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I put my hair up in a tight ponytail at the top of my head and go to work on my makeup. I go soft-glam meets minimal. Just foundation, translucent powder, and peachy highlights on the cheeks. I go with a little rose gold on my eyelids and dark berry on my lips. I’m not spending a lot of time on this.

I get dressed in twenty minutes and walk down the stairs in my black patent-leather, pointy-toed Louboutin Mary Janes. I found these in the piled-up mail when I came in, and I’m in love with the T strap in the middle of my foot and the three by the ankle. It frames the foot in such a sexy way. It’s the best when companies try to buy my love with gifts.

As I head toward the door, Marli is coming out of Cam’s office.

My brother’s assistant looks me up and down, her gaze lingering on my legs. “I didn’t know you were here.”

She’s the cutest, from the bun in the shape of a bow at the top of her head and the bright pink sweatsuit she’s wearing.

“Hi, Marli. I wasn’t planning on being here tonight, but I missed my train and got trapped into going out.”

“You look beautiful.” She finally peels her gaze off my legs and looks at my face.

“Thanks, love. I’m headed out to meet Mateo.”

Her face scrunches up. “Douche boy? I thought that was dead?”

I sigh. “It is, but he and my mother ambushed me—you know what, it’s a long story. It’s just a dinner. Depending on how I feel tomorrow, I may take one of Cam’s cars and drive back to Baltimore.”

She nods. “Okay, but whatever you do, don’t take the Lambo.”

“Oh, God. Never. I hate those dumb things. The only person in this family that drives that is Chase when he’s in a mood.”

“Cam is going to sell it. It’s just collecting dust, but he doesn’t want to put any more mileage on it.”

“If I take anything, it will be one of the RRs.”

Marli smiles. “Great choice.”

My phone pings, but I don’t look at it. “Gotta go. Next time I’m in town, I’ll take you and Tessa to lunch at The Coven.”

“She’ll love that. She’s been dying to check it out. We want to try the Love Spell together.”

“You’ll love it. It’s yummy, and it hits the sexy spot.”

I wave and head out the door. Mateo’s fuck-boy car is right outside. I don’t roll my eyes. I just sigh. I don’t know much about cars. I only know the obscene amount of money he spent on it. At least Cam’s was a gift. Mateo gets out of the car and comes around to pull up the door for me.

“Thank you.”

“You look gorgeous, Luxxy,” he says, leaning in and kissing my cheek.

I take my seat, and he comes around. We’re cruising around Madison Ave. at thirty miles over the limit. He smells delicious as always, and I feel the familiar tug in my belly. I squelch it by remembering how he turned me into a hashtag. Thinking about it, I should’ve remembered #PoorLuxxy and told him to fuck off at the tea house.

I pull out my phone and check my messages. I have tons of texts. After the ambush, I didn’t feel like talking, especially because I had agreed to dinner with Mateo. If I talked to anyone, I would hear a thousand lectures, and I just wanted to put this behind me properly.

God, what the hell am I even doing?

“Thank you so much for coming with me. I am grateful that you are giving me another chance.”

I raise a hand and open my mouth to tell him not to confuse the situation, but he holds up a finger when the word Maeven appears on the dash.

“I’m sorry. I have to take this.”

I nod, and he takes a call from Maeven, but he doesn’t put her on the speaker like he normally would. The woman needs a raise for the bullshit she deals with. Thankfully, I was momentarily saved from the conversation. I concentrate on my texts. My agent and lawyers will hammer out the contract with Big Apple. I don’t have to be here for that.

There’s a message from Oliver, and my finger goes straight to it.

Oliver