Chapter1
996 Words
“Imagine marrying a billionaire,” Diana said dreamily, lifting a slice of pizza like it was champagne.
My brows drew together. “That’s highly unlikely, and I have no idea why you’re even thinking about it.”
We had just finished watching Fifty Shades of Grey—well, I’d been forced into it—and now my best friend was floating in some fantasy where a rich man swept her off her feet. I, being the realist, had already told her her chances were slim to none.
She sighed and rested her head against my shoulder. “The CEO at my workplace is retiring, and his son’s taking over. Maybe my wish could come true.”
“Too bad you already have a boyfriend who’s panicking about where you are,” I said, nodding at her buzzing phone. Diana had abandoned poor Liam at the mall after buying the DVD and come straight to my place.
“Liam can wait.” She rolled her pale green eyes—the only thing we shared in common. “The real question is, if my chances are zero, what are yours?”
I pulled a calculator out from under the sofa, punched in a few random numbers, and pressed equals. The result came out at negative one percent. I held it up for her to see. “Lower than yours. Impressive, right?”
“Not funny. Honestly, you could get any guy with your looks.”
I gestured at the messy blond hair piled on my head. “You mean I could get any guy to run away from me.”
Diana laughed, that ridiculous, braying laugh I’d always teased her about. As gorgeous as she was—long red hair, slim figure—her laugh was truly awful. Eventually, she sobered, eyes suddenly serious.
“We need to find you a man.”
“I’m fine on my own.”
“And you could still be with a nice guy on the side.” She gestured so wildly she nearly knocked over the popcorn bowl.
“What if I were a lesbian?”
“Then it could be a nice girl. The point is, you’ve been... boring ever since Trey.”
I clapped my hands over my ears. “La-la-la, all I hear is praise. I’m fascinating. Thanks, Di.”
“I can prove it.” She grabbed her phone and dialed. “Hey, May?”
“Hi?” our friend answered.
“It’s me. Do you think Alice’s boring?”
“...Sort of. The guys are betting she’ll still be single by the end of the year. Again.”
I gasped. “May! Your birthday present is officially canceled.”
She only laughed. “Ash, I’m being honest. You’ve stopped having fun. You’re on track to becoming a cat lady.”
“I’m allergic to cats!”
“Dog lady, then.”
“That makes her a b***h,” Diana added.
“You two are terrible friends,” I muttered. “And for the record, I won’t be single by the end of the year.”
The silence that followed was deafening. Clearly, neither of them believed me. Diana coughed and looked away, which earned her a cushion to the head.
“Come on. Don’t you believe me?”
“Alice, you don’t even talk to men. At all,” May said gently.
“What about—”
“Your brother doesn’t count.”
“Fine. No contact with the opposite s*x. That doesn’t mean I can’t change that.”
Diana shook her head. “So how exactly are you planning to find a guy?”
“The new boss,” I blurted.
Her eyes widened. “The new CEO? Alice, no offense, but you don’t stand a chance.”
“Correction. I stand at negative one.”
“Alice, seriously—get that idea out of your head,” May said before hanging up.
Diana smacked my arm. “Are you out of your mind? You can’t just decide to date a billionaire CEO. He’s completely unavailable.”
But the more they doubted me, the more determined I became. If they thought I couldn’t, then I would. “Watch me,” I said, folding my arms.
“Do you even know his name?”
My confident smile slipped. Small problem. I didn’t. But I knew where he worked, and that was enough for now.
“I don’t need to know his name. If he’s in your building, I’ll just drop by with your lunch.”
“That’s never going to work.”
“You’re the one who wanted me to date. A little support would be nice.”
“I meant someone from the coffee shop you work at,” she shot back.
“That’s boring.”
“It’s realistic.”
I leaned closer. “You don’t think I can do it. Well, get ready, because I’m going to make a billionaire fall for me.”
“There are millions of other men out there.”
“I don’t care. I’m on a mission. And no one—absolutely no one—is stopping me.”
Diana clasped her hands as if in prayer. “Please, let some higher power intervene before she gets arrested for harassment.”
I stood, hands on my hips. “I, Alice Roberts, will find a man. No matter what it takes. Even if it ends in handcuffs.”
“The girl’s lost her mind,” Diana muttered.
“If that boring girl in the movie could land Christian Grey, so can I. Minus the whips and chains.”
Just then, a knock rattled the door. I strode over, adrenaline buzzing, and opened it to find Liam standing there, rain-soaked and furious.
“Diana!” he snapped.
Behind me, a door slammed—my best friend fleeing to my bedroom. I stepped aside to let him in, already planning how I was going to track down my own impossible man.
- Writer
