A Billionaire's Mistake

14|Game

Chapter Fourteen: Game

Lincoln

"Remind me again why I'm just now finding out about this girl?"

I follow Archer down a crowded street in downtown Manhattan, cursing when two bikers almost hit us as they race around the curb. Even on a Monday night, there's hardly any room to walk. It truly is the city that never sleeps.

"Because she didn't want people knowing," he replies, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "It took everything I had to convince her to come tonight. A double-date is less pressure."

"Whatever," I grumble, unable to shake my anger from this morning with Sienna, "you just better hope the friend she brought is hot."

We continue walking past a Chinese restaurant, an antique shop, and then a furniture store before I finally ask, "What's her name, anyway?" He called me last minute to ask me to come out to dinner with him and this new girl he's really into but failed to mention the most important part.

"Carmen," he beams, and at the mention of her name, I gulp. Loudly. There has to be more than one Carmen in New York. It can't be the same Carmen who is best friends with Sienna. There's no way the world is that small.

"Okay, and what does she do for a living?"

We round another corner, and a woman walking three dogs collides with us. I apologize and reach down to pat the Golden Retriever's head before moving on.

"She owns this insanely cool flower shop on the Upper East Side with one of her friends. They provided all the arrangements for the station's gala. I was there when she made the delivery."

Fuckity fuck fuck.

"And the friend she's bringing? What's her name?"

He shrugs. "No clue. She just said she was bringing someone."

I pray it's Riley. I seriously hope that is who Carmen's bringing for this double date tonight and not Sienna. After earlier today, I know I'm the last person she wants to see, and despite me wanting to beg and plead for her to reconsider, that's never been who I am, nor who I will become, and I need her to help my company more than I need her in my sheets.

"There they are." Archer points and waves to the two women standing by the restaurant doors, and as soon as my eyes lock with Sienna's, I mutter a slew of cuss words.

"You've got to be kidding me," Sienna seethes and shoots her friend with visual daggers. "You totally set this up, didn't you?"

Carmen throws her hands up. "I swear I didn't even know they knew each other. He didn't tell me who he was bringing!"

I scan Sienna from head to toe, withholding any sexual remark I want to make. She's wearing a strapless black mini dress with sparkly gold sandals, her white painted toes looking as beautiful as ever against that silky skin of hers.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Archer glances between Sienna and me, noticing the tension.

Sienna is still glaring at me with her arms crossed in front of her chest, Carmen stepping between the two of us to give Archer a hug. "Uh, Archer, this is Sienna, Sienna, Archer." She tilts her head toward the restaurant just as Archer lets out a laugh.

"Ah, Sienna," he says and flashes me a knowing look just as she raises his brow at him, "what a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Let's go inside," Carmen urges to spare her friend the embarrassment. "You look nice, Arch."

He smiles bigger than I've ever seen him. "You're beautiful as always, Carmen."

I open the door for us all to head inside, but Sienna lingers back, scowling up at me as Archer and Carmen check on our reservations. "You knew."