"I didn't!" she cried. "I mean, you told me to call you last night."
"I wasn't with anyone last night," Greg snarled. "Let me guess. Someone with messy hair, terrible taste, too much money, and not enough sense gave that card to you?"
"Yeah…"
"Well, that would be yet another ill-advised prank by my younger brother Archer, who is childish, immature, and a stain on the Svensson name." Greg glared at me. I rolled my eyes.
"I'm really sorry," Hazel said in a small voice that made me feel ever so slightly guilty.
"Do not call this number anymore." Greg hung up.
Mace glared at me. "You're terrible."
"It was hilarious!" I said, laughing.
"You can't just give out my number, Archer," Greg warned. "You're already on thin ice."
"Greg, lighten up! I'm about to make you even more billions with this conference center."
"We can't even be certain you're going to be able to purchase the property."
"Of course I'm going to!" I said. "Harrington Investment doesn't have the vision I do. Besides, Mayor Barry likes us. He'll be at the pitch meeting."
Hunter didn't look convinced. "I just wish Josie had been able to work on this pitch."
"I am really tapped out," Josie said, coming into the dining room and slumping down in a chair.
"Of course, dear future sister-in-law," I said, cutting a huge piece of the sausage, egg, and cheddar cheese casserole, placing it on a plate along with some fruit, and handing it to her.
Josie demurred, "Mace hasn't proposed."
"He needs to," I said, dishing up more pieces for the kids who lined up. "You're living in his house, taking care of these heathens. You have him by the balls. If you left, this place would descend into chaos in a matter of hours."
"On the vein of not falling into chaos, Otis and Theo are participating in a summer art camp they found," Mace informed me.
"It's for our business," Otis said excitedly as he and Theo dug into their food. "We're selling T-shirts online."
"Because that's not sketchy," I said. "Is that even legal?"
"I helped them set up a corporation," Hunter said, scooping fruit onto each of the kids’ plates who he felt weren't eating enough plant matter. "If you don't want to be useful, you can go back to Manhattan and stop wasting space."
"Fine. I will be soccer mom this afternoon."
"We'll get you a minivan," Mike said with a smirk.
"The billionaire playboy gets domesticated," Josie said with a grin.
Greg scowled. "He's not that domesticated if he's orchestrating prank calls like a child."
3
Hazel
Ithrew down the phone as soon as I ended the call. Then I screamed, "Oh my God!"
When I decided to call that morning, I was assuming Sexy Sunglasses, or rather, Archer, I guess his name was, wouldn't be awake. He didn't seem like the early-riser type. I was certain I would just leave a voicemail. I had even written out what I was going to say. But when his brother answered the phone, my script completely flew out the window.
I had been so humiliated. Then I was furious. How dare Archer play a joke on me? Stupidly attractive, huh. Actually he was just another stupid idea, just like my art education, just like the Art Café, and just like this Hail Mary grant I was hoping to win from the Art Zurich Biennial Expo.
