Page 1 of Blind Date
Chapter One
Weston
“Claudia, wait,” I said, grabbing her arm. She spun around and stared at me while cabs honked in the streets and crowds of people pushed around us.
“You don’t feel anything, Weston! Never,” she snapped. “You show up when it’s convenient for you. You say the right things only when people are watching. And look at that. You’re already somewhere else.” She jammed her manicured finger into my chest.
“Keep your voice down,” I gritted my teeth, looking around at the people shuffling by. A few were taking out their phones to capture a quick photo or video.
“Ah, of course. That’s all you care about. What some stranger with an iPhone thinks. God forbid Weston Castile looks messy.”
“You know my image is the face of Castile Properties.”
Claudia laughed, not just a simple laugh, but one that turned heads.
“You’re nothing but a vessel, Weston. A perfectly empty vessel. You don’t know how to love anyone.”
“I told you from the beginning what this was, Claudia. You just didn’t want to believe me. You wanted to change me.” I pointed at her. “If you’re looking for someone to blame for your disappointment in me, find a mirror. I never promised you anything more than this.”
She stood there, jaw tight and breathing hard. She yanked the gold Cartier bracelet I had given her after I missed her birthday because I was tied up in meetings and threw it at me.
“Fuck you, you emotionless bastard. Fuck you. Fuck your image. Fuck your company. We’re DONE!” she shouted like a lunatic, turned on her heels, and was quickly gone from my sight.
I reached down and picked up the bracelet from the sidewalk, slipping it into my pocket. I didn’t do drama. I didn’t do anything messy. And I sure as hell didn’t do vulnerability. “Good riddance, Claudia,” I mumbled as I walked down the street unbreakable and unfazed by the event that had just taken place.
I reached Castile Properties and stopped at my secretary’s desk. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the gold bracelet and handed it to her.
“Rose, this is for you.”
Her brows furrowed. “Isn’t this the bracelet I bought at Cartier for you to give to Claudia?”
“Yes. It’s yours now.” I walked into my office.
“Wes, what happened?” she followed behind.
“It wasn’t working out. Do whatever you want with it. Wear it, pawn it, I don’t really care.”
“Well, thank you.” She smiled.
“Don’t say I never gave you anything. I need the report for the Caldwell Corporation.”
“I’ll go grab it.” She left my office.
I leaned back in my chair and thought about thediscussion Claudia and I had at dinner the other night. She sang my praises because she thought it would make me care more. She was wrong, except for being right about three things—I knew how to close deals. I knew how to build empires. And I knew how to win.
“Hey,” my best friend, Finn, said, stepping into my office. “Where were you earlier? I needed this contract signed.”
“Getting screamed at and broken up with by Claudia in the middle of Broadway and 42nd.”
“Are you serious?” He grinned.
“If you don’t believe me, go ask the hundreds of people on the street who witnessed it,” I sighed.
“Here’s the Caldwell report,” Rose said, handing me the file.
“Is that—” Finn pointed to the gold bracelet on her wrist.
“Yep. She chucked it at me. That will be all, Rose. Thank you.”
