Chapter 19
Anderson stands to guide his guests out. “Gentlemen, see Angela about getting on my schedule soon. My apologies, but emergencies wait for no one.”
That’s what he’s calling this. An emergency. Well, it is to me. Glad to see he’s taking it so seriously. If that is, in fact, what he’s doing. The suits leave, and I close the door behind them. Anderson is within arm’s length, and I can’t tell if I want to kiss him or strangle him. Somehow, he manages to make a navy suit look more impressive than a tuxedo.
Get your head right. This is not a social call.
Right, right. I’m pissed off. He’s nothing but a dollar sign to me, and I have no clue what I am to him. “Am I still a joke to you, Anderson?”
He looks like I slapped him. “What?”
“You were never this good of an actor back in the day. Did you take lessons? I don’t remember you being in the drama club but I imagine men like you can afford lessons for anything.”
“What are you talking about, June?”
I take a stroll around his office. It’s expansive. The entire room reeks of way too much money. There’s the sitting area where he had hosted his clients a moment ago. To the left of that is an oversized walnut wood desk and behind it, a wall of bookshelves loaded with books on the law. The outer wall is a solid glass pane, giving an unobstructed view of the city. Even now, with our gray, dreary weather, the view is spectacular.
“Why are you playing dumb? We both know that you know.”
“That I know what?”
I run my finger down the edge of his desk while I speak. A dramatic mood has come over me, and since he’s pissed me off, I’m going to take my time with this and enjoy seeing him twist in the wind. “That’s all I’ve ever been to you, isn’t it? A joke. A way to amuse yourself. Another plaything. You saw me at the auction and thought, Oh look. A game I can win.”
“Not even close.”
“Right.” I lean back over the desk, slightly jutting my chest out. He may not respect me, but he loved them. Maybe he’ll pay up if I remind him of that. “I’m supposed to believe you saw me at the auction and actually wanted me?”
“Why else would I have bid that kind of money for you?”
“Funny you say bid and not paid.”
He frowns. “Bid, pay, whatever. The point stands. You still think I paid that kind of money to pull a prank on you?”
“That’s the thing, though, Andy. You didn’t.”
“Don’t call me Andy.”
“I’ll call you whatever the hell I want until you actually pay me.”
He pauses. “What are you talking about?”
“Cut the crap. You know damn well you haven’t paid up. Or do you have so much money that you wouldn’t notice misplacing that kind of cash? Did you leave it somewhere? Is it in your other wallet?” I can’t help but mock him right now. I’m too pissed off. “Or is the little rich boy crying poor?”
“I paid you. Well, I paid the shell corporation they use for the auction, anyway.”
“Bullshit! The money never hit my account because it was never wired because you never sent it!”
He huffs. “I’ll call the mansion. Surely they have someone?—
“I’ve already called them, trying to track this down. They pretended not to know anything. Stop stalling and pay me what you owe me.”
“Given Friday night’s events, you’re worth every penny and more.” He goes to his desk and sits behind his laptop, so I march around the desk myself and stand next to him to see whatever the hell he’s doing. I tell myself it’s because I don’t trust him, but I like standing close to him. I’ve been conflicted for a week over this man, and it’s not getting any easier by being near him. But he smells too good to wait on the other side of the desk.
I am hopeless. Truly.
As he types, he mutters, “Truth be told, I find you priceless, but if this is what it takes to settle things between us, then I’m happy to do it.”
“I’m not here for more of your lies, Andy. Pay me.”
He winces at that. “Must you, with the Andy of it all?”
“Your full name will cost you three hundred and ninety thousand dollars.”
He smirks a little, and I force my toes to stay put. “A small price for such an incredible night.” Then his smirk dies when he looks at the screen. “The hell …”
I struggle to remain unmoved, but the panic in his tone sets me on edge. If he’s panicked, what the hell chance do I have? “What is it?”
“My account is frozen. This can’t be right.” He mashes some buttons.
“Oh, bullshit! You’re such a con artist! I will destroy you, Andy West. I’m not sure how, but I will fucking end you. I have powerful friends who would love nothing more than to make me happy.” Okay, I have Callie and that’s about it, but given her whole arson plan, I wouldn’t put it past her to do something awful to Anderson on my behalf.
He rakes his fingers through his hair, looking stressed as heck while he glares at the screen. “Before you bring the apocalypse down around me, do take a moment to look at my screen.” He turns his laptop to face me.
Sure enough, it reads, “This bank account is now frozen to protect your financial interests. This bank account has been frozen due to unusual ACH activity. If you would like to unfreeze it, please contact our customer service line and provide the necessary information.”
“You could have downloaded a screenshot of a frozen bank account, Andy. You think I’m buying this? This is amateur hour shit.”
He loses a long sigh. “Wow. I mean, I appreciate how much of an evil mastermind you apparently think I am—it’s rather flattering in a way—but, June, until I get this handled, I am fucked. So, I’d appreciate if you took this seriously.”
“I have known you in one capacity or another for most of my life, and yet, your audacity never fails to take the wind right out of me. You are such a little shit.”
“Excuse me?”
“You have more money than God himself, and you’re lecturing me on taking this seriously? Do you even grasp the lengths I went to in order to get even a fraction of the kind of life you take for granted?” I bend down so I can growl this in his face. “Any man at the auction could have bought me. Any. Do you have a clue how much I put on the line that night? My health. My freedom. All so I might not have to be miserable for the next twenty-eight years. That is the kind of thing I had to do to get a tiny shred of your fortune.”
“I’m…I’m sorry.”
“Does it even occur to you to think before you speak?”
He takes a breath. “That was insensitive of me.”
“It’s almost as if your brain is not connected to your mouth, Andy.”
“Fair point. I earned that. Look, I will get this taken care of?—
“You still haven’t even proved that this is something to get taken care of. How do I know this isn’t some part of your plan? That you didn’t fake this?”
Anderson sighs. “Give me your phone.”
“What?”
“Give me your phone. You can watch me log into my bank account on your own phone, so you can see that this isn’t something I faked.”
If I get his banking information, then maybe I can … no. Having sex for money is one thing. Banking fraud is a law I’m not willing to break. Not even for this.
I pass him my phone and watch as he logs in. Sure enough, the same screen pops up. “Now, do you believe me?”
I take a breath and let it out slowly as I nod.
“You look like you’re going to vomit.”
“A prank you can fix. But banking shit can get complicated.”
“Well, things have never been easy between us before. Why would they be now?”
I huff a laugh and sink into myself. This just got so much worse. I want to believe this is all still some game he’s running, though. I’d rather think the worst of him than believe this could be out of his control.