Page 12 of Sexy

“Whatever. I think you had the right idea last night. Dreamboat Novak is where I’d put all my efforts.”

“He’s a stripper, Claudio. Gross. And we both know he’s fucking strangers after each show. That’s two one-night stands a week. Just gross.”

“Well, that’s easily dismissed. If one clean bill of health is all that’s standing between you and the most delectable slab of abs I’ve ever seen, I’ll make him a doctor’s appointment today.”

“You,” I say, pointing my finger up at him, “will stay out of this. You understand me? I don’t need your help in the relationship department. Remember the last guy you set me up with? Mr. Hot Buns?”

Claudio snickers. “He was a fireman. I hate firemen, said no one ever. You’re a freak.”

“He was an arsonist, Claudio. He started fires just to put them out.”

“Same difference. I’m just saying, a man with a giant water hose in his hands is hot.”

“He was hot, all right. And so was that car he drove.”

“So I misjudged one guy. Give me a break. You’ve misjudged plenty on your own.”

I shoot him a dirty look for bringing that up. “No. I’m going after Cole and now that I finally have his attention, I do not want you to mess it up. You hear me?”

“Fine, fine.” Claudio throws his hands up and sighs. “But he’s a mistake. I’d just like to go on record that Cole Cookie-dough Lancaster is a mistake.”

“And stop calling him fat! He’s just a—”

“Big guy. Got it.” Claudio rolls his eyes at me. “You better get in the shower, you’ve got thirty minutes now.”

Shit.

Chapter Six

I’m taking deep breaths to hide the fact that I just ran the entire length of the casino in order to make it to the admin buildings when I arrive at Amy’s front vestibule. “Hi, I’m Tiffy Preston. I have a meeting with Amy at nine,” I tell the secretary behind the desk.

“Oh, yes,” she says, pushing her glasses up her nose. “She’s just finishing up with her eight o’clock, so go into the conference room and it will just be a moment.”

“Thank you,” I say sweetly. People expect me to be a bitch since I’m the CEO’s daughter, so I try not to meet their expectations even if I’m in the mood to tear someone’s hair out. Sure, I’m a spoiled rich girl. But I’m not a raging control freak. If there’s one thing my father taught me, it was to delegate to people who knew more than you in areas you were weak in. And since Amy is the expert here at the Landslide Hotel and Casino, I’m happy to delegate as much as possible to her and remain an observer. Especially since I have a helluva hangover.

Whew. I let out one last long breath as I open the conference room door and step inside, thankful I have a few more minutes to gather my thoughts about—

“Hey, there, Tiff,” Fletcher says with a smug grin as he turns from the view at the huge picture window. He checks his phone. “You’re late.”

I check my watch. “Two minutes.”

“Two minutes is two minutes, right? Didn’t you say something to me last night about being late?”

“You are an actor on stage. Things are timed, Mr. Novak.” I set my bag down on the table and begin pulling out my laptop. “You can’t afford to be two minutes late.”

“And I wasn’t. I was two seconds late. So don’t you find it unreasonable to be angry over two seconds?”

“Again, Mr. Novak, you are in showbusiness. Two seconds is too long.”

“I agree.”

“What?”

“I said, I agree. It won’t happen again. I’ve been giving this a lot of thought, and you’re right. Two seconds is too many. I’m going to be early from now on.”

I give him a sidelong glare. What’s he up to? “Well, good. Then once Amy gets here, we can drop that issue and start discussing your breach of contract regarding these girls you… date.”

“What breach?” he asks with a smile, taking a seat across from me at the table. “Did I breach, Miss Preston?”