Scoring the Billionaire(51)

"That Nick," Flynn confirmed.

"Good old Nick Raines," Jude said with an evil smile.

"Everyone stop saying Nick," I ordered, rubbing at the tense skin between my eyes.

Kline crossed his arms and put one fist to his chin, smiling at the  ground. There was nothing he loved more than bearing witness to a  complete shit show, courtesy of his friends.

"I know she didn't go on a date with him."

"You do?" Remy asked.

I nodded and shrugged. "Your sister is not an idiot."

"Damn straight," Ty agreed, and I almost laughed.

"Not that the four of you are a reflection of her," I went on, and they all groaned and chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah," Remy grumbled.

"Look, I'm aware of what's really going on," I admitted.

Remy eyed me with a knowing smile. "What's really going on, Wes?"         

     



 

"Well, I know Winnie wasn't on a date with Nick."

"And?" Thatch chimed in.

I stared out toward the floor-to-ceiling windows of my apartment and  noted the pinks and oranges and purples of the sun making its debut. A  smile I couldn't deny crested my lips as my gaze moved back to the group  of misfits in my living room, and I found myself saying the easiest,  most natural words that had ever left my lips. "And, most importantly, I  love her."

"Fuckin' right. Cassie owes me fifty bucks and a blow job." Thatch's  smile was big enough to light up the whole goddamn city. "Thanks a lot,  buddy," he said to me. "I owe you one."

My face scrunched up in incredulity. "Uh … glad my mess of a love life  could help get your dick sucked. I honestly couldn't be happier right  now," I commented in a voice that was anything but happy.

But Thatch acted oblivious, flashing his signature, annoying as hell  wink in my direction. "Me too, Whitney. Me motherfucking too."

Jesus. Once I found a way to get my Win-Win, I sure as fuck needed to be  on the lookout for new friends. Preferably ones who didn't enjoy  breaking and entering and anteing blow jobs on my love life.

"So … " Kline finally spoke-directly to me. Everyone listened. Well,  everyone besides Thatch, who already had his phone pulled out of his  pocket and was probably texting his wife to schedule his winning  fellatio-and check on the baby.

Christ, I'd almost forgotten. Thatch had just had a baby. What in the fuck was he doing here?

"Wait a second," I told Kline before turning to Thatch. "What are you doing here? You just had a baby!"

Thatch shrugged, but I could tell it was forced. That big fucker didn't  want to be here any more than I'd expected him to be. "She kicked me  out. Accused me of hogging the baby and mothering her too much or some  shit." He looked to his watch. "She said I could come back a couple of  hours from now."

"Congratulations and shit," Remy told Thatch, and I almost laughed. "But can we get back to the reason my ass is fucking numb?"

Thatch pretended to look sympathetic. "Hemorrhoids?"

Thankfully, most of us were highly trained in ignoring him.

"What are you going to do about it?" Kline asked me. "What are you going to do to clean up the mess?"

I took a deep breath and smiled. "I have a plan."

Like it was premeditated, all six waiting faces smiled in unison.

Thatch rubbed his hands together and got that familiar prankster look in his eye.

I pointed directly at him. "Not that kind of plan."

He smirked. "Doesn't matter. Whatever it is. Count me in."

And the rest of the group responded with nods and me toos.

It looked like Winnie Winslow had better prepare herself.

"Good. Now get the fuck out."





Tonight, my little Lexi would be Betsy Ross in her school's spring  performance. We had been practicing her three tiny lines for what felt  like the past month, and I honestly had no idea how this was going to  go. A child like Lexi wasn't exactly known for doing well in  overwhelming social situations, but she had been determined to learn her  part with nothing less than the motivation of a Broadway star. And I  couldn't deny she looked adorable in her colonial red, white, and blue  dress and big, poufy white wig.

No matter what, I was and would be proud of her.

Proud of her for always trying her hardest. Proud of her for trying to  overcome her tendencies toward social anxiety. And proud that she was my  daughter.

