Affair with the Billionaire

GRAY.

The audacity for my own best friend to just go out of her way and find me a date is beyond me, an online date, might I add. An online date where creeps, stalkers and potential serial killers lurk so ominously.

Her going out of her way to do this is more offensive than that time she booked two male escorts to my room when we were in Vegas for her bachelorette party. Okay, maybe not that bad but the gesture is much worse because it's so innocent and coming from a good place.

Sofía grins from ear to ear, she's gushing with a happiness and excitement that annoys me. I intensify my glare in hopes that she chokes on her good mood.

"You can't be serious," My eyes twitch and she fans herself with a deep swoon.

"But he's so hot Gray," she shoves the phone's screen in my face and I press my lips into a firm line. An old middle-aged man with a deterring hairline and beer belly fills her iPhone's screen with a proud confident pride that makes me itch.

I blink, "Define hot."

"This," she gestures at the phone and I stare at her boredly, waiting for the punchline. "Just look at all this purebred man, it can't get better than this."

"You're joking, right? Because if you are, this isn't funny, not in the slightest."

Sofía laughs, "I'm so sorry but your reaction is everything, it's so pricelessly memorable that I just need to frame it."

"Then take a picture, why don't ya?" I mumble and she really takes one, my eyes widen and she giggles.

"You're so grumpy," I roll my eyes. "It's all that pent up sexual frustration. You need a good lay, that's what you need," Sofía suggests smugly and sits back in her chair.

"What makes you believe my libido has anything to do with this and your childish behaviour is not the initial cause?" I cock an eyebrow and Sofía's warm hazel eyes shine beneath the dim light of our favourite cafe.

"Because my childish behaviour is a once in a while nagging situation but your frustrated libido is an every single day of the year thing," she retorts with a smirk and I blink. "Every single day."

She couldn't be more wrong. My frustration comes from my job. Being a Human Rights lawyer in Los Angeles is the most mentally and physically draining job apart from the entertainment industry.

Working with Refugee and Migrant Rights on a daily basis is tiring, especially in Los Angeles. Do you have any idea how many people are living amongst us without the proper documentation and identification because of our government? How many families are separated because of our unjust system that actively works against them and treats them like juveniles.

Some days it feels like I'm fighting a losing battle and other days it feels like I have a chance. Unfortunately today is one of those days, I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle.

"No, it's not and you know it's not," I pause when the waiter brings our hot croissants and macaroons. "This is everything to do with my profession."

"Yes of course, blame the job," she grins and reaches for a croissant but I spot the glimmer of sympathy in her eyes.

"There's only so much I can do, you know?" I reach for my iPad and scroll through the latest news.

"I know," she whispers.

I shake my head and glance at the screen, another actress is trending with her baby bump. Terrific.

I scroll through the newsfeed until I stop on the latest trend-worthy news: Law student, Candace Owens (25), found dead in an apartment after missing for 5 days. I bristle as I look at the images, another attack from Los Angeles' own serial killer.

I know it's Panther because the woman's chest is carved open, her heart gone and she has rope burn marks around her ankles and wrists. Not to forget, Panther's pulverizing signature detail, her vagina is clean shaven and branded with his mark. The panther.

It's been five years, five years of women missing then turning up dead because of this asshole. Yes, he's methodical and OCD but how hard can it be to catch him!

My phone chimes with an incoming text that pulls me from my thoughts, I scan over it and sigh. I have an early breakfast meeting tomorrow morning regarding internships for the firm. I enjoy grooming young potential lawyers and turning them into cutthroat sharks. Cutthroat sharks that uphold Spence, Willis and Johnston with pride and excellent merit. We aren't the best immigration firm for nothing.

"Anyways back to your love life. That's not what he looks like, I have no idea what this man looks like because...it's a blind date," she shrugs and my eyes bulge.

"That's even worse, Fia!"

"Oh shush, regardless of your excuses, you do have a date with a man this evening," Sofía pipes up from her end of the table and I glance up from the meeting's agenda. "Even though we have no idea what this said man looks like."

I shake my head and take a sip of my coffee, I return it on the saucer and adjust the coaster beneath it. I reach for a napkin and dab my lips with it before I meet her gaze once again, shifting my phone to sit diagonally across the table.

"No," I say with a firm gravity to my words and Sofía notes this.

She knows by now after twenty three years of friendship that I'm stubborn as a mule and am far from afraid to voice my blunt thoughts and say no. She'll have to drag me to the date before I show up to it.

"Gray," Sofía starts and leans her elbows on the table. "You are old."

I gape and she continues.

"You are aging beautifully, yes, I can't tell you're thirty-two with that flawless skin," she snickers and my lips curve slightly but the irritation is still there. "However, a woman is not meant to grow old alone. No one, for that matter, is meant to grow old alone! Your biological clock is ticking and so is that clock between your legs."

I blink and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, not giving the satisfaction of an expression.

"Your clocks are just ticking away and begging for mercy, woman, do something," Sofía adds with exasperation, drawing attention to our table.

"Are you done?"

"Okay listen here Miss I-am-filthy-rich and don't-need-a-man," Sofía narrows her eyes and I mirror her expression. "You are going on this date and getting laid. For all you know, this is your soulmate, a soulmate that you are avoiding."

