“Starting my career debt-free does have a nice ring to it,” I mumbled out loud instead of to myself, like I had intended.

Kayla leaned in closer to me, her phone in her hand. “Here, look at him. You haven’t even looked at him.”

Refusing to look at her phone, I looked everywhere else instead. “I’ve seen him a million times, unfortunately.”

Over the last three years, I’d seen more pictures of Joseph Martin than I’d ever cared to. Although any female in her right mind would be asking to see pictures of him every single day until she died. Clearly, I was out of mine. But, he had done that. Made me hate him.

“You haven’t seen him lately,” she added before shoving her phone in front of my face, so close that I couldn’t see anything, except for blurry blobs of color.

I moved her hand a safe distance away, and my heart literally leaped into my throat at the visual.

Stupid heart. Stay where you belong.

“He’s gorgeous.”

“He said the exact same thing about you,” she said with a sly grin.

“Stop trying to butter me up.”

“I’m not. He really did say that.”

I hated that one look at his picture had me actually considering doing this. Twenty seconds ago, I couldn’t have cared less about his existence, and now, I was practically drooling on Kayla’s phone.

When was the last time I had sex? I couldn’t even remember. That was the issue. I blamed my girl parts for going all stupid at the sight of his dark scruff and blue eyes.

“This is not a yes, but what does he want? Or what does he need exactly?”

Kayla rubbed her hands together like she had just masterminded some sinister plot to take over the world. “He needs to show his mom that he’s happy and in love. All without the actual love part, of course. But she won’t be an easy sell, so you’d have to actually make it believable.”

I felt ridiculous for even wanting to know more, but here I was, curiouser and curiouser. “Why can’t he find someone else? I’m sure a guy like that has a million women at his beck and call.”

“You’d think so, huh? He really doesn’t. I mean, there’re a couple of women he fucks, but you’ve seen what they call him in the press. Or at least, you’ve heard me tell you.”

I nodded because I knew exactly what they called him. “I’m familiar with the names.”

“He doesn’t want to give anyone the wrong idea. Or give them hope for a future he doesn’t have time for. It needs to be an arrangement, and he’s super uncomfortable with me hiring a firm that could do this instead.”

“Can we go back to the couple of women he fucks part?” I asked, realizing that he was a typical male, no matter what Kayla said.

“I knew you’d get hung up on that.” She brushed her hair back. “It’s just sex. He doesn’t even see them that often. Honestly, he’s usually too tired.”