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She stays quiet for a long ht not know much about women, but I know Maybe looks daht

“You really think this is a surefire plan?”

I lean back in my leather chair “I didn’t turn ten thousand dollars in credit card debt into a thriving billion-dollar business without having this kind of foresight Stick with me, kid”

“Okay,” she finally agrees, raising both fists above her head in a pathetic excuse for a cheer “Beacon House, here I come”

I laugh “First stop, Rainbow Press Next stop, the job of your dreams”

Her responding sht”

“I am,” I say with the kind of confidence you can’t fake “You’re going to do big things in the publishing industry”

An adorable snort escapes her nose “You’re just saying that”

“I’rab a piece of paper from my desk and jot down the information for her interview

Next Tuesday 2:00 pm with Cassandra Cale, editor in chief at Rainbow Press

“When you get to the lobby, ask for her,” I explain and slide the paper across the surface of ertips

She takes it into her hands, scanning it quickly “I thought you hadn’t set this up yet?”

I shrug “I guess I fibbed”

She grins and waves her hands around the office at raphs with celebrities, Business Bureau Awards, and original Pollock paintings The one solid wall of my office is covered frolass “You better watch that nose, Pinocchio There’s a whole lot of valuable, breakable shit in this room”

I smile, stand from my chair, and circle the end of my modern black desk to lean into the other side—closer to her

“What are you up to for the rest of the day?” I ask as a rab her trim waist

“Uh…I don’t know… Go houre out TapNext”

“TapNext?” My eyebrows draw together

“It’s a dating app,” she explains, but it’s not the app I don’t know A good friend of ely successful dating appmodel, but it’s undeniably better in every area possible More secure More clients And the highest match success rate in the country “My friend Lena, the one I went shopping with, wants me to try it out with her”

Discomfort comes out of nowhere and fills my throat, but I s it down She doesn’t need so on her parade

“Anyway, Lena is convincedcard is about to be so full I won’t even knohere to begin” She rolls her eyes, and then a tiny, nervous smile kisses her lips “I’m not sure if I should be excited or terrified”

I nod, but I don’t need a mirror to know it’s stiffer than normal

“What’s that look for?” she asks, noting my sudden silence

“Nothing”