Total pages in book: 19
Estimated words: 17942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 90(@200wpm)___ 72(@250wpm)___ 60(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 17942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 90(@200wpm)___ 72(@250wpm)___ 60(@300wpm)
"So…?"
"He threw his baseball, and I just happened to walk into it."
"Ouch."
The waiter appears with appetizers I don't remember ordering—oysters, caviar on tiny toasts, scallops with what looks like white truffles, and something with gold leaf. I work with luxury brands, but I will never, ever understand people who'll throw money at things that, in my opinion, aren't worth twenty dollars
I'll take mozzarella sticks over gold leaf any day.
Matthew thanks him without breaking eye contact with me, and the waiter melts away. Plus points for Matthew because I always appreciate rich folks who treat the waitstaff with kindness.
I pick up an oyster. "Do you come here often, or is this the kind of place you save for impressing people?"
"Are you impressed?"
"I work in luxury brands, Matthew. I've seen rich people pay five hundred for a bag charm that looks like a rock."
"That's not an answer."
I tip the oyster into my mouth. Briny, cold, weirdly sexual in a way I'm not ready to unpack right now. "The scallops better be life-changing or I'm judging your life choices."
"Noted."
A woman in a red dress that I know was released just this season appears at our table before I can take another bite. Long blonde hair that shampoo commercials would kill for, skin with absolutely no visible pores, and the kind of effortless elegance that makes me want to check if I have lipstick on my teeth … or worse, gold leaf even if I haven't touched that thing yet.
"Matthew!" Her manicured hand, with nail polish in the same shade of red as her dress, squeezes his shoulder. "I didn't know you were in town."
Something nasty and unfamiliar slithers in my stomach at the sight of someone else touching him with such casual familiarity. With the slightest hint of intimacy.
He darts his gaze to her hand then her face. "Caroline, how are you? I'd like you to meet Vivian."
I'm so surprised he thinks I'm worthy of being introduced that I have to quickly swallow my second oyster. I can do nothing but smile and nod.
Caroline looks at me, rakes her eyes from the top of my head to my hand, and her smile doesn't quite reach her eyes. "Lovely to meet you."
I have to clear my throat because no one told me an oyster could choke you to death. "You too."
She lingers for another beat, fingers still on Matthew's shoulder, before drifting away toward a table near the windows.
"Friend of yours?"
"Acquaintance."
"She touched you like you were a limited-edition handbag she was considering purchasing."
Matthew's eyes crinkle at the corners. "That's disturbingly accurate and very on-brand."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
The thing is, he didn't give her anything. Not a lingering look, not a shift in posture, not even a hint of interest. She was just … there. Background noise. And when she left, his attention came right back to me like it had never moved.
That shouldn't do the things to me that it does, but here we are.
"Does this happen everywhere you go?"
"Does what happen?"
"Women giving you googly eyes."
"I don't know. I don't notice."
"Well, they notice you."
Matthew smirks as he studies me with that unsettling focus. "Do you want me to be friendlier with them?"
"No." The word is out before I realize, and I mentally punch myself for saying it.
"You don't have to worry, Vivian. Right now, the only person I'm interested in talking to is sitting across from me, so the rest doesn't matter."
Oh.
Oh no.
That should not have hit as hard as it did. I take a long sip of wine to cover the fact that my face is burning. But since he's clearly in the mood to be honest, I take a risk and ask something that's been bugging me. "Can I ask you something?"
"You will ask regardless of my answer."
"Yes would have been shorter."
"Your question, Vivian."
The main course arrives, and we go silent for a few minutes. The dry-aged beef melts in my mouth, and I don't know how much Matthew's about to pay, but I do know it's worth it … especially since I'm not footing the bill.
The universe knew better than to make me rich because I'd have this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner until I get sick of it.
I almost forgot I'm about to ask him, so I set the fork down and say, "Why are you a little terrifying at work? I mean, Levi can be a bit demanding too, but his employees don't feel like peeing when he calls them in his office."
Matthew swallows his steak before responding. "Vivian, you have to understand. The Astor Group has around fifteen thousand employees. Their mortgages. Their kids' college tuition. Their retirement funds. They depend on the company for these things and more. I can't fuck it up. I can be tough, sure, but at least everyone can sleep soundly at night, knowing they'll still have jobs in the morning and that the company isn't at risk of going under."