I sat down in one of the metal chairs in the auditorium and thumbed  through the program. My mother, brothers, and Nick weren't able to make  it, but I'd promised I'd send them a video of her performance.

Yes, I'd even promised Nick I'd send him a video. We were slowly trying  to find a comfortable medium where he was more involved in his  daughter's life.

Lexi's teacher got on stage and announced that the performance would  start in ten minutes and instructed everyone to take their seats.

"Excuse me … excuse me … sorry … " A deep voice filled my ears, and I glanced  up to find Thatch attempting to shuffle through the row, his enormous  thighs and ass skimming the faces of each person he passed, and heading  straight toward me. Literally, a bull in a china shop, his large frame  knocked into everyone and everything despite how gingerly he attempted  to move. Interestingly enough, the women he bumped didn't look put out  at all.         

     



 

I tilted my head to the side in confusion. What was Thatch doing here?

I glanced around the room to see if anyone else was in attendance, but I  found that none of the gang was anywhere in sight. He plopped down  beside me with a giant, friendly grin, as if it was the most normal  thing in the world to just randomly show up at my daughter's school  performance, by himself.

"Hey, Win."

"Uh … hey?" I responded in confusion. "Not gonna lie, it's a little bit of a surprise to see you here."

He ignored my remark and got his phone out of his pocket, tapping his  fingers across the screen. I sighed and returned my focus to the stage  until I heard Thatch say, "Whitney? You there? Can you see me?"

My eyes darted back to the giant sitting beside me to find him FaceTiming with Wes.

"All good, T-bag. Mind switching the camera view to the stage? I'd much  rather watch Lexi's performance than stare at your ugly mug."

Thatch chuckled and switched the screen view. "Yeah, of course, asshole.  You're welcome for this, by the way. It's not like it inconvenienced  me. I mean, I only had to reschedule naked dinner with Cass and cuddle  time with Ace."

Wes laughed. "Thanks, buddy. You're the best. Consider this me cashing in on that IOU you mentioned."

Thatch smirked in response.

Normally, I would've been curious about the details of said IOU, but I'd  say it was obvious I was more curious about what in the hell was going  on.

Thatch made a show of getting his big frame comfortable in the far too  small chair for a man of his size, while he pointed his phone toward the  stage and Wes watched from the screen. Had I entered an alternate  universe? Was I being pranked? Had I inadvertently become a victim of  that show Candid Camera, which I wasn't one hundred percent certain was  still on air, but that was beside the point.

I mean … What in the ever-loving fuck was going on?

"Excuse me?" I questioned, and Thatch glanced in my direction.

"You need to get up, honey?"

"No, I don't need to get up," I spat and pointed toward the phone. "What in the hell are you doing?"

He shrugged and looked at me like I was the crazy one. "I'm getting ready to watch Lexi's school play."

"With the phone. What are you doing with the phone? Why are you FaceTiming with Wes?"

"Because his flight was delayed, and he didn't want to miss it," he  explained like I was the one missing the point, like I was the strange  one in this scenario.

"Hi, Fred." Wes's voice filled my ears.

I leaned forward until my face was in front of the camera and Wes's eyes  were locked with mine. A soft smile crested his lips. "You look  beautiful tonight, sweetheart."

I was wearing goddamn yoga pants and an NYU T-shirt. I looked like shit.

"Cut the crap, Wes. What are you getting at here?"

My words didn't affect him in the least, and to my irritation, that soft  smile stayed glued to his face. "I'm not getting at anything. I didn't  want to miss Lexi's school performance. How is she doing? Was she  nervous when you dropped her off?"

My brow furrowed in frustration. "I'm not having this conversation with you."

"You're right." He nodded. "We don't want to miss a single second of the  performance. How about I'll call you when I get in tonight?"

"No," I responded immediately. "No, no, no. Do not call me tonight."

"Yeah, good thinking," he agreed. "I'm sure Lex will be tuckered out by  the time you get her home, and I'd feel like a bastard if I interrupted  her much-needed sleep. I'll call you tomorrow."