“Too bad,” I said. “It’s my business, and you can’t dictate who we take on as clients. Unless you want me to show up at one of your hedge fund investment meetings?”
We glared at each other.
“Guess you really aren’t wife material. If you were, you’d be supportive and on my side,” Chris said mulishly.
“And if you were husband material,” I shot back, “you would be supportive of my business and not try to dictate my life.”
* * *
Chris gloweredon the way back home that evening. We rode in silence to the penthouse. I stared out the window of the limo at the blur of city lights, counting down the days until this awful marriage would finally be over.
Once we returned, Chris disappeared in his study while I changed and brought out my laptop. It was late, but I needed to work on my book. The coffee-table book was going to be all about weddings and wedding planning. I had selected all my best photographs, and each chapter would be about some element of the planning.
“If you’re going to sell more than three copies of that book,” Gran said, padding up to me, “you should take a bunch of pictures of half-naked me. That would fly off the shelves!”
“People like weddings,” I protested.
Gran snorted. “They like their own weddings.”
I chewed on my lip.
“Maybe I can market this as more of a wedding planning guide, you know, with aspirational images.”
“Yawn. Needs more naked men. Why don’t you take a few pictures of your hunky husband?”
“I am not spending any more time with him than necessary.”
“You need to turn on the charm! Zeus has finally gotten settled. You can’t be a bad houseguest. We’ll be thrown out on the street!”
“Chris and I have a deal,” I assured her. “We’re not going out on the street as long as you don’t cook candles in his kitchen.”
“Pshaw! I have literally never seen him use that kitchen. He has stacks of pre-made meals in the fridge.”
Gran snapped her fingers. The parrot snoozing on her shoulder squawked, “Time for breakfast!”
“Yes! A romantic breakfast for two. Well, four,” Gran amended, “but Zeus and I will sit on the porch and leer through the window.”
“I’m not cooking for that man-baby.” I crossed my arms.
“Grace! I cannot live on the streets!” she said dramatically, “I have grown accustomed to luxury.”
24
Chris
Ipaced around my study.
Eric:Heard you killed it at the TechBiz event!
Josh:Let me know when you get the checks from Nancy and Horace. I’ll break out the champagne.
Eric:Guess it’s a good thing you married Grace after all, huh?
Chris:I don’t think she’s all that happy with me.
Josh:You better up your game, dude! She does all those fussy high-society weddings. If she starts badmouthing you, the women will talk, and poof goes any investment in your hedge fund.
They were right. I shouldn’t have been such a dick to Grace. But Addison—Grace was going to be spending all that time with her, and I was sure my ex would fill her head with the same gold-digger nonsense that had almost cost me my empire.