"There's no such thing as soulmates."

"Spare me the cynicism," she waves me off and I catch a glimpse of her wedding band. A beautiful twenty-four karat diamond nestles her slim caramel finger.

"I'm being realistic," I reach for my coffee and take a generous sip of the dark, sugarless brew.

I am truly just being realistic. I believe in love but I don't believe in fate and soulmates. If that were true, I'd still be married and not Los Angeles' oldest bachelorette.

"No, you're being a heartless cynic," Sofía chides. "And if you continue with your antics, you'll die alone."

I grin and bring the cup to my lips.

Sofía has good intentions but she's never been too good with her words. She tends to be blunt when she's trying to be nice and tends to be awfully soft when she's trying to be blunt. It's an odd contrast but it works in her favour, one of the many reasons as to why she is feared.

None of those reasons include her being married to Los Angeles' tech mogul, Austen Chase. The man behind all the technical security and research labs in the city of dreams. The man who introduced the next groundbreaking limitless potential of security and artificial intelligence.

Chase Tech is a multi billion dollar company that just seems to grow larger and larger by the second. The markets are skyrocketing and it's all possible with the brains of his wife, Sofía Chase. I couldn't be more proud of her dedication and passion for her job but I wish she shared less ambition when it came to my love life.

My non-existent love life especially after Baxter. I swore off men because of him.

"Death it is," I raise my coffee.

"You seem to really like the idea of dying," she mumbles and I chuckle. "I won't allow you to die Gray-Lynn Spence, my child needs a godmother."

I nearly miss the hint when I suddenly choke on my coffee and stare at her wide-eyed. Sofía grins and continues to casually eat her croissant.

"Oh my God...you're pregnant!" I gasp a little louder than I had initially intended.

Wandering curious eyes land on us, an uproar of murmures and whispers break out regarding my not so subtle revelation.

Sofía nods with a beaming smile, "A little over two months now."

"Oh my God!" My hand hovers over my mouth, a desperate attempt to lower my voice and act like a lady. "That's amazing Fia, I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you," she laughs and tears prick my eyes with pure joy for my best friend.

Sofía and Austen have been trying to have kids for a little over five years now and every single time they are met with failure.

Yes, Austen already has two kids with other women but he and Sofía have been trying to have one of their own and I'm so ecstatic it's finally happening. Not that the result of them not having children together caused a rift or had a negative impact on their marriage but I'm still happy regardless.

The rest of the afternoon we spent it at the cafe talking about her pregnancy and her excitement as well as how Austen reacted to it. Sofía can't stop blushing and giggling in-between. Is it too soon for her to be experiencing pregnancy glow?

I don't think so.

After our lunch, I pay the bill and we go shopping. The original plan for this Saturday was to get lunch and catch-up but now that I got some pregnancy and godmother news, I just have to spoil her with gifts...even if we don't know the gender of the baby just yet.

"What're you even going to buy?" Sofía chuckles and looks around the baby boutique.

"I don't know, what do you want soon to be mommy?" I adjust my purse and walk around a table with booties when a huge teddy bear that decorates the entire wall left catches my eye.

"Wow," she gapes and I cock my head, scanning the caramel toy that is too big for its own good. "That's a no from me."

"A definite no," I chuckle and we continue down the multiple aisles.

We turn down an aisle that has toys just for mommy and daddy. All pregnancy safe sex toys from small controlled vibrators to lube and scented oils.

I can't help but laugh.

"Oh, the horror," Sofía picks up a hot pink rabbit vibrator and runs a hand through her silky black hair.

"I highly doubt Austen will agree with that," I pick up an entire pack that has a lingerie set and a variety of toys inside.

"Gray...no," she gapes as I weigh options between the black and purple sets. "You're the one who needs to get laid, not me."

"We both know that's not happening," I hold the two colours up to her and raise an eyebrow. "Which one?"

Her cheeks flush but she manages to mumble, "The purple looks hot."

"Purple it is," I nod and take it.

"Gray," Sofía starts and I sigh. "You deserve to be happy, you know that right?"

"I am happy," she hooks our elbows. "I have you and my fulfilling job and my endless bank account and a baby on the way, life couldn't get better."

"Yes but what about affection, protection, companionship, passio-"

"All bring drama, dishonesty and heartache," I finish her sentence and she narrows her eyes.

"Not every man on earth is Baxter you know," she says blandly.

She doesn't know what really happened between Baxter and I, no one does, she only knows what I want her to know. She's under the impression it was infidelity, it wasn't, it was much worse.

"And yet every man is capable of shattering one's soul," my lips curve timidly and she sighs.

I also get her slippers, some bath oils and salts, as well as some baby name books and pregnancy hack books before we finally leave.

We're in the car when Sofía turns to me and I glance at her from the driver's seat, the Bentley purrs beneath me.

"I know he hurt you but that was five years ago," she starts and I stop at the red traffic light. "You have to move on and live your life, you can't allow the past to hold you back from your future. It's not fair."

"Life's not fair," I shrug. "And my past is not holding me back, I'm fine."

"If it is then go on that date tonight and give me all the details tomorrow morning," she grins and I glare at her.

I'm not going to win this argument.

"You better hope for your sake that this blind date can uphold a decent conversation," I mutter and she squeals.