Page 77 of The Business of Love Box Set 1: Books 1 - 4

RICK

S hawn helped himself to a glass of whiskey from the liquor cart in my study as I finished sending a work email. After hitting send, I leaned back in my chair and watched him pace to the window, where he stood with his back to me while he indulged in a few sips of the good stuff.

“Your personal life is still on at least one magazine cover on every street corner.” Shawn glanced over his shoulder at me with a smirk. “And I have to say, that wedding planner was pretty beautiful.”

“She’s more than beautiful. And she didn’t deserve to have her face plastered all over the place like that.”

“No, but then again, who does deserve that sort of shit?”

I could think of someone whose name started with a V and rhymed with vanity .

Shawn put his back to the window. The afternoon sun streamed in behind him and cast his shadow on the Persian carpet. “So, have you talked to her?”

“Not since last Sunday,” I said.

“When she broke it off?”

I nodded.

Shawn sighed. “I’m sorry, man. I know you were invested in her.”

I laughed bitterly. “Yes, well, that’s not what the rest of the world thinks. They think she was just a rebound. A plaything to absorb my grief after the wedding fell apart. Little do they know, I escaped in one piece and Kim was the light on the other side.”

Shawn pulled out the chair opposite me and sank down into it. The leather squeaked as he made himself comfortable and swirled his whiskey around in the crystal glass. “You need to get back on the horse.”

“No, I need to put my focus into the areas that matter. Like Chessie. And work.”

“Work will always be here. And Chessie deserves a happy father who knows when to put himself first, right?”

I rolled my eyes. “What do you know about it, Shawn? You’ve been single for the last fifteen years and never slept with the same woman for more than two weeks.”

He flashed a devilish smile. “A new woman a week keeps the doctor away.”

“Or not,” I said. “How many times have you had to get checked and treated for STIs?”

Shawn’s expression darkened. “That’s not the point.”

“Just because something is fun and looks good doesn’t mean it’s good for you.”

Shawn laughed. “I recall saying the same thing to you about Verity about fourteen months ago after you bought that hideous ring for her.”

“And I should have listened to you.”

Shawn mused over his whiskey. “Yes. You should have. But don’t use that as a bargaining chip to get me to stop sleeping around. I intend to bed as many beautiful women as I can before I decide I want to settle down and have a family. And there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“So long as you don’t expect this mystery woman you end up marrying to be a prude who’s been waiting her whole life for you to come sweep her off her feet, no, there’s nothing wrong with it.”

Shawn arched an eyebrow at me. “How did we move away from talking about your shit so smoothly?”

I shrugged.

Truth be told, I didn’t really want to talk about Kim.

All it did was remind me that I was powerless in this situation.

She’d made the call. She’d ended us before we had any real chance to see what exactly we could be together.

It hurt like a bitch and I couldn’t deny that anger had been brewing just below the surface all week over the whole thing.

I wanted her back. But I couldn’t just march up to her front door and tell her that.

It wouldn’t be fair. She’d told me what she wanted and what her priorities were. And I didn’t fit into the bigger picture of her life.

Plain and simple.

But she fit in my picture like a glove. Like she was always meant to be there.

“You have that look again,” Shawn said.

“What look?”

“That look you get when you’re thinking about something and you’re far away.”

I scratched at my jaw and sat up straighter. “I’ve been getting lost in my thoughts a lot lately. Chessie is helping to keep me grounded.”

“That’s not her job.”

“You don’t think I know that?”

Shawn held up one hand. “Sorry. Sorry. You know what I mean. She doesn’t need to put you back together or feel like she has to be there so you’re happy.

You need to find that somewhere else, man.

What’s the harm in one date? Remember that matchmaker I told you about?

He’s a real success story and he has a girl lined up for you if you’re interested. ”

“I’m not.”

“I think that’s a mistake.”

“Look. Just because I don’t want to cope how you would in this situation doesn’t mean I’m making a mistake.”

Shawn sighed and finished his drink. He set the empty glass on my desk before leaning back and crossing one leg over his knee. “What’s the harm in going on one little date to get your mind off things? Apparently, this girl is bad ass. A self-made woman. Beautiful. Stormy. Your cup of tea.”

Kim was my cup of tea.

“It would do you some good to have a fun night out. Go dancing. Have meaningless sex. Remember what it feels like to be a free man who isn’t bound to one woman.”

He was saying things I might have agreed with three or four years ago. But now things were different. And I knew why.

I was in love with Kim.

There was no other explanation for why I felt so heavy and beat up and not inclined to do anything other than feel sorry for myself and what I’d lost—what Chessie and I had lost. All because of a bunch of asshole press employees and gossip-column poser journalists.

“I’d rather stay home with my daughter,” I said firmly.

Shawn shook his head at me and got to his feet.

He did up his suit jacket and paced to the door, where he paused to look back at me with one hand on the door handle.

“You’re always home with Chessie. She needs a father who’s happy and who knows who he is.

Who can show her what it is to take control of his life.

Verity did you dirty. Kim couldn’t handle the publicity.

Somewhere out there is a girl who can. You’re not going to find her if you sit around on your ass all day. ”

“You’re leaving, I assume?” I asked dryly.

Shawn nodded. “Yes. You need time to brood. And I have a hot date with a girl with an ass that won’t quit that I need to get ready for.

Consider this a chance to start fresh, Rick.

Choose who you want to be and be that guy.

Just… don’t choose to be the guy who feels sorry for himself for too long, okay? ”

“I know this is all coming from a supportive place but you’re kind of pissing me off.”

Shawn grinned. “Good. That means I’m doing something right.”