Page 45 of Top Shelf

Four faces stare back at me, but Carina is the first to recover.

“You’re marrying Viktor Karlsson.”

“Yes. Maybe.”

“The six-foot-four Swedish hockey player.”

“I’m aware of which Viktor.”

“The one you want to fuck.”

I flap my hand. “That feels irrelevant right now.”

Lulu makes a strangled noise into her coffee, and Zoe points at me. “See, that sentence right there is why none of us are gonna stop you.”

From the phone, Nia’s voice floats through the speaker. “I’m still stuck on just a marriage.”

“It is! We sign some paperwork, he keeps his family property, I get the funding I need, everybody wins. Bada bing, bada boom.”

Carina’s eyebrows climb. “And then you live with the man you want to fuck.”

“Temporarily.”

“And pretend to be in love with him.”

“Contractually, yes.”

Zoe snorts. “Bada bing, bada boom.”

I point at her. “Not helpful.”

Nia leans closer to her screen. “Did he have a ring?”

“No.” Carina gives me a look, and I sigh loudly. “Yes.”

“Show us,” Lulu says immediately.

“No.”

“Uhh, yeah,” Zoe adds.

“No.”

Nia sighs loudly down the speaker. “Heidi.”

“Fine! Fine.” I open it, and the diamond detonates under the conference room lights.

Lulu’s mouth falls open. “Is Viktor connected to Swedish royalty or something?”

“Jesus, girl.” Zoe leans in. “I’m surprised you didn’t march straight to the altar.”

I snap the box closed. “Focus, guys.”

“No,” Lulu says faintly. “I need a second.”

Carina reaches for the folder instead. “Has a lawyer seen this yet?”

“His lawyer drafted it, but mine hasn’t. He told me to take my time and have it reviewed. I annotated.”