Chapter 23
Matteo
After the Bahamas, I decided to take another week off. Honestly, I needed it. So much had happened over the previous week that I needed time to readjust to the world. This was the real world, not a fantasy. In what world would Lacey and I work? I knew I was a fool for even thinking about calling her. It would be a mistake. She surely didn’t want to talk to me after the way I ended things.
Shawn and Abigail had called a couple times since being back, but I had not returned their calls. I just didn’t know what to tell them. They wanted me to fight for her, but they didn’t know the whole story. I could never explain to them about the arrangement. My mother would kill me. It couldn’t get out. As I sat on my couch in my boxers and a T-shirt, I realized I was moping. I hadn’t moved from this couch all day except to go to the bathroom. Hell, I hadn’t even eaten anything. I needed to get out of this slump.
I got up and grabbed a pint of ice cream out of the freezer and plopped down on the couch when I heard a knock at my door. It was ten o’clock at night; who the hell would be knocking on my door? I swung the door open to find Shawn.
“Hey, man, I wanted to stop by and check in on you. Your sister is worried sick. Why don't you call us back?” he said, walking into my apartment and sitting on my couch.
I laughed because he didn’t even wait to be invited in. “I just don’t feel like talking to anyone right now.”
He got closer to me. “Listen, man, we all know you were happy. Just put things aside and go get her back. There is no need to let your ego get in the way of your happiness.”
Maybe he was right. We were close at the end. Closer than I’d gotten with a woman in a long time. Before that last day, I even had thoughts of extending the offer of a real date when we got back. However, I knew once I “broke up” with her, things weren’t going back to the way they were. I should have done things differently, but I couldn’t change that now. Plus, how would I know if she was even remotely interested? She texted back with a one-word answer which meant she was still furious at me or just wanted the money.
A light bulb went off in my head, and a brilliant idea came to mind. “Thanks, Shawn. I think you have changed my mind. I’ll let you know how it goes,” I told him as I got up and shoved him out the door.
I grabbed my phone and called up Dr. Shepard. “Hey, I know it’s late, but can you reach out to Lacey and extend an invitation to accompany me to a business dinner?”
Dr. Shepard’s deep, husky voice answered slowly. “Sure, I’ll send an email. How much?”
I replied, “Three thousand.”
He choked up. I guess he couldn’t believe I was willing to pay her that much. “You said, three thousand for how long?”
I laughed at his response. “Only a couple of hours. If she accepts, I’ll send her the details.”
I knew that even if she didn’t want to speak to me, there was no possible way she would turn down that kind of money. College was expensive, and she wanted to graduate. I felt horrible for using that to my advantage, but it was the only way to get her to see me. Once she was next to me, I’d find a way to win her back. Maybe, just maybe, this could be my fairy-tale ending.