Heartless: Episode #2 Read Online Free Page A

throughout my life until then was…he’d actually meant it.
    When it came to the girls at our college, we were each other’s perfect wingman. My dark hair contrasted James’s blond locks, and girls were usually attracted to one of us immediately, depending on their hair-color preference. It was that easy.
    He was smart as hell, too, so I’d liked him immediately. When we’d collaborated on our first business venture to develop a new cell phone app, he’d willingly taken a backseat to me. He’d said that when it came to the meetings and convincing people to take a risk on a couple of nineteen-year-old kids, I had an ability to charm money out of rich guys’ wallets better than anyone he’d ever known. He’d included his dad in that compliment.
    In that moment, I’d trusted him not to fuck me over, and he’d been working for me ever since—although it was usually in a business-partner capacity. There wasn’t a single venture or business move I’d make that didn’t involve James.
    “How was LA?” he asked between yawns.
    “Warm.”
    “Isn’t it always?”
    I looked up at him as his eyes closed, and I searched for something on my desk to throw at his head. Settling on a pen, I chucked it across the room, and it landed square on his forehead with a dink sound.
    Nailed it.
    “Ow! Fucker!” He sat up, rubbing the red mark with his hand.
    “Sleep in your own office. What do you want?” I knew exactly what he wanted.
    James was the only person in the world who knew almost everything about me. There was very little I kept hidden from him.
    “How was the Santa Monica meeting? Are we in or what?”
    I groaned. “It’s a pretty groundbreaking idea.”
    “Then, what’s the problem? Why the groan?”
    “There’s a flaw in their basic system. It’s a minor issue, but it’s definitely a deal-breaker. I asked them to send me their business proposal and projections, so I could look them over one more time.” I left out the part where I’d walked out of the meeting as if my ass were on fire.
    “Want me to check it out as well?”
    “I do actually.” I nodded. “As soon as I get it, I’ll forward it to you.”
    “Sounds good,” he answered.
    He made no moves to get off my couch. I waited for the reason he’d really barged in, but he remained silent.
    “Oh, for fuck’s sake, just ask already.” I stared at my best friend and tried to hide the smile forming on my lips.
    He leaned back and howled out a laugh toward the ceiling. “Did you see Elizabeth or what?”
    “Of course I fucking saw her. I told you I was going to.”
    “And?” He waited.
    “To be honest, I thought she was going to kick my ass. She scares the crap out of me sometimes.”
    He howled again.
    “Dude, stop howling. Serena’s going to think you’re dying, and she’ll come rushing in here to save you.”
    Serena was my assistant—my very-married, very-mom-of-three assistant. It had been a requirement of mine to hire someone I wouldn’t be tempted to fuck when we worked late hours. I never fucked my employees, but sometimes, shit happened. So, I had taken that extra layer of precaution and made sure my assistant was not only not my type, but also not available. I never touched married women—ever.
    “So, she didn’t get the roses?”
    “Oh, she got them all right. They were sitting on her fucking desk when I walked into her office.”
    “Ah, hell. This is great.” He continued laughing at my expense.
    “Fuck off.” I was half-tempted to throw another pen at his head to get him to shut up.
    “When do I get to meet her?” He leaned forward as he clapped his hands together and started rubbing them back and forth as if he were concocting an evil scheme.
    I snarled, “Never.”
    He threw his hands up in surrender. “Now, you know what it’s like not to have every girl fall at your feet. Can’t blame me for thinking that shit is funny.”
    I didn’t. I completely understood, but that didn’t mean I liked it. “I