Page 3 of How to Train Your Billionaire

“A guy in a suit? That’d be a first for you ...”

I roll my eyes and order a second glass of wine. “I could date a guy in a suit.”

Tessa laughs. “Are you for real? Your normal type is red flags. Tattoos. Bad boys. Ex-cons.”

“Not true.” I roll my eyes.

“Frankie!”

“Okay,” I say, relenting. “So Tanner had an arrest warrant, which he said wasprobablyjust a technicality.”

She stares at me. “And Jesse had full sleeves, tattoos on his neck, andzerogoals.”

Tessa has a mishmash of colorful tattoos adorning her right arm, so why would she care about a couple (dozen) tattoos? A purple hummingbird was her latest addition. Her personality is basically like Halloween—playful, spunky, and a little weird.

“And Brendon ...” she continues, “don’t get me started on Brendon. Don’t even mention his name.”

“See.” I grin sheepishly. “That’s exactly why I’m on sabbatical.”

If my life were a book, it would be titledFrankie’s Bad Taste in Men. Chapter 1 would be “Red Flags Are Just Decorative Banners, Right?” Chapter 2 could be “Swipe Right for Chaos.”

The bartender delivers our wine and removes the two empty glasses. And I pray for a topic change, since the last thing I want to talk about is my spotty dating history. Because she’s right—I wouldn’t know how to pick out a decent boyfriend if my life depended on it. It’s all the more reason to stay single.

Tessa turns to me. “Anyways, I can always ask around at my work—see if they need anyone in the office. It’s a long shot, but maybe?”

“Sure, that’d be great,” I say half heartedly. She’s the head of events for an art gallery. They only have a small handful of office employees.Long shot indeed.But at least I have a friend like Tessa in my corner. Ever since my mom died, I’ve depended on her even more. It’s tough feeling so alone in this world. I think losing my job must have brought my feelings of inadequacy even more up to the surface.

When I get home that night, I do as Tessa instructed and fix up my résumé. After emailing it over to her, I spend two hours applying for jobs before I collapse into bed with a slight headache from the two glasses of wine we had at dinner.

In the morning, I wake to a single email in my inbox. An invite for a job interview the very next day for an accounting position. My prospects are looking up already.

Chapter Two

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay

Hayes

It’s late on Friday, and I should be deep into the workload waiting for me, but the headache that’s been building at the base of my skull threatens to derail my entire afternoon. My laptop is open to a presentation titled “Risk Mitigation,” but I’m unfocused, my mind stuck elsewhere.

My work in my family’s office isn’t brain surgery, but itisimportant to me. Being born into great wealth sometimes feels like living in a gilded bubble—everything is available, but the expectations and scrutiny can be suffocating. I’ve learned to manage the pressure—but only barely.

A knock on the door snaps me back to reality.

“Come in.”

My assistant, Greta, enters, carrying a stack of documents. “Your conference call with the legal team is in two hours. Do you need any last-minute changes?”

I shake my head. “No, no changes. Just ... Can you make sure everything’s set up for the videoconference with the West Coast team?”

“Absolutely. Everything will be ready. And I wanted to let you know that your one o’clock is here early. I’ve placed her in the sitting room.”

“Thanks.” For once a potential hire is on time. I’ve had a hard time filling this role for a junior accountant with someone capable. But given her résumé, Francesca Anderson is more than qualified.

I finish typing the email and click Send before rising from my desk. As I head down the hall toward the front sitting room, I can hear Greta chatting with the candidate. Greta can be a bit socially awkward, but I appreciate her attempts at being cordial.

“My nephew turns ten tonight, and we’re going out for arcade games and pizza,” Greta says.

“Every birthday should include pizza. It’s practically a law,” I hear the candidate answer, her voice warm and friendly.