Page 15 of Bestie's Bossy Billionaire Brother

I smile back at him before responding. “Of course, no problem at all.” I cross my arms over my chest. “Did she get to bed?”

“She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow,” he tells me, standing at the bottom of the stairs. “Let’s have another beer.”

He walks into the kitchen and I follow him, watching as he grabs two beers out of the refrigerator and passing one to me. “So,” I say cautiously. “How was your date?”

He draws in a deep breath before finally speaking up. “She stood me up,” he replies, his voice sounding relieved. He takes a swig of beer and then looks at me.

“Wait. You got stood up?” I respond, trying not to laugh.

“It’s okay. Laugh away. I didn’t want to go on that date anyway,” Oliver admits, setting his bottle down on the counter. “Especially when I have other obligations.”

I take a sip of my beer. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh at you. It’s just… the great Oliver was stood up.”

“I am great, but I was sort of glad. It wouldn’t have worked out anyway.” Oliver retorts.

“Why do you say that?” I ask.

“Because I have a daughter.”

“Come on, Oliver. You’re thirty-three years old. You still have a long life ahead of you. Have you ever considered dating someone with kids?” I suggest. “It might make things easier, since they would understand your situation.”

Oliver nods thoughtfully. “I’m not opposed to it. I think from now on, I’m going to choose my own dates, though.”

I chuckle. “Probably a good idea. You don’t want to let your sister and Fred set you up with any more disasters.”

Oliver grins. “Yeah, I think I’ll take matters into my own hands now.” He leans against the counter next to me. “How are you doing, by the way? You know, since the wedding?”

My cheeks flush, and I look down at my beer. “You know, I think I’m good,” I tell him. “I can focus on myself and my career. That’s the priority right now.”

Oliver nods. “That makes sense. I heard you lost your job. Sorry to hear.”

I shrug. “It’s for the best. I’ve been wanting to start my business for a long time. This is the push I need.”

Oliver smiles at me, his eyes softening. “What are you doing for work in the meantime? You find anything?”

I shake my head. “I’m not sure yet.”

Oliver pauses for a moment, thinking. I can almost see the gears turning in his head, and suddenly, he looks up at me with a glint in his eyes. “What if you worked for me?”

“I don’t have any experience working for an investment firm.”

He shakes his head. “Not for my investment firm. For Alice.” His face breaks into an eager smile, and he looks over at me expectantly.

I can hardly believe what I’m hearing. “Are you serious?” I ask him, my eyes wide with surprise.

“Yes,” he replies, nodding his head vigorously. “Alice loves you, and you two get along great. You also can handle my behavior.”

He looks at me seriously now, waiting for my response.

I scoff. “Are you asking me because you actually think I would be a good fit to care for your daughter or because it keeps you from having to change?”

He furrows his brows. “Both?”

I cross my arms over my chest. “So you can continue to be a tyrant without having to make any effort to change.”

“That isn’t what I meant,” he retorts.

“Maybe the reason you got stood up had nothing to do with her,” I reply. “Perhaps you were the problem.”