Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87601 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87601 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Mitch’s jaw drops, but there’s new respect in his tone when he says, “Are you waving your business dick at me, Syd?”
She smiles, her eyes sparkling. “Maybe. A little dick-waving isn’t out of order at times like these. A friend taught me that. And my father taught me to leave a negotiation while I still have the upper hand. I’ll see you both later. Have a wonderful morning.” She looks up, meeting my gaze, a softer note in her voice as she adds, “Call me? I’ll leave my number at the desk downstairs.”
“Absolutely,” I promise.
Then, before I can offer to walk her to the door or tell her what a badass she is, she struts through the entryway and shuts the front door quietly behind her.
When she’s gone, I turn back to Mitch.
He shakes his head. “You’re crazy. You know that, right?”
My lips hook up. “You don’t know the half of it.” I nod toward the door, deciding the news that my son used to date Sydney can wait until we have coffee. And eggs. I’m suddenly starving. “Come on. I’ll buy you breakfast and confess my sins. My treat.”
“I don’t know if I can handle more sin,” he says, but he rises to his feet and smooths a hand over his impeccably gelled hair. “But I could eat. The diner on Eighteenth Street, though. None of that French shit.”
“None of the French shit,” I promise. I’d rather save that to share with Sydney anyway.
Sydney, who I will absolutely be calling. And likely, seeing again. I have zero self-control when it comes to this woman.
I suppose there’s a chance that talking things through with an old friend will bring me to my senses, but I doubt it, not with her powerhouse of an exit still fresh in my mind.
I’m beginning to think that if anyone can make the transition from dating a son to dating his father without causing a scandal, it’s Sydney.
twenty
SYDNEY
I decide to walk uptown, at least part of the way.
It’s a gorgeous autumn morning, with the leaves just starting to change in the parks and a pleasant nip in the air. People are out walking dogs, taking their kids to playgrounds, or just wandering the streets with coffee in hand, soaking in the lazy weekend vibes.
It’s my favorite kind of day in New York City, the kind I haven’t had the chance to enjoy since returning home. I’ve been working straight through the weekends and the one Saturday I had “off” two weeks ago, my father roped me into an extended business brunch.
I love my dad, I really do, but he’s bad for my digestion. By the time he gave me a fifteen-minute rundown on why our supply chain would need to be completely revamped in the next ten years, my stomach was in knots. I could barely eat two bites of my savory mushroom crepe, and I love a good mushroom crepe.
Though not as much as I loved those lemon souffle pancakes last night…
But I’m guessing any meal shared with Gideon would taste ten times more delicious. He’s just fantastic. And he thinks I’m fantastic, too. He even approved of my handling of the Mitch situation. As I walked out, his eyes were shining with amusement and pride.
He was proud of me. And I liked it.
Maybe a little too much, which gets me to thinking…
I call Elaina again.
She picks up on the first ring with a breathless, “How did it go?”
“Amazing,” I say, grinning as I drift into Bryant Park, admiring the sun on the white bark of the birch trees. “You were right. Big dong energy was the way to go.”
“I knew it! I’m so smart,” she crows, humble as ever. “BDE is always my go-to in a pinch. Works like a charm. Gertie says it doesn’t, but that’s because she doesn’t understand the difference between confidence and conflict. Big dick energy isn’t about starting a fight; it’s about proving a fight isn’t necessary because shit has already been handled by the Giant Schlong in Charge.” She sighs. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Weird you say that. That’s sort of why I’m calling. I think Gideon was proud of me, too.”
She emits a happy cooing sound. “See? He’s a keeper. You have to keep dating and see where this goes, Syd! A man who appreciates big dick energy is a treasure. And not easy to find. Believe me, I’ve been looking. I thought Stettler might be down with my powerful side for a while, but once he found out how much the café makes a year, he dipped. Said he couldn’t be with a woman who made more cash money than he did. That it made his dick shrivel up. Which would have been a dealbreaker for me, too, since it wasn’t that big to start with.” She makes a growling sound. “Ugh. Men are the worst. Except Gideon, of course. Does he have a twin?”