“Yes,” Camila said, “but the article said they’d name women who’d eventually become spinsters. Like they’d ever be able to tell.”
Rachel shook her head. “It’s probably based on stupid statistics of other billionaire women. I’m sure a lot of themarealone since men would probably come in, mess everything up, and spend all their money until they were broke.”
“Right,” Betzy said with a nod. Only she hadn’t paid attention to Rachel’s words. She was too busy mentally seeking a different route from the one she’d chosen to take.
Who wanted to step onto talk shows and news shows and face the humiliation of explaining why there was possibly a man out there who would actually be willing to marry her one day? One who was interested in her and not her money.
“I hate Daisy,” she spat, looking from one girl to the next. “I’m sorry, and I know I’m not supposed to say that about another human being—”
“Yes, you are,” Rachel blurted. “When they’re as evil as her, you can hate them.”
Betzy regretted saying it already. “I wish I was just…engaged already.”
Camila gasped. “To Sawyer!” She screamed his name like it was a solution. “That’s it!”
“Oh my gosh!” Rachel started jumping up and down. Camila joined in. “That’s it, that’s it. Just tell everyone that you’re engaged to Sawyer.”
If Betzy’s eyes could jump out of her face from shock alone, they would. It felt as if they might. “That isnot. Even. Possible.”
“You said he usually comes back for the holidays,” Camila said. Andshewas the sensible one.
“It’s notnormal,” Betzy said.
“He’ll totally go along with it,” Rachel assured. “Sawyer would do anything for you.”
Nausea rolled through Betzy’s stomach at the mere idea of asking such a huge and ridiculous, not to mention embarrassing, favor. “I would nevereverask.”
The two women squealed in unison, paying no mind to Betzy’s words. “They could stage this amazing proposal at some public place,” Camila said. “Oh, maybe your Christmas special of The Lion’s Den.”
“Yes,” Rachael blurted. “And it has to go public like the night before the magazine comes out, so it makes the editor ofSlipper Magazinelook like a total idiot!”
Betzy considered, for just a blink, what that would be like. The Lion’s Den, the family’s TV show designed to rescue multi-million dollar companies,wasairing a live special this year…
“No,” Betzy said before the stirs in her chest became something more. Revenge wasnota good motivator. But what was? Dwelling on the fact that they just might be right about her? Wasn’t she entitled to a tiny bit of revenge?
She pictured the kiss she’d seen in the elevator. The pain that seared through her at the sight. She couldn’t take another letdown. And if she dared ask Sawyer about something like this, she’d probably find out just what was happening inhislove life. And she wasn’t sure she could take that.
“Guys,” she blurted. “The high road, remember?”
The chatter died down. The excitement, like a live force in the room, dropped too. Nose-dived was more like it.
“Right,” Camila said with a sigh. “No, no, you’re right. The other way is better. Let’s stick to Plan A.”
“I like Plan B better,” Rachel said with ahumph.
Betzy went over the list they’d made in her mind. “I’ll reach out, see when I can make a few appearances, and we’ll combat this ugliness with grace, the way Grandma Lo would.”
“And finesse,” Camila added as she snatched the champagne off the counter. She poured a bit of the sparkling drink into the glasses nearby, handed one to both Betzy and Rachel in turn, and lifted her own glass toward the center. “Here’s to doing this with grace and finesse.”
“With grace and finesse,” they repeated. “Cheers.”
Chapter 4
Sawyer stepped on the clutch, shifted into fifth gear, and relished the feel of the salty coastal breeze on his face. Boy, did he miss driving in LA. The bright sunlight, gorgeous palm trees, and the open road. This baby, a Lamborghini Veneno, made it all the better. The fact was, Sawyer kept two of his three cars back in LA; no point having them in New York, where he rarely drove.
He’d taken a detour on his way from the private airport, driving past the Benton’s estate, where he’d lived a good portion of his life. Betzy had recently purchased a home of her own not too far from the family’s estate. He found himself picturing a different scenario where the two met. Where she didn’t know him as the close friend whose mom cleaned her home when she was young.
On most days, Sawyer felt as if he’d achieved enough to be worthy of a girl like her. Heck, he’d made more than a splash in the industry.
