The Billionaire Game Read Online Free PDF Page A

jerk policy! All jerks must be
put in checked luggage; if you attempt to board this relationship
with a jerk, Security will ask you to step from the line.
    “—all in university
together,” Grant was explaining to Lacey. “Brody and I
played on the polo team together, and Asher was his roommate. Lacey,
Kate—Brody and Asher. If I’d taken either of their advice
back at college, I’d have made my fortune a lot sooner. Asher
and Brody, Lacey and Kate. They keep me on the straight and narrow.”
    “Pleasure to meet you,”
Brody said to us.
    Asher took Lacey’s hand and
kissed it. “Delighted.”
    Lacey’s eyebrows climbed so high
they could have formed their own airline.
    Asher took my mine. “Del—”
    “We’ve met,” I said
shortly, pulling my hand away.
    “Asher, did you forget your
manners again?” Grant asked. “He likes to put on the
whole Prince Charming act now, but when I first met him, he couldn’t
speak two words to girls that weren’t ‘move, you’re
blocking the Lord of the Rings trilogy.’”
    “Grant, please,” Asher
said, starting to look embarrassed.
    “This one time,” Grant
started, a wicked grin blooming on his face, “he didn’t
know his crush from the debate team was in the lobby, and he was
racing down the stairs, skinny arms flailing in the wind—you
should have seen him before he got into body-building, a toothpick
could have taken him in a boxing match—”
    “Don’t go digging up my
tragic past, man,” Asher said with a laugh, giving Grant a
friendly punch in the shoulder. His face took on a mischievous cast,
and his slightly awkward smile widened. “Unless you want me to
bring up that incident with you, the sorority, the whipped cream, and
the fire department.”
    Grant shot a fake-panicked look at
Lacey, who rolled her eyes. “Another tale of your misspent
youth? I’ve probably heard worse.”
    “I think I’ll play it
safe,” Grant said, “and change the subject. Where’s
your lovely date, Asher? Have you met her, Kate?”
    I was about to say I had, when suddenly
a blonde woman who was ten pounds too thin and six inches too short
to be Dove Steele shot out of the crowd and wrapped herself around
him, nestling her head onto his shoulder and letting out a contented
little murmur. He had another girl already? Or in addition? This guy
gave ‘player’ such a new name they were going to have to
add another page to the entry in the encyclopedia.
    “Oh, there you are, sweetums!”
she simpered like a little lost kitten. “Ugh, this charity ball
is such a drag! And oh my God, books, like, what are poor kids even
going to do with books? Can they even, like, read? Aren’t they
all on crack?”
    Everyone froze for a second. You could
see the thoughts slowly travel across their faces as they wondered if
they had really heard what they thought they had just heard, and if
so, whether they should laugh, yell, or cry.
    Asher looked like he sincerely hoped
the ground would open up beneath him and he would be kidnapped by
Mole People before he had to figure out how to respond.
    “Excuse me,” I said as
straight-faced as I could. “I think I see something over there.
Yes. A thing. That I should go—see. Bye!” And I fled
behind the band’s stage where no one could see me.
    And then I laughed until I was very
nearly sick.
     
    #
     
    When I had recovered, I poked my head
back out and surveyed the scene. The coast was clear; Asher and his…I
wanted to say ‘date,’ but ‘disaster’ seemed
so much more accurate…seemed to have fled. Brody was nowhere
to be seen either, but Lacey and Grant were still lounging hand in
hand where I had seen them last.
    I paused for a moment before going to
rejoin them, just watching them, so in love and so unselfconscious.
Grant teasing Lacey by holding a chocolate-dipped strawberry just too
high for her to grab, and then kissing her gently before feeding it
to her himself. Lacey laughing and relaxing into his arms, her eyes
closing