Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
Owen
I’m in shock as I get up from the chair, looking at my hand.
“Do you like it, Mr. Lavoie?” the tattoo artist asks.
I can’t take my eyes off it. “It’s perfect.”
Ryan and Jason are at my side, checking it out and telling me how cool it looks. There’s still no sign of Faye, but Edward and Cassandra arrive, joining our group. Cassandra marches right up to my brothers, standing out in a bright red dress.
“Look at you,” Ryan says, sliding his hand on Cassandra’s hip as they kiss cheeks. “Beautiful as ever.”
“Thank you,” she says, those ravenous eyes looking him up and down. “You’re not looking so bad yourself.”
She moves on to Jason, leaving a red lipstick imprint on his cheek. When she attempts to do the same to me, I step back and give her a firm handshake. She rolls her eyes.
“Did you guys have a nice weekend in Muskoka?” Jason asks as Edward shakes our hands.
“It was… disappointing,” Cassandra says, flashing me a steely look. “I tried to hit the Lavoie hat trick, but your brother is no fun. He kept blocking my shots.”
“Yeah,” Ryan says with a chuckle. “I could have told you that would happen.”
The waitress comes over with a tray of those ludicrous neon martinis and everyone takes one. Ryan shoves one into my hand and I’m forced to take it even though it looks unpalatable at best. How did they make this? By snapping glow sticks in half and pouring out the liquid?
“I’ve never been so excited for a business venture,” Edward says, sliding his hand onto his wife’s lower back.
“I’d like to start off strong and corner the market before we have to deal with any cheap imitation knockoffs trying to eat our market share.
What do you boys think about opening locations in sixteen cities next year? ”
Jason and Ryan’s mouths drop.
“I love it,” Jason says, grinning wide.
“I’m so hard right now,” Ryan says.
Cassandra fans herself. “Don’t tease me, Ryan. We just got here.”
Edward laughs as he raises his glass.
“To money,” he says, as we raise our glasses along with him. “And to these three remarkable young men who are about to make me a great deal more of it. The ink may be temporary, but what we build together will last forever.”
We all clink glasses and take a sip. Neon green flavored alcohol fills my mouth and I swallow it down. It’s surprisingly not terrible.
After the toast, Ryan and Jason converge on Edward, excitedly discussing which cities to open in first.
I swallow hard as Cassandra steps up to me. She runs her hand down the lapel of my jacket.
“You’re the first man to ever turn me down,” she says, eyeing my mouth before her sharp eyes dart up to mine. “I hate that it makes me want you even more.”
I clear my throat, standing uncomfortably in place.
“Is it because of her? The short, bubbly, unathletic one?”
“Yes,” I say. “She’s the only one I want.”
She rolls her eyes as she runs her hand down my arm. “Why would you tease me with all those filthy messages if you were only going to say no?”
“I didn’t send them.”
She blinks.
“What? Then who did?”
My brothers warned me to keep it quiet, but some things are better off in the open. As rude, terrifying, and inappropriate as Cassandra is, she still deserves to know the truth. Her feelings were hurt too, and even she doesn’t deserve that.
I wrote to every single woman that Love Bot connected with, and told them the truth. Cassandra is the last remaining one.
I take a deep breath and let it all out.
“I had an AI program running on my phone,” I tell her. “It accessed my dating profile without my knowledge and has been messaging women across the city for weeks. I didn’t write those messages. I didn’t even know it was happening.”
She blinks rapidly and attempts to speak, although her words are only emerging as flustered sputters and stammering breaths.
“An AI program?” she finally spits out, staring at me in shock.
“Yes.”
“Sent me all those messages?”
“Yes. I’m truly sorry.”
“The one about the ice cube?”
“Yeah.”
“Even the one with the cucumber and hot tub where you said—”
“It was all AI,” I quickly say, not wanting to hear the end of that one. “All of them.”
She is quiet for a long moment.
“Well,” she says softly. “Your AI program has a vivid imagination.”
“I know,” I say with a nervous smile. “I’m sorry it made you have feelings for me.”
Her eyes snap back onto mine. They narrow as she glares at me.
“Feelings? No. I love my husband.”
I nod. “Of course.”
“Edward knows about my FirstSpark account. In case you were concerned.”
I was not concerned, but I nod regardless.
She runs her hand down my lapel one more time before those flinty eyes narrow on me. “Your AI program is significantly more interesting than you are.”
“I know.”
She rolls her eyes and huffs out a breath. “Faye is here.”
“What?” I ask, perking up. “Where?”
“She’s stuck outside in line,” she says, her gaze flicking upward. “You better go get her before she leaves.”
I’m gone before she finishes the sentence.
“Excuse me,” I say as I push through the crowd, feeling breathless and energized like my insides are vibrating. She’s here. She’s actually here.
I’m going to get her.
And this time, I’ll do whatever I can to keep her.