Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 54062 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54062 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
I immediately call his father. “Your son was just here.”
“Are you okay?” he asks. It’s something my own father would have asked me. Somehow, I hold back the tears.
“Yes, he just said your wife wants to see Oliver. That they have rights.”
“I’m going to talk to my lawyer. Don’t interact with them again.”
“Leo, he’s your son, though.”
“Yes, and I also am not blind to what kind of man he is. You have my grandson, who I know is an awesome kid. Who is being raised by a damn good mother. You see where I would rather put my support?”
“Yes,” I say almost in a whisper, glad to have someone, anyone, in my corner as powerful as he is.
“If you see him again at your house, call the police, Jacinta.”
“I will.” I hang up after saying goodbye and go inside, wiping my face clean before I do.
Chapter 20
Beckham
“You’ve been an ass for the last two weeks,” Shandy says as she sits on my desk. “And it’s been two weeks since my night out when I saw you leaving with an incredibly sexy assistant. What’s happened since then?” she asks, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Do you have to be sitting on my desk?”
She scoffs as if I have offended her. “Is the sky blue?” she asks. “Of course I do.”
“Well, get the fuck off. I’m sure I pay you for more than sitting around annoying me.”
“This is true, but it is the highlight of my week to walk in here and do this. And some weeks when I miss out, it just ruins everything, you know what I mean?”
“No, I don’t, but I will once you leave.”
She huffs and kicks off her heels before she brings her feet up on my desk and crosses them before she turns and faces me. My desk is big, but that doesn’t mean I want to throw her out any less.
“She got flowers a couple of weeks ago, did you see that? I took them,” she says smugly. “My new girlfriend loved them.”
“I’m sure she loved stolen flowers,” I mumble back, paying her hardly any attention.
“She did. She thanked me real good, too. Ate my pussy like it was her last meal.” I give her a bored look, and she winks. “Have you had any pussy lately, Beckham?”
“What the fuck do you want?” I almost yell at her.
“To see what your plans are for dinner?”
“Nothing. Now go.”
“Good. I need a date. My date canceled, and I made a reservation, and I’m starving. Come. Please?”
“If I say yes, will it get you off my desk?”
“Yes, and what’s more, I won’t annoy you for a whole month,” she adds.
“Yes. Okay, I’ll come. Now, get off so I can fucking finish.”
She stands, slips her heels back on, and waltzes to the door. “I’ll be back at six. Be ready.”
“Get out, Shandy.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She shuts the door as she leaves, letting me finish my work in peace.
“Why isn’t your new toy here with you?” I ask Shandy.
“I told you, she canceled.” She orders a bottle of wine and looks back down at the menu. “Plus, you pay for dinner, so it’s a win-win for me, really.”
“Yeah, you get something out of this, and I get nothing.”
“Well, not exactly! You get my company. That’s a bonus if I do say so myself.” She puckers her lips and places the menu down.
“Yeah, you would say so, wouldn’t you?”
“I would. Now, what’s the most expensive thing on this menu since you’re buying?”
“Beckham.” Noah’s standing there. He turns to Shandy, says hello, then faces back to me. “Didn’t expect to see you here.” Noah is engaged to my other sister, Rhianna. Rylee’s twin.
“I dragged him out,” answers Shandy.
Noah nods at her response.
“Rhi here with you?” I ask, looking past Noah and not seeing her.
“No, actually.” He motions to a corner table. “I’m here for business. But I’ll see you over the weekend, right?” I nod my agreement and follow him with my eyes as he takes a seat at a table with an older man. I recognize the guy straight away—Anderson’s father.
“What’re your plans for the weekend?” Shandy asks as the waiter comes back.
We place our orders, and she gets her bottle of wine.
“Archie has a thing going on,” I reply.
“Oh yes, I’ve heard about his parties. You should take me one time.”
“No,” I answer straight away. Archie’s parties, well, they are not for her. Archie’s parties are not for many people, actually.
Shandy leans in. “I’ve heard how dirty they are. Archie has a reputation, you know.” She winks.
“Pity you like the pussy. You two could be a perfect match,” I say, picking up her glass of wine and finishing it. A familiar figure walks past us. She doesn’t stop or even notice us. But I recognize her. I would recognize her anywhere.
“Umm … was that Jacinta? And is she really going over to sit with Noah?” Shandy says loud enough that the people next to us can hear.