Chapter 12 Rule #12 Never mix business with pleasure. #2
“That’s hot,” he mumbles quietly. Then he places his hands on the counter, and we all just stare at each other in tense silence.
“I’m sorry for passing out last night. I know it kinda ruined the party.”
Archer ruffles my hair. “Don’t apologize, Chef. Last night was fun.”
“I heard,” I add over the top of my mug, glancing back and forth between them.
I catch the way they look at each other, mischief on their faces, and it makes my chest ache with longing. How could I miss out on watching them kiss?
I can’t help but wonder…who made the first move? Was there any groping? Who is the better kisser, or are they equally good?
I quickly shake the thought away. “Listen, as much as I’d like to further discuss what did and could have happened last night, we have to talk about your offer.”
“What about it?” Archer asks nonchalantly.
“Well, obviously, I know that was just…drunk talk, and I couldn’t possibly accept money like that.”
Their eyes wrinkle with confusion at the same time. “Why not?” Julian asks.
“Because it’s too much.”
“It’s an investment,” he argues.
“So I’d pay you back…”
“Nah,” Archer says.
At the same time, Julian rolls his eyes, muttering, “Sure.”
Chewing on the side of my cheek, I let this idea sink in some more. Surely, this is a mistake. Taking so much money, even as an investment, from two guys I just met…who I am romantically interested in…is not a wise idea.
Is it?
Looking down, I run my finger along the rim of my mug. “I don’t know the first thing about running a business.”
“We do,” Julian states firmly.
“You two are going to help me?” I ask.
“Why not?” Archer replies.
I look up into his eyes as he takes a sip of his coffee, his large hand nearly gripping the entire mug all the way around. “Well…for starters, I don’t think you’re supposed to go into business with people you almost had a threesome with.”
Archer nearly chokes. “Are you saying that if we open a restaurant together, we can’t have sex too?”
My cheeks flush with heat. “Basically.”
“Well, that’s not fair. He owns a sex club. I’m sure he’s slept with all the other owners.”
Julian shakes his head. “Not a single one.”
Archer levels him with a glare. “You’re not helping.”
“They’re like my siblings.”
“That’s even weirder.”
The two of them argue as my mind races. Archer’s right. It seems unfair that we would have to choose between each other and the restaurant of my dreams. And after what I learned about them in the elevator, they need this. Something to care about. Something to drive them. Something to excel at.
But this thing between us is so confusing already. I’m attracted to both of them, but one relationship is surely going to outlast the other, right? It’s not like I can end up with both men. So eventually one of these business relationships is going to turn sour. And I hate to even think about that.
There’s no way I could choose between them. And I can’t ask them to compete. They are clearly too fond of each other, and I’d hate to get in the middle of that. Or what if they choose each other, and I’m still stuck in business with them?
If I want the restaurant, I should say no to the sex and keep things strictly professional.
If I want the relationship, then I have to turn down the money for the restaurant.
Both sound incredibly unfulfilling.
When I glance up from the floor, I find them staring at me as if they’re waiting for my answer.
A wise woman would have one. She’d probably be smart and choose the restaurant, drawing clear boundaries in our relationship—no sex, only business. A wise woman would not let Archer’s devilish smile and Julian’s alluring eyes dissuade her from doing what’s right for her future.
Unfortunately, I have never been a wise woman.
“Can I have a few days to think about it?” I ask before tugging my bottom lip between my teeth.
“Take all the time you need, Chef,” Archer replies.
I glance over at Julian, and I swear I see hope in his eyes. For some reason, I think he really wants this. But he’d never let it show, not really.
With a subtle nod, he adds, “Yeah, no rush.”
I still can’t believe this is even an option, but time is going to be the best thing to help me decide. Because when I’m with them, my head is in the clouds and not in any condition to be making life-changing decisions.
“Tell me not to do this,” I say, sprawled out over the surface of my couch. My feet are draped over Amelia’s lap as she flips through the rom-com choices on my TV.
“Remind me what this is again,” she replies with diverted attention. “Sleeping with two guys or taking their money to buy a restaurant?”
I let out a groan. “Or both?”
With that, she lets out a little shiver like something disgusting just slithered down her back.
“Let’s pretend for a moment that we’re not talking about my brother.
For fun and my sanity, let’s call him Henry Cavill.
Why can’t you sleep with the hot pilot and Henry Cavill and take their investments in the restaurant? ”
She eventually lands on 10 Things I Hate About You and hits Play, keeping the volume low.
“Because,” I reply, turning to my side to face the screen. “This investment is a big commitment and will put me into business with Archer and Jul—er, Henry—for a really long time. Would you want to go into a long-term business relationship with some random guy you slept with once?”
Amelia, in all her adorable naivety, lifts onto her elbow and stares at me from across the couch. “You realize that it doesn’t have to be a long-term commitment, right? Julian could buy a whole arrondissement of restaurants and never feel the dent in his wallet.”
“Gross,” I mutter with a look of disgust. I try not to hold my best friend’s vulgar excess of wealth against her or her family. It’s hard to when they are the nicest goddamn people I’ve ever met.
“I know. It’s not his fault. I’m just saying…you could take the money without feeling like you’re tied to either of them. And for the record, I could also just give you the—”
I hold up a hand to stop her. Amelia has offered me funds more times than I can count, but I refuse to tarnish our friendship with that. It’s too pure, but I love her for offering.
“I wouldn’t feel right about that, and you know that,” I say, chewing on the inside of my lip.
“You know what would feel right?” she asks, poking me in the side. “Trading orgasms with the hot pilot and Henry Cavill.”
I can’t help it. I laugh. “You realize Henry Cavill is Julian, right?”
“Not in my head, he’s not.”
“And you promise you’re not mad?” I ask with unease. Amelia is my best friend and honestly the only person I really have in Paris. It was hard enough for me to accept that I wasn’t just kind of dating Archer, but it would appear that I’m sort of almost dating her brother too.
“Mad? Not at all. Surprised? Very.”
I expected her to be disgusted or livid, but in typical Amelia fashion, she shrugged it off, questioned my sanity and judgment, and made me promise to leave out all the gory details.
“Just…you know…” she adds hesitantly. “Be careful. Julian puts on a good show, making everyone think he’s so mean and unlikable. But in reality, he’s just a little softy like the rest of us. I love you both, and I’d hate to see either of you get hurt.”
It’s no secret to me that while Amelia is my best friend, hers is her brother.
They have a bond unlike the one I share with my siblings.
I’m willing to bet it’s because Amelia is actually the only person who willingly admits that she likes Julian.
And he likes it that way. She is the only person he lets in, so she’s become protective of him for it.
The ice prince, as Archer affectionately refers to him. When he’s not calling him fancy pants.
I can also see how my sort-of-maybe-almost dating Julian could cause a rift with his sister, my best friend. If this goes awry, she may never forgive me. I can’t hurt him.
Not that I’d ever want to. Not really. Sure, with his moody, selfish outburst, I’d like to slap him in some old-fashioned classic movie way, but I’d never want to actually hurt him where it counts.
Thanks to some weird twist of fate, it turns out I actually like Julian too.
Like a lot. Enough to not have to imagine it’s Henry Cavill on one side of that sexy sandwich.
I like him so much that I miss most of the movie Amelia put on because I can’t stop thinking about just how wonderful that would be.