CHAPTER 3

“I can’t believe you just did that,” Carl hissed.

Mandy could still hear him as she walked away.

“I’m not sure who’s more embarrassed; me, or the girl.”

“How was I supposed to know she could hear me?” Stephen cleared his throat. “Besides, it shouldn’t come as any surprise to her. She already knows she needs to lose weight.”

“Stephen,” Carl warned. “Your lack of subtlety and shame is downright vulgar. Besides, the girl’s not even ugly. She has pretty light blue eyes, and a nice smile.” He paused and Mandy thought she’d stepped out of earshot until she heard him say, “When did you become such an asshole, Stephen?”

Stephen clapped his friend on the shoulder. “I’ve always been an asshole, Carl. You’re just too busy to see it.”

“Apparently.”

Mandy pretended to drop something so she could hear the rest of their conversation.

“Anyway,” Stephen said. “Come join us for dinner? Claudia’s parents are paying.”

“I’m just on my way out,” Carl replied. “Have a nice night. Make sure Mandy gets my contact information.”

Mandy looked up when he said her name.

“Will do,” Stephen called as Carl turned and walked out of the pub. He grabbed Mandy’s elbow a few tables before theirs, out of earshot. “I went out on a limb for you.”

“Pardon?” Mandy pulled her elbow free but didn’t move.

Stephen shrugged and quickly glanced toward their table before looking back at her. “You introduced me to Claudia, now I’m returning the favor.”

“I don’t need your favors.” She shivered, hating his touch.

“You do right now. Carl rarely considers anyone his friend. He hardly sees anyone anymore, probably because he doesn’t trust anyone. He can’t slow down if he wants to stay ahead of the game. The world of Wall Street waits for no one. Not even for multi-billionaires.”

Carl, a multi-billionaire? Mandy blinked. What might she be getting herself into? She headed to the table and collected her purse.

“Where do you think you are going?” Claudiastood. “We have things we need to discuss. You’re my maid of honor.”

“You’ll be fine without me.” Mandy sucked in a shaky breath. “I’ll do whatever you need me to do. You know I will.” She hurried out before anyone could convince her to stay. She had a feeling Stephen would fill them in, making sure to explain his big part about how he was trying to get her a job.

She took a different route home than her parents so they wouldn’t know she stopped at a Chinese takeout place for some fried rice and crab Rangoon. Alone in the parking lot with an empty carton of food beside her that had tasted delicious but probably added another five pounds to her hips, she leaned her head against the steering wheel and cried.

How had things gotten this lousy? She knew she wasn’t obese, but her family had the habit of making her feel like the elephant in the room.

She needed to lose some weight, yeah she got that. She’d put the freshman fifteen on back in university and never lost it, and then a little bit more crept on each year. She didn’t need it rubbed in her face. Mandy blew her nose on a lousy thin napkin. More stupid tears fell. It didn’t help that her boyfriend—ex-boyfriend—who was supposed to love her unconditionally, also saw it and promptly dumped her because she was “looking a little thick around the hips”. He would never be a jerk like that to Claudiabecause she was so perfect in all of her bony glory.

Now Carl was going to think she was pathetic... if she even got the job. He probably would be a crappy boss to work for anyway. She snorted and almost laughed. At least her ugliness had some benefits. There was no way she would ever be so hot that she’d drive him mad with desire when he was supposed to work.

She needed this job. It meant getting out of her parents’ basement and she had to restart somewhere.

Mandy squeezed some hand sanitizer on a fresh napkin and wiped her face and hands before stashing the empty takeout boxes under her seat and pulling out of the parking lot. “Mandy,” she told her rear-view mirror self. “All men are pigs. You don’t have to be saddled with one like Claudiadoes. You’re done. You’ve got nothing

left.” She took a deep breath. “Go find yourself.”