Chapter 1 - Screwed up and an Offer

MAVERICK

For a woman who had lived through the worst, been to hell, and come back, I couldn’t believe I made it through another day.

“You look exhausted. Take a day off,” my boss, Rocco, said as a greeting. He was also my friend and owned the Bazz Village Bar in downtown New York.

I looked over at him as I put on the apron. “No thanks. I need money.”

“We all need money, Maverick, but you can use a rest.” He was almost glaring, but tonight was Saturday, and the tip would be good.

“You want me to be out of your hair and off your couch? Then I need money to rent an apartment.” I shut my locker harshly. When my ex broke up with me and kicked me out of the apartment, Rocco let me crash at his place upstairs. That was three weeks ago.

My ex was a dirtbag and a cheat. I couldn’t believe I was so blind and didn’t figure out sooner that he had been cheating on me. The same day he broke up with me, he brought his girlfriend to the apartment we shared.

I couldn’t stomach the thought they were banging in our bedroom, so I decided to leave and accept Rocco’s offer. Yes, my life was a mess.

“You’re killing yourself.” He sighed like he was too tired of my shit. “If you just take the money—”

“No.” I walked past him to punch in. He chased me out, but I decided not to let him talk. “Just let me work in peace, okay?”

“Just want to let you know that you have a friend.” His brown eyes turned serious.

“Yay. Thanks.”

I just walked into the bar, and it was already crowded. I recognized a man in his early 30s, always in his neat black suit and tie. He probably worked for a prominent rich guy as a service detail.

“Same?” I smiled.

“Yup.” A gentle smile moved on his lips.

I poured a scotch on the rocks like he always ordered and placed it before him as he slid on the stool. “There you go, sir.”

I went to another customer, a beautiful woman with artsy, manicured fingers. “Can I interest you with something strong, miss?”

“Just Manhattan. Thank you.” She seemed to have carried the world over her shoulder.

“I thought you’re off tonight.”

I prepared Manhattan and turned to Genesis, a pretty petite blonde around my age. “Did Rocco tell you that?”

“No. You’ve been working three weeks straight.”

“A girl gotta eat, GG.”

She chuckled. “Are you still looking for an apartment?”

“How did you know?” News traveled fast, and I wasn’t entirely surprised. I didn’t tell anyone but Rocco.

“I know you’ve been staying upstairs for days now. If it makes you feel better, my roommate just left yesterday to be with her fiance. Although some of her boxes are still in her room, if you’re interested, let me know.”

“How far is your apartment from here?”

“Fifteen minutes, top.”

I smiled at her. “I’ll check it out, but as you know, I’m on a tight budget.”

“Oh, it’s not that pricey. We will pay half on everything.”

“Great. Can I come over to check it out?”

“Of course. I’ll give you the address.”

“Thanks.”

A group of girls caught my attention, and a woman wearing a cheap tiara yelled, “Happy birthday to me!”

Her crowd erupted with a roar, applauded, and began singing her a birthday song.

I grabbed the bills the suit and tie man put on the table. He always gave a good tip and smiled before he left.

Before I could take the empty glass, another customer came. “I need to talk to you.”

I inwardly groaned to that voice. My freaking ex, of all people, just came to my work. “What do you want, Heath?”

“It’s been weeks, Maverick. You need to take your things out of my apartment.”

I met him in the eye. “The last time I checked, it was my apartment, too.”

“Maverick, we have costumers. Take your personal issue off the bar.” I was grateful Rocco came and interrupted us.

I sighed at him and nodded at Genesis. “Cover me for a minute. This won’t take long.” I went out of the personnel exit and blew a breath. I knew precisely why Heath was here because I’d ignored his text messages.

“You need to take your things out of my apartment. You have until tomorrow, or I will throw them in the garbage.”

“Did you just give me an ultimatum?” My eyes narrowed at him. He may be tall, but I didn’t give a crap. “I lived there, Heath, and you just kicked me out because you found a new girl toy.”

“You know our relationship was not going to last, anyway. You’re too busy studying and working at the cheap bar.” Son of a bitch.

When we first met, I thought he was just confident and handsome. I was too eager to have a boyfriend, and he was there for me until a few months ago, when things changed between us. He barely came home, and when I asked, it was work-related, so I didn’t press further. When he got home, he slept and got up early to work.

“It pays my bills, Heath.”

“See?” He shrugged. “You don’t have a dream than paying bills. How much do you earn anyway? You couldn’t even pay half the least for three months and still owe me 2200 dollars. I need that money now. I’m sure you can borrow from your boss.”

My eyes widened at his audacity. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I told you I will pay you.”

“Give me my money, or I will throw your trash. It’s our first month anniversary, and I have plans with my girlfriend.” The ick of his words made me cringe.

For a moment, I stared at him in disbelief, unable to blink. “For how long have you been cheating on me, Heath?”

“You’re so naive. No one can tolerate your attitude. You don’t even dress nicely. You wear pajamas or your worn-out baggy shirt to bed.”

My nose flared as I fisted my hands. Before I could reply, someone came beside me. “How much does she owe you?”

My head snapped to the man beside me— the man in a suit. “W-what are you doing?”

“Who are you?” Heath asked him who was taller and bigger than him.

The suit guy ignored him. Instead, he slipped his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled cash from his clip wallet.

“Don’t. You can’t do that.” I pushed his money back. “I don’t even know you.”

“I’ll take it. Two days, Maverick or you will find your things in the trash.” Heath had already grabbed the money the suit guy had offered and turned away just like that until his shadow disappeared in the alley.

“That’s your ex?”

“Who the hell are you?” I regarded him with a hard stare.

“Owen Boone.” He casually held out his big hand. “Call me Boone.”

“How much do I owe you?” I shook his hand firmly.

“You don’t owe me anything. My boss will cover it.”

“Excuse me?” My eyebrows shot up. My eyes grew even bigger.

“I have a proposal for you.”

“No, thanks, but I will pay your money.” I walked backward with a salute.

“Maverick, hear me out.”

Shit. I stopped when I felt rude and ungrateful. “Thanks for saving my ass. What proposal?”

It took me a while to process what he had just dropped on me. I tried opening my mouth to say something, but my brain froze. Did rich people actually do this crap?

“Maverick!” Rocco’s voice echoed from the exit, startling me.

“I’ll be right there in a minute, Rocco.”

When the door shut closed, all I could do was blink at Owen Boone.

“What do you say?”

“You want me to marry your boss for a year with a ten thousand dollar monthly allowance, free house, free all expenses, paid college loan, and at the end of the arrangement, I will get five hundred thousand dollars?”

“Yes.”

Well, that was tempting. “What’s the catch?”

“Just be his wife, attend formal engagements, and provide—”

“His need.” My stomach flipped. I swallowed down the bile rising in my throat, and Owen saw my reaction.

“He won’t force himself on you. You can stipulate that you disagree, and you will sign an agreement—”

“An NDA.”

“Yes. And you can write down your demands and sort them out with him.”

“Who’s your boss?”

“Mr. Winston. Call this number.”

“Wallace Winston? The Billionaire?” That was the only Winston I knew so far. According to Forbes, he made it to the top 100 wealthiest people, and it has been all over the news and social media lately. I grabbed the calling card. It was Owen’s. “Isn’t he dating a woman about my age?”

“No— not—”

“No. Sorry.” I waved his offer away as I walked far. I may have been desperate for money, but there was no way I was going to be his trophy wife. His girlfriend was beautiful, and everyone thought she was a good digger and a social climber. So what did that leave me?

“Six hundred grand!”

“No!”