When it started ringing again, I instantly knew who was calling.
“Yes, Ria?”
“What’s with the urgency? Why didn’t you tell me that you were flying back to the States?” Her voice was clipped and full of her usual stuck-up, pretentious attitude.
“We talked about me going to Miami last week. I just hadn’t set a date. Do you need something that wasn’t covered in our conference call just now? Is that it?”
There was a long pause on her end, and I pictured her long, red nails tapping away on her desk. “Don’t bullshit me, Jorge. You stood me up last night too. Do you know how stupid I looked waiting for you in that bar with a bottle of wine and two glasses?”
“I told you that I wasn’t sure I could make it, Ria. In fact, I was crystal clear when I said that I’d text you by six o’clock if I could make it. It’s not my fault that you went there on your own accord.”
“You were talking withherlast night, weren’t you?”
I was about to ask who Ria was referring to, but the emphasis on the word “her” told me—Ginger. “If you’re referring to Ginger, one of my best friends, then yes. She and I did speak last night. Why do you care so much?”
“Does she know about me, Jorge?”
I rubbed my temples out of frustration as we got stuck in traffic. “Does she know that I’ve had a friends-with-benefits situation with my business partner? Yes, Ria, she does know. Now, tell me the real reason you called.”
She let out an obnoxious sigh, and I knew she was leaning back in her office chair, closing her eyes and shaking her head. “There will come a day when I say ‘no’ to your sexual advances, Jorge.”
“Mysexual advances? Are you kidding me right now?” I ignored the look of shock from my driver in the rearview mirror.
Oh, please. Like you didn’t know.
“So, how long until you get back to Belgium?”
“I don’t know, Ria, and it won’t matter because everything I do can be done remotely. Just focus on running the business on your end, and I’ll do the same from mine. Everything will be fine.”
“You’re so selfish, Jorge. Aren’t you interested in how I found out that you were going back to Miami?”
A massive lump formed in my throat as I realized that she was right. The only person who knew was my secretary, and she was too damn trustworthy to have told Ria. The company-wide email she sent out merely stated that I’d be out of town for an indefinite amount of time, but business would continue as usual.
I refused to give in to her bullying tactics, though. “Not at all, Ria. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a plane to catch.”
I hit the “end call” button as soon as she started to speak again. Then, I nodded to my driver as the traffic eased up.
About thirty minutes later, I was flying high above the Atlantic Ocean in my private jet, doing my best to forget all about Ria. Deciding that it’d be a long flight, I gave my best friend, Gavin, a call.
The sound of people chatting blared into the phone when he picked up. “Hey, man! Hang on a second, let me go someplace quieter.” I adjusted my gold Rolex while waiting for him to return, admiring the diamond detail.
“All right, there we go. What’s going on, man?”
“Nothing, but it sounds like you’re pretty busy. Did I catch you at a bad time?”
“Not at all, but you sound a bit under the weather. Is it stress or problems with women?” Gavin knew me all too well.
“It’s Ria problems, man. That woman is driving me insane.”
“How many times did I tell you not to get involved with her? Not only do you work with her, but she’s your freaking business partner!”
I closed my eyes, realizing he was right. But the sex was good and, well, don’t we all have needs? “I know, but she said she was fine with a friends-with-benefits situation. How could I know she’d get so attached?”
“Women always get attached in those situations, Jorge. It’s just how they’re wired. And I’ve never liked Ria, either.”
“You’ve never even met her.”
I overheard him place a coffee order to one of his assistants.
