“It must be strange that Oliver’s on vacation, huh? Until recently, he didn’t know the meaning of the word,” Billie murmured.
His cousin Oliver was an admitted workaholic until he’d met his partner, now fiancé, private detective Jon Thackery. The man finally made time for fun in his life, and Billie was so glad to see his cousin happy at last.
Eli nodded. “Before he left, he couldn’t stop talking about the hotel Jon booked for them, and he showed me pictures of the private beach. I’ve never seen him in such a good mood, like, ever.”
“Well, I guess that’s what love will do for you,” Billie murmured. “Not that I’d know anything about that.”
“And why’s that?” Eli asked, rubbing his beard and staring intently.
“I’ve had my heart broken a few times, and the last one was really painful. He cheated on me with my former assistant. I lost my boyfriend of two years and my trusted colleague. So, lately, I keep it casual. Given my track record, I feel like maybe relationships aren’t for me.”
“Maybe you just haven’t met the right guy yet,” Eli murmured as he handed Billie back his phone. This time, their hands touched, and the electric sensation shocked him. He quickly looked away.
“Met him, dated him, lost him. Anyway, enough about my sad love life. What about you?” he asked as he stood up and grabbed his leopard-print laptop case.
“I’m too busy with work. And I don’t like the casual thing. I prefer relationships. But it’s not easy. Every guy I date thinks my job is cool until they face the reality of my shifting work schedule, or they get jealous when most of my time is spent in close contact with someone else.”
Eli got up and opened the door for him.
Too bad Eli was a relationship man. If he was interested in a hook-up, maybe Billie would’ve unleashed his secret crush. Now they had to work together, so he got rid of that notion. He would fantasize only and be content with that.
“Thank you,” Billie replied as he walked past Eli, ignoring the yummy citrus tang of the bodyguard’s cologne and the fluttery sensation in his stomach that followed. “I’m sure there’s a guy out there waiting for you. Hey, maybe you’d like to go out with my assistant Frankie? He’s single, cute, and so sweet.”
Eli held his big hand up in the air. “Stop right there, please. I prefer to meet people organically. No blind dates or setups. I’m way too introverted for that kind of awkward small talk.”
“Fair enough. You’ll meet Frankie soon anyway, so who knows?” He sauntered past the reception desk to the front door and grabbed the handle. “My first design presentation meeting with the band is this Thursday at 9:30 PM.”
“Send me your schedule and I’ll be in touch.” Eli nodded, and Billie headed for the elevator. A short ride later, he walked out of the industrial building and into the cold, damp air. Billieloved New York City, but March was the pits. Usually freezing, sometimes snowy, and often cloudy. The only bright spot was that St. Patrick’s Day was coming up soon, and thank God for fun parties and Irish whiskey. He shivered as he raced to unlock his red Mini Cooper, his pride and joy. Driving and parking in the city was so much easier—and fun—when you had a small car with a shitload of style. He zipped out of the large parking lot, weaving in and out of traffic at breakneck speed. Ten minutes later, he pulled into his apartment’s underground garage.
After years of saving, and thanks to a recent gig designing all the costumes for a hit Broadway show, Billie splurged on a two-bedroom unit in Central Park West a few months ago. He used the second bedroom as his office, which is where he found Frankie this morning, coffee mug in hand.
He’d hired Frankie over a year ago after a lengthy candidate search for the right assistant. Given that his last one turned out to be a liar and a cheat (fucking Billie’s boyfriend in his former apartment no less), he wasn’t about to take chances. This person worked in his home, so it was vital that they were trustworthy. Frankie was extremely talented, organized, and an excellent work partner. Plus, his references were stellar. He was finishing up his last design school course, and it was only a matter of time before a fashion house scooped him up or he started his own business. Frankie’s calm, easygoing personality balanced Billie’s hyperactive tendencies perfectly. He reminded Billie a bit of his cousin Ryan, Oliver’s youngest brother, with a shy smile and kind nature.
“Morning, Frankie, how’s it going?” Billie asked as he placed his laptop case on their dual-facing desk.
“It’s Monday, and I still have a hangover from Saturday, so you figure it out.” He smiled and adjusted his black-framed glasses. “How about you?”
“Good. I had a meeting with Spartan Security thismorning, and I want to give you an update. Just let me grab a coffee first. You need another?” he asked Frankie.
“This is my third, so I’m good.”
Billie shrugged out of his suit jacket and heels, preferring, as always, to walk around barefoot. He padded through the living area to his small kitchen. His apartment was only eight hundred square feet but provided everything he needed, a gorgeous west-facing view, lots of windows, and most important of all, quiet neighbors. He’d had the longest wall in the living room painted fuchsia, and when paired with the navy-blue sofa and added touches of funky artwork, it was fun and bright. His friends loved to tease him about his obsession with throw pillows and blankets, piled high on every piece of available seating.
The kitchen, in contrast, was subdued, with black cabinets, black-and-white checkered flooring, and white subway tile. The only hint of color came from the large red knobs on his industrial gas oven. Billie wandered into the galley, popped a pod into the coffee machine, and paced back and forth while the coffee brewed. His mind was already starting to spin with ideas for the band’s clothing designs, and he needed to have his list of sample drawings ready for Thursday’s meeting. He grabbed oat milk out of the fridge, dumped it in his coffee, and added a spoonful of brown sugar. Taking his first sip, he sighed and took a moment to recalibrate.
Wandering back into the office, he found Frankie busy working on the final order for his most recent customer.
“Okay, so here’s the update.” Billie sat down on his leather work chair. “You and I both signed NDAs, but I’m receiving additional security measures. Spartan will provide a personal detail for me for every meeting I have with the band and any public events I attend for the next two months. In case the media starts to follow me. You should be fine, but if anythingchanges, you need to tell me.”
Frankie sipped on his mug of coffee and nodded, his dark curls bouncing around his face. “Is your cousin going to be your detail?”
“Nope, they’ve assigned Eli.” Billie felt his cheeks heat.
Frankie smiled. “You mean the strong, silent one you couldn’t stop talking about a while back?”
Billie gave Frankie his haughtiest glare, but it just made Frankie laugh.
“Yes, all right, I admit the man is gorgeous, but we have a working relationship. There’s nothing naughty going on.”