The Bad Boy Billionaire: What a Girl Wants(4)
@NYCGOV: Hurricane #Geoffrey expected in New York City TONIGHT. Check out these storm prep tips. http://on.nyc.gov/1aGWYqz
@RoxannaLane: Congrats to my friend @Jane_Sparks for her book hanging out in the top 100 historical romances on Amazon.
@Jezebel: Is Maryville, Missouri the Next Steubenville? http://bit.ly/1aGWT6g
@LizaPalmer: 11 Pieces of Advice From Amazing Women http://bit.ly/1aCeptH #amwriting #writingtips #pubtip
@Accuweather: Get ready, New York City! Hurricane #Geoffrey is expected to be category 4 hurricane.
@KatharineAshe: Stilettos: the 21st-century equivalent of the whalebone corset.
@DukeAusten: Only one week until Project-TK’s IPO.
@RTBooks: New Review: The Wicked Wallflower! http://bit.ly/1alkm9T
@LadyMissPenny: Just lounging in my statement necklace. instagram.com/p/jZoJL9R8rW/
@NYTimes: Scientists agree global warming is to blame for super storm #Geoffrey.
@Jane_Sparks: Writers block is The Worst. THE WORST!
@Gawker: Just want you wanted to read during #Geoffrey: a tell-all book about @DukeAusten by his ex-girlfriend.
Of course I clicked that link. I mean, really. I didn’t expect to read anything new. After all, I knew the man. Intimately. But how could I not read it?!
Secrets of the Bad Boy Billionaire: The Duke Austen Nobody Knows
One of Duke Austen’s many ex-girlfriends, Felicity Prescott, is writing a tell-all book about the Bad Boy Billionaire. Prescott reportedly dated Austen while they both worked at the now defunct startup, Friendly. Her book details why that oh-so-promising startup totally went bust, starting with Duke’s wild behavior and their tortured relationship.
My reading was interrupted by the arrival of a text message from Sam.
Sam Chase: I’m in town. Need to talk. Can we meet for a drink?
I hesitated. Sam had been weird lately—lots of confusing text messages, Facebook posts and long emails philosophizing about life choices and a man’s role in the modern world. Or something like that. I’d just been too busy to figure out what he was talking about to compose an appropriate reply. That, and I just didn’t really want to deal with it. I cared about him deeply, but I wasn’t too keen to be his therapist. Or his drinking buddy on a night like this.
But I had loved this man deeply for a long time. We’d been high school sweethearts and I thought he would be my husband and the father of my children. It was his idea for us to break up. Though it hurt like hell for a while, I was now glad. My life was so much more amazing because of it.
So even though he was acting weird, I had loved him and he seemed to be in a rough patch. We could still be friends, right?
Besides, it’s not like I would get much writing done anyway.
Another text message interrupted me, this one from Roxanna.
Roxanna Lane: Working late. Might swing by with you know who. Don’t be there? XOXOXO!
Well that settled that. I was going out. After one drink, I’d head over to Duke’s place. I doubted that his flight would be taking off after all and it’d be nice and romantic to ride out the storm together.
One glance at Twitter told me this had better be a quick drink.
@NYCGOV: Batten down the hatches! Subway is closing at midnight. Bridges and Tunnels will be closed at 10pm. #Geoffrey
I texted Sam back.
Jane Sparks: Let’s meet in 20 minutes and make it quick—storm’s a-coming!
Sam Chase: I’m at that bar we met at before. Our place in the city.
I decided a quick outfit change was in order. I looked through my closet for the perfect outfit that said “FRIEND ZONE!” I settled on boyfriend jeans, black patent ballet flats and my second favorite sweater set, a charcoal grey cashmere shell and cardigan.
Since I would be heading over to Duke’s afterward, I quickly tossed some things into a bag: a change of undies and some toiletries along with the usual phone, wallet and keys. I grabbed my bag and trench coat and dashed out, down the four flights of stairs to the front hall and then down the very steep front stoop. From there, I headed downtown. Hopefully, I wouldn’t encounter the storm tonight.
But I did, oh I did.
Chapter Three
* * *
Employees Only, Hudson Street
SAM AND I had met up here once before. It had been the night of a party celebrating Project-TK’s $150 million dollars of investment funding. I remembered it as the night things with Duke went from make believe to real.
Sam and I didn’t have many places in the city that were “ours.” Not like we did back home anyway, where every spot in town held some memory: the high school where we met, the bleachers at the stadium where we’d made out (and a bit more); Fiorello’s, the “fancy” special occasion restaurant; Armetta’s, the pizza parlor for casual Friday night dates, the movie theater where Sam had worked as an usher one summer and the library where I had worked until I was fired.