Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 87513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Michaela had no idea. She knew them only as the billionaire icons of the Bay Area. The news was incredible—every one of them a billionaire, and now to learn they’d come from humble beginnings.
“But that’s the Mavericks, not the Harringtons,” she said.
“The Harringtons have a different story.” Ah, so her mother hadn’t changed the subject at all. She’d been leading up to this. “They lost their parents, both of them dying in some sort of skiing accident, when Dane and Ava had only just started college. And they left behind huge debts. Dane is the oldest brother,” she said, as if Michaela didn’t know. “And, along with his sister Ava, he quit university to go to work and take care of the younger kids. To pay off all those debts, Dane worked at a resort, and Ava was an aide at a nursing home.”
Michaela had known none of that. It was an astonishing story.
Her mother didn’t let up. “They’re more like us than you think. They all had to work like hell, the way you and I did. Do you know what it takes to become an Olympic athlete?” Before Michaela could reply, Flo went on, “Hours and hours of training every day, from a very young age. It takes dedication and strict goal setting. It takes a single-minded human being to accomplish that.” Then she smiled. “Just as it takes single-minded dedication to become the billionaire matchmaker.”
Michaela couldn’t say a single thing to that. Her mother had squarely put her in the same league as Troy Harrington.
“Not only that, but he gives all those talks to inspire young people,” Flo said as if she were president of the Troy Harrington Fan Club. “And he doesn’t get paid for them.”
Michaela wanted to drink in every detail, but listening was dangerous. It didn’t matter what Flo said. Troy Harrington was totally wrong for her. Okay, so he’d worked hard to get where he was, but now he was there, a billionaire. He had a lifestyle she could never dream of.
But she still felt heartsick at the thought of his date with Alice. She glanced at her watch. Seven o’clock. They’d be meeting in another hour. Ugh. “Well, he’s going on a fabulous date tonight. And it’s all for the best, Mom. Billionaires aren’t for me. He’s not for me.”
Flo’s smile held a hint of whatever you say, but we both know you’re lying. “All right, sweetheart. If that’s how you feel.”
Between what her mother said and what she didn’t say, Michaela couldn’t help doubling down. “It is how I feel.”
Flo took her empty plate to the sink, saying over her shoulder, “It’s just that I’ve never seen you all atwitter like this.” She began filling the teakettle.
Over the noise of the water, Michaela had to raise her voice. “I’m not all atwitter.”
Flo seemed to stifle a laugh, letting it come out in a cough instead. “I understand completely, sweetheart. I’ll make us some tea, then we can watch a movie. How about Love Actually?”
Oh my God, no, there was that storyline about the best man in love with his best friend’s wife. No, no, no. “We watched that a few weeks ago. Let’s try something else.”
Her mother beamed. “I know the perfect movie for us.”
They put away the leftovers, washed the dishes, then settled in front of the TV. Her mother queued up the movie, and the opening credits ran for Casablanca.
Michaela sank into the sofa cushions. Here was another love triangle. Humphrey Bogart wanted Ingrid Bergman, and though she was in love with him, she was married to a resistance leader. How could she go off with Bogie, the love of her life, when her husband was such an important and heroic man?
After a very emotional on-screen scene, Flo wiped tears from her eyes. “Somehow this feels a bit like what you’re going through right now. Having to send a man on a date when you have feelings for him yourself.”
Michaela could only say, “This is just old schmaltz. I don’t even like black-and-white movies.”
Except that she loved them, and her mother knew it. Flo also knew that Casablanca was one of Michaela’s favorites. And really, who didn’t think Casablanca was the best movie ever?
She wanted to jump off the sofa, run up to her room, and pull the covers over her head before she had to watch the ending. But that would mean her mom would guess too much.
Although Flo already had.
Michaela busied herself on her tablet, going through email, until the ending credits rolled, and Flo said, “Okay, now let’s watch Love Actually.” She sounded so excited.
But there was a method to her madness, as the old saying went.
Michaela wouldn’t stand for it. “You know, I have some work to do. You go ahead and watch it without me.”