Shouldn't Have Dealt - Book II

Chapter 21 - Adverse Effects

“You were too drunk to even remember,” comments Ray while twirling his spaghetti with his fork. “Something might have happened, you know.”

Since today is his first day at Hunter’s new publishing house, Ray brought me to an Italian restaurant just ten minutes away from my office.

“You are not helping!”

“Frankly speaking, Angel, if you want to get over with Damien soon, Hunter might just be the right man to help you with that,” he says. “Colin just ran away like a chicken, so you are left with the best man, Hunter Stone.”

“What are you talking about?” My eyes are focused on organizing the contacts of the new phone I just bought. I am not going to wait for Hunter to buy me a new one because he will never get a chance to go near me—ever.

“What I am trying to say is Hunter might help you get over with Damien. He seems to be the romantic type.”

Where on earth did he get the concept of Hunter Stone being the romantic type? Does Ray actually see that I have to shelve a few dollars for a new phone because Hunter destroyed mine? Where is the romance there? More so, he can’t even get his acts straight for being a true gentleman by paying his dues. And besides it came straight from his mouth that he does not do that thing. What he does well is negotiations and not romance. If I were to find Damien’s replacement, might as well look for someone who knows how to love. Hunter Stone just does not fit the bill.

“Hunter wants me because he needs someone who will not fall for him,” I say.

“You know what, if the job is to be Stone’s girlfriend and it can give me lots of money, I will not hesitate to take it. I know deep within me that it’s just business.”

The matter is I am not the kind of girl who goes for money over love. Even if I once had the chance of it out of desperation, I manage to keep my integrity intact by not doing it again. Hell I could have sold myself to Damien if I were that kind of woman, but realization and guilt dawned on me instantly, and it saved me from eternal damnation. I could only thank myself now for being rational, and I would not allow myself to make that one mistake.

He adds, “And it’s not like there is a potential for you to fall in love with him, is there?” His eyebrow arched. “Are you afraid that that might actually happen that is why you are hell bent in disapproval of him?”

My jaw drops at the boldness of Ray to even think of such ridiculous notion. How am I afraid of Hunter Stone when all I feel for him is complete detestation?

“What exactly is your point, Ray?”

“Angel.” He puts down his fork and then picks up a piece of napkin from the canister in the middle of the table and cleans his hands with it. “I’m not playing devil’s act here but this is going to be marriage of convenience. Imagine the life you will have. You will not anymore worry about loans and your father’s medical expenses. Hunter Stone’s going to provide you everything you will need. And I don’t think the marriage is going to be forever. I bet he’s going to divorce you the moment he got his hands on the family business.”

“Did Hunter put you on this to convince me?” I could not think of any other reason for Ray to be this adamant about taking in the man’s offer. He was unerringly like this before when he kept on feeding me with Damien stuffs. And unfortunately, Ray was triumphant with his matchmaking skills. He devised with his broom and magic cauldron a potion that had me change my mind about the man. And clearly, he is doing the same thing with me now with Stone.

One thing I know is that Hunter Stone is Ray’s boss now. He could have gripped my friend by his neck so that he could a make a puppet out of him.