Page 55 of The October Arrangement

It’s only ten o’clock. The stores just opened. I’m heading out in a few. Besides, some of us need copious amounts of coffee before spending obscene amounts of someone else’s money.

I laughed.

My money. Spend away.

I still think this is ridiculous.

Noted.

I’m serious, Simon.

So am I. Dress. Shoes. My card.

Fine. But if you have a heart attack when you see the bill, I’m not responsible.

Try me.

You really shouldn’t challenge me like that. Don’t you have a company to run?

Don’t you have a dress to buy?

Goodbye, Simon.

Bella?

What?

I liked waking up…Absolutely fucking not. I deleted the words.

Dinner at seven.

You’re bossy. We’ll see.

I shook my head as I set my phone down. She’d have dinner with me. Not because I told her to. Bella didn’t do a damn thing because I told her to. In fact, she did the opposite. Everyone in my life did what I expected them to. Employees, contractors, attorneys, investors. People moved when I told them to move because my name was attached to billions of dollars in real estate, and nobody wanted to be the person to tell Simon Montclair no. But Bella was a different story. She enjoyed it, and somehow, it turned me on. She knew how I felt about her shooting her lifestyle pictures in my penthouse, yet she did it anyway.

My office door flew open, and my father stepped inside.

“Are you ready for the meeting?”

“Yeah,” I sighed.

“Good. After the meeting, you and I are going to lunch.”

“Why?” My brows furrowed.

“There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

“It sounds serious,” I said.

“Not really. We’ll discuss it over lunch.” He turned and walked out of my office.

After our meeting discussing the Madison Avenue project, my father and I climbed into the back of his car and headed to the country club for lunch. We sat down at a table and ordered our drinks.

“Now that we’re here, what did you want to talk to me about?” I asked my father.

He reached inside his jacket pocket, pulled out a small red velvet box, and flipped the lid open.

“Is that what I think it is?” I looked at him.