Page 18 of The Rebel Billionaire

Imake my way across the restaurant to where my friends are gathered. Part of me wants to call this evening off, but going home and dwelling on the shitshow my life is about to become is not overly productive.

“Here he is,” Dante says, standing up and slapping me on the back as I move to the free seat next to him. “Bad day at the office, I hear?”

“Fuck off,” I say, although there’s not much sting in my words.

Callie had obviously called David after our conversation, and he had then relayed the whole thing to our group chat.

“The man needs a drink,” Dante says, motioning to our waitress, Trina.

She nods and heads towards the bar.

“So, Callie’s finally leaving you,” Orlando says, his lips twitching.

“Haha,” I say, picking up the glass of Scotch Trina has placed in front of me, enjoying the burn as it hits my throat.

“David not coming? Scared to face you?” Leo asks, waggling his eyebrows.

“Always the comedian,” I say, shaking my head. “I saw him when he came to collect Callie. It’s why I’m late.”

“I take it you have interviews set?” Orlando asks.

“Does everyone know my business? You guys are worse than a bunch of old, gossipy women.”

“Well, it beats listening to Orlando bitch and moan about Kirsten. That poor woman can’t seem to do anything right,” Leo says.

“That’s because the woman is completely incompetent,” Orlando says.

“She cleans your house,” Leo says. “You should be thanking her.”

“Thanking her? The woman doesn’t know one end of a duster from the other.”

“So, fire her?” Dante chips in.

Orlando drops his chin. “I can’t. I promised my mother and hers.”

The others laugh. Orlando’s mother is a force of nature, and Kirsten is the daughter of an old friend.

“How about you, Leo? Have things improved with Sadie?” I ask, earning a grateful look from Orlando.

“Still threatening to leave,” he says. “Not sure if it would be a blessing or a tragedy. Let me know how your interviews go on Monday, and I’ll decide.”

Sadie is Leo’s PA, and they butt heads from time to time. She’s also his ex-sister-in-law.

“Dante, you got anything to add?” I ask.

“Nope, my life is pretty uneventful alongside you clowns,” he says.

It hasn’t always been that way. Like David, he was in a long-term relationship until his girlfriend left him.

“What are you going to do?” Dante asks, turning to me.

“Bet you’re cursing the day you introduced them,” Orlando says.

“That’s one thing I can’t regret,” I say, earning a sarcastic chorus of Awws from the others.

My friends are important to me. All of them, even when they’re being dicks. I’d do anything for these guys. They’re family. We met at boarding school in England and had each other’s backs when our families were too far away, or simply didn’t give a shit. They were there for me during my divorce, picking me up, and helping me through it.

When Callie and David met, he’d been struggling. She pulled him out of a dark place.