like he own

it owned every street. I sat tense in the passenger sea

the wheel with one hand, "seafoo

icious. "I'm good with

't eaten since yesterd

could register on the Richter scale. Grea

estaurant so fancy I felt like I

ell

the waiters wore gloves, the napkins were folded like ori

kled like they judged yo

e window, where we had a glorious view of poor people e

me the leath

, and my he

mushroom

ng on the cheapest thing-an appetizer: lemon-infused baby gree

his," I said, p

. "The buffet. Everything

u're eating all four

"I skipped

ed to

ble looked like a Renaissance painti

ipping his wine. "Yo

poked my salad

t do socks, I hate loud chewers, and I never answer the phone after 10. I like puzzles, I don't like dogs, and I don't like

Are we... sp

st telling you things

can match your

ad all the time in the world and I wasn't sitting there w

-

th the cloth napkin like someone who d

d with the bill, al

he placed the leather

d. "Sorr

back, swirl

cheerfully. "After all

hoked. "Ex

eyebrow. "And you always love to pay the bill

y face g

mocki

ause I had pride," I hissed.

ead. "Broke and

at the bi

lu

Nathan, and you kno

te? The girl who wanted to build empires and buy skyscrapers? The girl who had a plan,

the napkin

, you would've paid just to prove you could.

othing came out. I felt

forward and d

my money?"

lin

said. "Be my wife

caught in

ha

nts, appearances, meetings. Nothing real. Just a contract. You'll have access to

like he'd grow

re in

pract

is bla

is bus

ould pay a model. An actress

enge me. And because I know you, Erica White. Yo

ead. "I'm no

said you were. I said I'm offering you an op

he dea

er. And because you're the

g, heart racing

nt, heels clacking against marbl

tomorrow evening, Er

-

idewalk. A pigeon looked at me lik

u to be his wife in exch

of woman c

wanted to con

nquering me-one billi

e wors

was tempted