Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 97199 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97199 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
3
William
“Percy Haines.” The man dressed in a custom three-piece brown suit with wingtip shoes to match extends a hand to me.
I take it in mine for the obligatory shake. “Good to meet you, Percy. Have a seat.”
He glances around the bustling coffee shop on Fifth Avenue in the heart of Manhattan. His gaze is searching for something… or perhaps, someone.
Percy heads a hedge fund. He considers himself a rock star in New York City finance. He’s likely the only person alive who holds that view because one of the women I work with looked into his background. He is successful, but his reputation could use a tweak or two, or ten if I’m being blatantly honest, and I will be with him.
“You’ll find that coffee is just as you like it.” I point at the ceramic mug sitting on the table directly in front of the chair he just dropped his ass onto.
Skepticism knits his brow before he takes a tentative sip. A satisfactory smile glides over his lips. “This will do.”
Pompous bastard.
Men like Percy have kept me in business for almost ten years. Even before I finished my studies in sociology at Harvard, I was helping out friends who needed dating advice.
That ballooned into such a lucrative side hustle that I dropped my plan to pursue a master’s degree. Within a year of moving back to New York City to become a full-time ‘Personal Advisor’ to a handful of wealthy men in this city, I had cleared all of my student debt and bought a two-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn.
I still own that property along with three others that dot the northeastern part of this country, but my prize jewel is the sprawling penthouse in Tribeca. It was my brass ring when I started this endeavor. Reaching that milestone two years ago was fucking amazing. Even though the penthouse is currently undergoing a massive renovation, I still sleep there every night because what better place to dream than in a home that is your dream come true?
“Opal Waverly needs to be mine within the next thirty days,” Percy blurts out. “I’ll double your fee if you get it done within two weeks.”
“Slow the caveman roll, Percy.” I look him dead in the eye. “By get it done, you’re referring to my guidance in helping you put your best foot forward so Miss Waverly sees the merit in spending time with you?”
“I thought I made it clear on the phone.” Percy fidgets with one of his silver cufflinks. “I saw her at a restaurant and fell head over heels. I paid a pretty penny to get her name from the maître d’.”
He did make that abundantly clear during our initial phone consultation. He actually repeated it twice.
“I need her to marry me. You’re supposed to be the best in the business, Mr.
Knight, so make it happen.”
“You would like it if she agreed to go on a date with you,” I clarify. “Marriage is that spot on the horizon that starts coming into view after a few months of dating, some serious discussion, and, in your case, an appreciation for the true gift that Miss Waverly is.”
I half-expect Percy to get up and march out of here, but he wants this woman so he doesn’t move an inch. “Yeah, of course. I know we’re meant to be, so I’m a little eager.”
“A little?” I tip my coffee mug in his direction. “The contract you signed was clear. You’ll have my guidance in becoming the best version of you possible. I’ll aid in that by dropping myself into Miss Waverly’s life so I can pick up cues regarding what she likes and what she hates.”
I stress the last word because I’ve yet to meet a woman attracted to the stench of desperation. Percy may be wearing expensive cologne, but his expression since he sat down across from me is giving everything away.
He’s got it bad for this woman, and if he hasn’t dropped to one knee to pledge his undying love to her forever, he’s on the cusp of that. Percy needs to be schooled in how to endear himself to Miss Waverly so he does indeed become a man she sees as her future partner.
I can already tell that lesson one for Percy will be the concept of self-control, which he is seriously lacking at the moment.
“I fucked a blonde last Monday!” A man’s voice bellows over the dim hum of the people in this café. “I followed that up with a leggy brunette and then finished the week off with a pair of redheads. My balls need a bag of ice.”
I need a drink that is stronger than this cup of coffee.
I push my chair back from the table. “Excuse me for a moment, Percy.”
His eyebrows dart up. “Yeah, sure, Mr. Knight.”