“No, we’re not friends,” he said, not seeing any reason to sugar-coat the situation. “I’m a former employee coerced into making arrangements for you again. That’s not friends.”
“Ouch. You’re playing hard, Pierce.” She got up to give him a poke in the shoulder. Pierce knew he was supposed to smile and apologize but he didn’t. He just kept working. “Don’t be mad at me. I went there like you wanted...” Farah began but he spun and interrupted her.
“All you did was ensure that Jacquie wouldn’t call the police, which was Rodrigo’s goal, not mine.” He was tired enough to continue. “If you were my friend, you would have been more worried about my goals.”
“You just want to do her.”
Pierce winced that the princess would be so crude. “I wanted to get to know her. I doubt that’ll happen now. Thanks a lot. If that’s what friends are for, you can count yourself lucky to not have any.” He turned back to his computer screen and continued to work.
He could feel Farah watching him.
“What if I wanted to make it better?” she asked finally.
“Too late.”
He glanced up to see that Farah was studying him, her eyes narrowed. “You really like her.”
“I would have liked to have had the chance to find out,” he replied.
“You’re kind of the same,” she said. “Tough but fair. And she’s pretty.”
“Do you have a point? Because I have work to do, and the sooner I’m done, the sooner I’ll be sprung from prison.”
Farah winced. “Are you going to just give up?”
“No, but I can’t do much without access to my phone, can I?” He shoved a hand through his hair. “And I have no idea when I’ll be permitted to leave and resume my life, which makes it a bit challenging to come up with an actionable plan.”
“You’re really mad.” She perched on a chair to study him.
“It is a bit frightening that my reaction surprises you.”
“Well, you never got mad at me before.”
Pierce chose not to correct her on that. The only way out was through—he had to finish this assignment to get his life back. That was plenty of incentive to give him focus. “Can you think of anyone you would might plausibly invite as your guest to this wedding? One of Michael’s friends maybe?”
“Mike’s friends are assholes,” Farah said, walking away, then suddenly spun to face Pierce again. “Except that guy who lives down the hall. He’s just uptight. Cute butt, though.”
“That guy?” Pierce echoed.
“It won’t work. He and Mike are in agreement that I’m too much trouble.”
“I like him already,” Pierce said. Farah glared at him playfully. “He’s perceptive.”
She threw a wad of paper at him and he caught it easily. “He’s a lawyer.”
“Two for two,” Pierce said. “He’ll be smart.”
“His father is the D.A.”
“Excellent. He has connections and he probably knows which fork to use.”
“Cutlery doesn’t matter!”
“It does to your mother. She’d never forgive me if I arranged even a fake date for you with anyone who didn’t have impeccable table manners.”
Farah folded her arms across her chest. “That’s hardly the most important indication of character.”
“We’re working with what we have.”
Farah frowned. “He rents the smallest apartment in Mike’s building.”
“So, it’s plausible that you know him. It’s plausible that he’s interested in upward mobility, too.”
“I don’t want anyone to date me because of my bloodline or my money.”
“Trust me, they already do. What’s his name? I’ll check his background.”
“JD Coxwell,” Farah supplied with reluctance. Pierce easily found his address and then his driver’s license. It was a relief to deal with an upstanding citizen who had nothing to hide.
“Handsome kid,” he said, noting the resolve in JD’s expression. “No wonder you like him.”
“I don’t like him...”
“I think you do. You wouldn’t have suggested him otherwise.”
“Maybe I just want to do him.”
“Maybe you’ll be out of luck. You said he already thinks you’re too much trouble.”
“Have I ever told you how annoying you are?” Farah dropped onto the side of the desk again. “I mean, for a friend?”
Pierce shook his head. “Trust me, Princess, I don’t have an exclusive on that.”
“Maybe I should move.” Jacquie didn’t mean to say the words out loud. She was making graphs from a spreadsheet for the weekly meeting at the club, and the task was so routine that her thoughts had wandered. She certainly didn’t expect anyone to reply, but Meesha—being Meesha—did.
“Are you kidding me?” Meesha demanded. “What do you pay with that awesome rent control from 1910? Five bucks a month? You’d be insane to move.” The younger woman moved closer to whisper. “And you are not insane.”
“It’s too big for me,” Jacquie protested, but Meesha made a dismissive gesture.
“So, you’ll move to a place a tenth the size that costs twice as much. Puh-leese.”
Jacquie felt like she was rattling around the three-bedroom apartment, facing memories at every turn. Coming home from her non-date had been almost overwhelming, even though all of her kids had called in to reassure her. The silence after the last call had been deafening.
“Take in a tenant,” Meesha suggested brightly, spinning in her chair. “I suggest me. I’d pay all your rent every month for just one bedroom and you’d barely notice me there.”
“I can’t have a tenant. It’s against the building rules.”
Meesha pouted. “Rules, schmules.”
That sounded like someone else Jacquie knew and was an unwelcome reminder of the night before. “Someone would snitch, then we’d both be looking for a place to live.”
Meesha sighed theatrically. “You’re so good at adulting, Jax. I should take a lesson.”
“But you won’t.”
The younger woman laughed. “Not yet. I’m having too much fun.” She gave Jacquie a look. “If you’re moving away, you could leave it to me, like in a will.”
“I’m not planning to die. And besides, it can only go to relatives, like children.”
“I could be your child.”
“I already have four.”
“But none of them live in Manhattan or want that apartment.”
“Meesha....”
“I could be
