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DYLAN
Aweek after my flu from hell and Rhyland’s news that he was becoming a billionaire tycoon whose barely incorporated company was on the verge of going public, my brother and my BFF came to New York.
They were here only for a few hours for Row to sign some contracts, but Cal brought over her nanny, whom we trusted to babysit both Gravity and Serafina while we went out.
Cal insisted we go to a club, even though I was pooped from working shifts at the Alchemist, putting together my college applications, and monitoring Tucker’s meetings with my daughter. Rhyland had still been babysitting Grav. He claimed we needed a four-week buffer of him continuing to pay me and babysit for me in case Bruce needed more proof we were together, but I knew he just wanted to keep paying me so I’d have a good amount of money saved up for school.
I was getting there, though. $60K meant my tuition was paid for one year. Too bad I needed seven of those.
“Aren’t you happy I talked you into going out?” Cal cooed in front of the mirror in the hotel they were staying at. She’d let me borrow a Valentino sequin minidress in a shade of green that complimented my olive skin.
Cal hugged my shoulders from behind, grinning at me in the reflection.
“Yeah,” I admitted with a smile. “I think I needed some grown-up time. Thanks.”
“How’s your fake romance going?” She kissed my cheek.
“Surprisingly well,” I confessed.
Though I felt guilty about not telling our friends we were hooking up, I also knew it wasn’t my decision to say so.
“Rhy really helps me out with Gravity. Turns out I really like him.”
“Good, because he’s coming with us to the club.” Cal winked. “Tate too,” she said apologetically before I could process the first bomb she’d thrown at me.
“Cal, it was supposed to be a girls’ night out,” I moaned. “There’ll be more testosterone there than in an NHL locker room.”
“Row wasn’t feeling comfortable about the two of us clubbing alone in the big city.” My best friend winced apologetically. She was ethereal, gorgeous, and sweet—but a total people pleaser. “But he also wasn’t feeling super comfortable tagging along alone like some kind of grumpy bodyguard.”
“That’s literally what he was our entire adolescence,” I argued.
“Yeah, so I guess it wasn’t fun for him like it was for us.”
In the end, we all crammed into a limousine. Rhyland and I took opposite seats and tried hard not to eye-fuck each other. I still needed for us to finish our conversation about my schooland our babysitting arrangement, but I’d chickened out. It didn’t look like Rhyland wanted to offer his help, and now, with his business taking off, I was one hundred percent sure he wouldn’t have time for that.
“Everyone’s looking like a million bucks.” Cal looked between us as we tipped our champagne glasses in the air, clinking them together.
“No need to hurl out insults, Calla,” Tate said taciturnly. “My suit is not that cheap.”
That asshole thought a million-dollar suit was cheap? The man was so high maintenance I was surprised he’d agreed to share oxygen with mere mortals.
“Speaking of big bucks…” Row’s glare traveled from Tate to Rhyland, his arm slung protectively over his wife. “Congratulations are in order.”
Rhy smirked, lounging back and tipping his champagne in the air.
“Surprise,” Tate said in the driest voice possible, tossing something into Rhyland’s hands. “This is your business-deal gift from me and Row, and this outing is our celebration.”
I shot Cal a furious look. “They were always coming, weren’t they?”
Cal shrugged. “We didn’t want you to tip Rhy off. I love you, but you do have a big mouth.”
“Lies. Her mouth is just the right size for my di—” Rhy started, then he realized what he was saying and clamped his mouth shut.
Oh my God. This idiot. He wasn’t even drunk.
“Come again?” Row said slowly, slipping his arm from behind Cal and leaning on his elbows, examining Rhyland more closely.
“I think that was the premise of his entire statement,” Tate said unhelpfully.