Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 89553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
My dad is called inside, leaving Hunter on his own.
“Hunter,” I call. “Can I have a chat?” My voice is all singsong-y, like I don’t think he’s a dick. It’s so completely typical that I’d be paired with a man like Hunter to plan the joint party. Why couldn’t I have gotten a lucky break for once? Why couldn’t Hunter be an alpha male who will stop at nothing to make his best friend’s bachelor party a success?
He stands, shoves his hands in his pockets and rounds the table. I lead him to the edge of the grass, well away from the porch doors and anyone who might overhear us.
When we come to a stop, I pause for a second, waiting for Hunter to say something. I look at him, giving him the chance to apologize for being a sloppy, drunken mess yesterday, to thank me for getting him back to his hotel. Instead, he just stands there, silent, his eyes covered with his damn sunglasses.
“Seriously?” I ask him.
“Seriously what?”
“I don’t know, would it kill you to thank me for making sure you got back home? Or thank me for calling you a cab?”
He groans. “Oh my God. Thank you so very much for pressing three buttons on your Uber app. Send me your Venmo, and I’ll pay you back.” Sarcasm drips from every syllable.
“I missed Ed’s speech, you asshole.”
“You’re welcome,” he responds.
“I didn’t want to miss it. I wanted to hear about how much he loves my sister and—”
“Christ on a bike, speak to Ed on any given day and he’ll tell you how much he loves Katherine. And anyway, no doubt you can go to the Instagram of any of Katherine’s friends and see it replayed from every angle.”
I narrow my eyes at him. He’s not wrong. I checked Suzy Wong’s IG this morning, and I can hear Ed’s speech perfectly through her strangled sobs. “I would like to have been there, taken in the moment. You might like to be completely blotto for all the important moments in life. But I prefer to be present.” He doesn’t need to know about Mom chastising me for being selfish.
“So you pulled me over here to tell me off?” he asks. “I consider myself spanked. Can I go back to my coffee now?” He takes a step back to the table, and I grab his shirt.
“I’m not done.”
He looks down at where I’m pulling on his shirt. “Are we going to have a full physical fight now? Like, is there a ring? Are people placing bets?”
“Sorry,” I mumble, dropping the material bunched in my hand. Why am I apologizing? “Look, you don’t like me, I don’t like you, that’s totally fine. But we have to plan this party, and we have to make it perfect. Ed and Katherine deserve nothing less.” Hell, I deserve nothing less. If I actually manage to pull it off, Mom might cut me a break. And if I don’t? It will just be more evidence that I’m the hopeless letdown she’s always known I am.
Hunter doesn’t respond. He doesn’t move. He might have actually fallen asleep standing up.
“And?” he says eventually.
“Oh, good, you’re still awake,” I bite back. “And so we have to work together to make sure the weekend is perfect and exactly what they want. What they both deserve.”
“I’ll have my assistant reach out to you.” He turns to leave again.
“Don’t put yourself out,” I respond.
He stops and turns back to me. “What is it you want from me?”
“Well, now that you’re asking, I want you to find me a ten-bedroom, ten-bathroom house on the Cape for three weeks from now that will take a party our size. It has to be right on the beach and luxurious as all hell.”
“Got it,” he says and turns back to the party.
“Hunter,” I snap. “Get back here.” I chase after him. “Hunter.”
“What?” he says as he strides back to the table. “You told me what you want. I’ll let you know what I find. Now I need my coffee, and I need you to leave me alone.”
I stop and let him go. There’s no point in chasing after him. There’s no way he’s going to help me. I’m on my own.
Chapter Four
Hunter
I often blow through lunch. I’m either on calls or in meetings. My assistant will leave a salad on my desk, and I won’t even get the chance to look at it, let alone eat it, before most people leave for the day. I don’t notice the hunger. I’m too busy. Too caught up in making Portis Investments a success. I’ve always been focused, but seeing a business fail and being at the helm while it sank focuses the mind. If I can add value, I’d rather do that than stand in line for a pastrami on rye.