

“No,” Mateo curls his nose. “That would be too dangerous, but you could still flirt.”

“You could try your luck with Aden in person or his assistant. Both are handsome.”

“Maybe his assistant,” Mateo says. “But do you think Aden Randall is gay?”

“I don’t know. He doesn’t give off specific vibes either way. He could be.”

“Earth to Sterling and Mateo, I am not coming.” They both look at me. Mateo, through huge, puppy eyes, which he can pull off despite his impressive height, and Sterling just gives me a big bro look that’s hard to ignore. “I don’t have anything to dress in.”

“Oh, I have you covered,” Mateo smiles. “I got a suit for you.”

The vein at my neck starts to throb in annoyance. Bad enough I have to work my ass off in the night club, but to join an evening activity in my free time?

“It’s going to be something far from what we usually do,” Ster says, suddenly all serious. “This could be good, couldn’t it? All three of us have been stagnating for years. I am not a fan of such an event either, but we haven’t done anything together in ages, and this is a chance to mingle with people we usually don’t meet. Just something new, you know?”

“Fine,” I grumble. “The suit?”

Mateo shows me a garment bag with a suit neatly stored inside it. “Here you go. Try it on, so we can have it altered in case it doesn’t fit.”

“Why would you get it altered? Don’t tell me you bought it!”

“I did,” Mateo says.

“Don’t argue with him,” Ster mutters. “He bought me a new suit as well.”

“Obviously. You have to look like a star,” Mateo argues.