INDISPENSABLE: Part 1: A Billionaire Romance by Maryann Barnett Page B
Authors: Maryann Barnett
Ads: Link
take me with you again, no matter what. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Sweet.” Bella picked up Sarah’s phone to her. “No time like the present.”
“What?”
“Call him. Ask him to dinner. Keeping it in, isn’t going to help.”
Sarah slumped back in her seat. “No way. I’ve made rules. No socializing outside of business. No dates. No more anything.”
“You better call him right now, or I’m going to.” She waved the phone in the air.
“You know, in a perfect world, I would. I’d grab that phone, giggle, and apologize for being silly and ask him to dinner.” She took another drink. “Then, I’d go back to his place, have mad sex, marry him and live happily ever after. But life is no fairytale, and I can’t compromise my principles. I also don’t want to risk anything until I feel settled into the job with confidence.”
“This is a self-imposed punishment for reasons that should stay in the past. Why drag them into your future by hiding behind some crazy promises to yourself? You aren’t that same person anymore, Sarah. ”
“I chose abstinence until marriage. It’s not crazy. It’s not easy either, not when Brock is around because that man is used to getting any woman he wants. But, even he has limits. Brock Devlin is not going to marry me just to get sex.”
“He might marry you to get the best, most intelligent, loving wife in the world.”
“Again, this is real life. Not fantasy.”
“I get why you chose abstinence, I really do. I just question whether it’s a kneejerk reaction that seems hard to get out of now because of pride, or just not wanting to be wrong.”
Damn it. Bella always knew exactly what the problem was. “It is what it is. If I can’t keep my promises to myself, then what’s the point? I might relax the rules and have lunch with him if everything goes well on Sunday.”
“You should. You should relax all your rules. In fact, you should abolish all rules.” Bella poured more wine. “Seriously. Life’s too short to be putting limits on yourself.”
Sarah sipped and considered Bella’s advice. That made sense.
“What would you go back and tell sixteen-year-old Sarah, knowing what you know now.”
“That size twelve really isn’t fat and to let the parents go; they’re a lost cause.”
“Amen to that, sista. Keep going.”
“That the man you meet at eighteen will not love you forever. In fact, the downward spiral he causes will almost take your life, so keep away.” She choked the words out, unshed tears brimming her eyes.
Bella patted her hand and spoke for Sarah. “That you will survive all the bad and end up in a fabulous place so don’t give up. And you are going to meet a friend who will see through all the fake stuff and love the real you forever.”
Tears rolled down Sarah’s cheeks. She squeezed her friend’s hand. “That she will come to love a quirky and unorthodox girl who will pull you through. And that she’ll never look back to those dark days.”
Bella squeezed her hand back. “Keep going.”
Sarah took a breath. “That you will get a five million dollar salary at the most unexpected time but not before you need to practically starve and drink cheap-ass wine from a box. And the starving, cheap-ass wine days are the very best days of your life.”
Bella took over when Sarah faltered. “That you’ll meet a billionaire who is into you and that it’s okay to let him in, oh, and that you want mad monkey sex with him, which is also okay.” Bella stared at Sarah.
Sarah didn’t answer. She just let the thought marinate a little inside her head. Would it be okay?
“Come on, Sarah. It has to be better than telling yourself by the age of twenty-four you’ll be frightened to have sex, frightened to fall in love, and it’s okay to not live brave and strive for happiness above all things. That settling for mediocre is what she has to look forward to.”
Bella was right, again. By limiting herself,
“Okay.”
“Sweet.” Bella picked up Sarah’s phone to her. “No time like the present.”
“What?”
“Call him. Ask him to dinner. Keeping it in, isn’t going to help.”
Sarah slumped back in her seat. “No way. I’ve made rules. No socializing outside of business. No dates. No more anything.”
“You better call him right now, or I’m going to.” She waved the phone in the air.
“You know, in a perfect world, I would. I’d grab that phone, giggle, and apologize for being silly and ask him to dinner.” She took another drink. “Then, I’d go back to his place, have mad sex, marry him and live happily ever after. But life is no fairytale, and I can’t compromise my principles. I also don’t want to risk anything until I feel settled into the job with confidence.”
“This is a self-imposed punishment for reasons that should stay in the past. Why drag them into your future by hiding behind some crazy promises to yourself? You aren’t that same person anymore, Sarah. ”
“I chose abstinence until marriage. It’s not crazy. It’s not easy either, not when Brock is around because that man is used to getting any woman he wants. But, even he has limits. Brock Devlin is not going to marry me just to get sex.”
“He might marry you to get the best, most intelligent, loving wife in the world.”
“Again, this is real life. Not fantasy.”
“I get why you chose abstinence, I really do. I just question whether it’s a kneejerk reaction that seems hard to get out of now because of pride, or just not wanting to be wrong.”
Damn it. Bella always knew exactly what the problem was. “It is what it is. If I can’t keep my promises to myself, then what’s the point? I might relax the rules and have lunch with him if everything goes well on Sunday.”
“You should. You should relax all your rules. In fact, you should abolish all rules.” Bella poured more wine. “Seriously. Life’s too short to be putting limits on yourself.”
Sarah sipped and considered Bella’s advice. That made sense.
“What would you go back and tell sixteen-year-old Sarah, knowing what you know now.”
“That size twelve really isn’t fat and to let the parents go; they’re a lost cause.”
“Amen to that, sista. Keep going.”
“That the man you meet at eighteen will not love you forever. In fact, the downward spiral he causes will almost take your life, so keep away.” She choked the words out, unshed tears brimming her eyes.
Bella patted her hand and spoke for Sarah. “That you will survive all the bad and end up in a fabulous place so don’t give up. And you are going to meet a friend who will see through all the fake stuff and love the real you forever.”
Tears rolled down Sarah’s cheeks. She squeezed her friend’s hand. “That she will come to love a quirky and unorthodox girl who will pull you through. And that she’ll never look back to those dark days.”
Bella squeezed her hand back. “Keep going.”
Sarah took a breath. “That you will get a five million dollar salary at the most unexpected time but not before you need to practically starve and drink cheap-ass wine from a box. And the starving, cheap-ass wine days are the very best days of your life.”
Bella took over when Sarah faltered. “That you’ll meet a billionaire who is into you and that it’s okay to let him in, oh, and that you want mad monkey sex with him, which is also okay.” Bella stared at Sarah.
Sarah didn’t answer. She just let the thought marinate a little inside her head. Would it be okay?
“Come on, Sarah. It has to be better than telling yourself by the age of twenty-four you’ll be frightened to have sex, frightened to fall in love, and it’s okay to not live brave and strive for happiness above all things. That settling for mediocre is what she has to look forward to.”
Bella was right, again. By limiting herself,
Similar Books
