Five Dates with the Billionaire - Alyssa J. Montgomery Page 0,2
‘She turned beetroot red, started stammering and I thought she was going to run from the room. Someone else ended up answering my question.’
‘Really? That’s interesting.’ Her lips quirked. ‘Mia doesn’t normally stammer and as for her running from a room…’ Violet put her hand to her chest and laughed. ‘You certainly haven’t made any attempt to get to know her if you think she’s nervous. I don’t think I’ve ever met a young woman with quite as much strength.’
He tried to grapple with the absurdity of his grandmother’s words. ‘Mia Simms is a timid mouse and dresses more blandly than a Norland nanny! You couldn’t have picked a less interesting or less attractive woman for me to date.’
‘Looks can be deceiving.’
Not in this case.
‘How do you even know her?’ He couldn’t think of a time when Miss Simms had made a presentation to a group of board members.
‘Mia comes over every Saturday afternoon for tea and mahjong.’
‘She comes to your home?’
‘Absolutely. She’s a very down-to-earth young lady whose friendship I treasure.’ Violet clicked her tongue impatiently. ‘Sit down, Connor. I don’t like you towering over me while I’m here in a hospital bed.’
He sat down grudgingly. ‘How did you meet?’
‘That’s not important,’ Violet insisted.
‘I think it is. It’s hardly normal for a twenty-something year old to be playing mahjong on a Saturday evening with a group of elderly ladies.’
There was an amused twinkle in Violet’s eyes. ‘She’s twenty-six and we’re young at heart!’
‘This is serious, Gran. You and your friends are all very wealthy women. What’s her motive?’
‘Oh Connor. Don’t be offensive.’ Violet shook her head. ‘You are way too cynical—especially when it comes to women and money.’
‘I’ve learned the hard way. And don’t avoid the question. What do you know about her besides the fact she works for us?’
‘Quite a lot as it happens, but nothing I’m prepared to share with you. When you get to know her, you’ll see I’m right. She’s simply delightful.’
Bloody hell.
He barely restrained himself from standing up again to pace the room. ‘Miss Simms doesn’t appeal to me on any level. Did she put you up to this?’
‘Of course not. She knows nothing about it.’
‘She must’ve dropped some hint she’s interested in me?’
‘She’s never even mentioned you.’ Her eyes became steely. ‘No more objections. You’ve said you’ll do anything for me and this is what I want.’
‘Name someone else. There must be a woman I’ve dated who you approve of?’
‘Now you’re joking. Those women were all shop-dressing and no substance.’ She threw her hands up in the air. ‘Agreeing to your ridiculous short-term, no-strings-attached affairs! Huh! They may as well be call-girls.’
‘Gran!’
‘Although I think you’d be a perfect match, I’m not asking you to marry Mia. All you have to do is have five dates.’ She raised one hand and pointed her finger at him in a way she hadn’t done since he was a little boy. ‘Then I have this surgery.’
‘I can’t believe you’re using emotional blackmail.’
‘I’ve been very patient. Even with Rachel, once I said what I had to say, I accepted her and didn’t try to come between you.’ She shifted her pillows a little then regarded him with a troubled expression. ‘I’ve never once interfered in your love life but you’re thirty-five now. It’s got to the point where I feel I have no other alternative than to force this upon you.’
Bullshit! ‘I will not date Mia Simms!’
‘My terms are non-negotiable.’ Violet crossed her arms over her chest. ‘When you were taking your business call earlier, I phoned Dawson and had him arrange for a private nurse to come to the house. As soon as Dawson lets me know she’s arrived with all her state-of-the-art cardiac monitoring equipment, I’m checking myself out of here and going home until you and Mia have had your dates.’
‘Gran! Be reasonable. Even if I agreed to this ridiculous demand of yours, no agency nurse is going to provide the same level of care for you as you’d receive right here.’
‘My mind is made up.’
Connor’s molars ground together so hard it’s a wonder they didn’t crack.
When Violet Stewart made her mind up about something there was absolutely no shifting her.
Damn Mia Simms to hell. She had to be pulling some type of strings for Gran to even think up this wild scheme.
Whatever the marketing employee was up to, she’d rue the day she used her apparent friendship with his grandmother to manipulate him.