NINE

Joe is a man after my own heart, if I were ten years older and still woman crazy. More importantly, neither of us knows how to accept no for an answer, which is how I ended up on this boring blind date. I like to think that his no-holds-barred attitude is what makes him such a successful partner at my firm.

I'm not trying to ignore my date, but I can't help but glance at my phone for the millionth time. I work hard to hide my boredom by pretending to be at least somewhat interested in my date.

My date, like every other woman Joe seems to know, is a model. He insisted that this one was different from the others, and I had to meet her. What I should have done was think about where this information came from. I should have known better, but I also knew that I wouldn't be able to avoid Joe or the date for long, so I reluctantly agreed. Big blunder.

I'm willing to put my entire fortune on the line. Joe discovers all of these