Hard Sell (21 Wall Street #2)(6)

Kennedy leans on the bar, a water bottle dangling from his hands, looking unflappable as he always does. He’s the serious, old-fashioned one of our group, the type of guy who you should never challenge to a game of Scrabble or chess, and whose first word was probably mahogany, or some shit.

Ian’s charming, confident, and the most determined, stubborn son-of-a-bitch I know. He had a shitty time of it growing up, but he took all the crap of his childhood and used it as fuel to put himself through Yale and elbow his way in with the Wall Street hotshots.

Me? Well, I’ve already mentioned the whole boy-wonder crap. My brain’s sort of a human calculator of sorts, but my parents did a decent job of not letting me nerd out. I was equally good at math and football, and, well, how do I put this . . .

My life’s always been damn good. Easy.

Until . . .

Now, apparently.

“So it’s that bad?” Ian asks.

I drag the towel over my damp face once more. “Worse. Since I met with The Sams yesterday morning, a half dozen other clients have called to ‘express their concerns.’” I put air quotes around the last part.

“Oh, come on. Who hasn’t done something crazy at a bachelor party?” Ian scoffs. Kennedy nods in commiseration.

I rest my elbows on my knees and let my chin drop toward my chest for a second. Much as I appreciate my friends’ loyalty, at the moment, it does nothing to solve my problem.

I know that what I do in my free time doesn’t affect my work. I know that I’m one of the best damn brokers at Wolfe. I know that my clients’ money is safe, that I can do my job in my sleep and do it well. But it turns out The Sams were right. Perception is everything, and right now, I’ve got a serious image problem.

“What about Lara?” Kennedy asks Ian. “She got any friends who want to play the part of Mrs. Cannon?”

Oh hell no.

I hold up a hand. “Easy there. The bosses said I need a girlfriend, not a wife.”

“Yeah, but for this to work, people have to believe there’s a chance this woman could be your wife. It’s about you settling down.”

“I don’t need to settle down,” I say, agitatedly running my hands through my hair. “I need everyone else to get their heads out of their asses and quit blowing this out of proportion.”

“Look,” Ian says with a sigh. “If anyone knows what it’s like to have his life turned upside down overnight, it’s me. I understand even more what it’s like to have accusations hurled at you that are unfounded. You want to fight, and I get that. But you’ve also got to ask yourself what you want more: to stand on principle or your job.”

I look back up. “You’re saying I should give in? Play along?”

“I’m saying, there are worse things than pretending to have a girlfriend for a few weeks until this blows over. Nobody’s asking you to walk down the aisle or go diamond shopping. Just let people think that you might consider doing it . . . someday.”

I grunt, not in the mood to get into all the reasons why I have zero intention of walking down the aisle or going diamond shopping—ever.

“Ian’s right. Things could be worse. Like having the SEC on your ass for insider trading,” Kennedy says with a bland look at Ian.

Ian glares. “Alleged insider trading. And I was cleared.”

Kennedy’s hands lift in surrender. “I know. I was just trying to back up your point that Matt’s situation could be worse.”

They’re right. I feel like an ass complaining about my situation when it’s nothing compared to what Ian went through.

His worst-case scenario had been prison; mine’s . . . what? Playing house for a few weeks? Pretending to be a doting boyfriend? It’s a small price to pay for keeping the life I’ve worked for—the life I love.

“Okay, fine,” I say, draping the towel around my neck as I look at Ian. “Kennedy’s right. Lara’s my best bet for finding a woman to play the part.”

Ian’s blue eyes blink. “How the hell do you figure that?”

“Because she’s the only nice girl we know.”

“Kate’s nice,” Ian points out.

“I don’t think the guy who bones his assistant is what the bosses had in mind when they suggested this plan,” Kennedy points out. “Lara’s social group’s a better bet.”

“Am I the only one who remembers that my fiancée is FBI?” Ian asks incredulously. “Lying isn’t really their thing.”

“Sure it is. They do undercover work,” I argue.

“They go undercover to solve crimes and catch bad guys,” Ian says. “Not save party-boy reputations. No offense.”

“None taken,” I say, knowing he’s right. “What about that Gabby chick, Lara’s best friend?”

“Moved to Paris with her boyfriend. A long-distance fake girlfriend’s not going to do you any good. What about her friend Megan, the cute redhead from her yoga class? You met her at our dinner party last month.”

I immediately shake my head. Not that Megan wasn’t cute and fun and all that, but she gave off a distinct vibe that she was looking for more than a fling. The type of girl who wants to find a boyfriend who turns into a husband who turns into a dad. None of that’s for me, which is why I’d politely avoided her all evening.