Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 224

Nathaniel's POV

Sunday night, and I was at home on my Marwood & Pine sofa, pretending to focus on the documents I'd brought from the office. Pathetic, I knew. A man my age spending the weekend reviewing contracts instead of enjoying London. But ever since Friday, ever since Alexandra's disastrous party, I hadn't been able to stop thinking about Annie.

Especially because of the message I'd received more than twenty-four hours ago and still hadn't answered.

I picked up my phone and opened the app again, rereading it for the tenth time.

[Your theory about a sunnier London sounds promising, but exploring the city with someone as mysterious as you makes me feel like I'm in a Hitchcock film. Should I worry about ending up like the woman in Rear Window?]

That ridiculous smile spread across my face again, just like every time I read it. God, Annie wasn't just beautiful and funny. She was sharp. The film reference, the playful way she twisted my comment about mystery, the cheeky little emoji at the end. It was the kind of reply I'd expect from her, yet it still managed to surprise me.

The problem was that I'd spent over a day trying to come up with something worthy of her message. Something clever but not pretentious, intriguing but not obnoxious. And how the hell was I supposed to say I wasn't dangerous without revealing who I actually was? Every draft sounded either forced or too revealing.

I was typing and deleting possible answers for what felt like the hundredth time when my phone rang. Christian.

"Hey, you workaholic," he said the moment I picked up. "Don't tell me you're working on a Sunday night."

"Maybe," I admitted, setting the phone on speaker and sinking deeper into the sofa. "And you? How are you even finding the time to call? I thought new parents didn't have social lives."

"Zoey just put Matt down and managed a few minutes of peace. I used the window to call my friend who clearly has zero social life."

"Thanks for the moral support."

"Always. Seriously though, how are things? The office running smoothly?"

"Everything's under control. The Franconian team signed the expansion contract, the quarterly numbers are above target, and the new organic line is performing better than expected."

"Great. And Annie? Is she doing well over there? Zoey keeps asking how her sister is settling in."

I choked a little, hoping I didn't sound too interested.

"Annie is… doing very well. Really well, actually. She has a natural instinct for market development."

"Good to hear. Anyway, I'm calling because the date for Kensington's annual meeting is coming up. End of March. Alexandra offered to organize everything, since she knows all the best places in London."

"Of course she did," I muttered.

"She's efficient, you have to admit. And Zoey and I will be there in a few weeks. Matt's going to see London for the first time."

"It'll be great having you two here," I said, and I meant it. Christian had been my best friend since university, and seeing him always grounded me. Reminded me that our friendship had survived different countries, distance, and even my professional partnership with him.

"How's married life, by the way?" I asked, steering the conversation away from topics I'd rather not examine too closely. "Still on the honeymoon high?"

"Better than ever," Christian said without hesitation. "Even if Zoey and I barely know what sleep is anymore. This kid has the energy of ten people and the perfect timing to interrupt anything remotely romantic."

I laughed, genuinely.

"But he's worth every second of exhaustion," Christian added. "It's surreal, man. One day you're living only for yourself, making decisions based on your own needs. The next, there's this little person who depends on you completely, and you'd do anything to protect them. It changes everything."

There was something in his voice. A deep contentment I'd never heard from him before. Christian had always been ambitious, always driven, but now he sounded… complete. Like he'd found something he didn't even know he was missing.

"Must be an incredible feeling," I said.

"Life changing. I highly recommend it when you find the right person." Christian paused. "Speaking of which, how are things for you? And don't give me any of that work nonsense. I mean your love life."

"My personal life is… quiet."

"And Alexandra? Did you two finally leave the friend zone?"

"Thanks for the free psychological evaluation."

"Anytime. That's what married friends are for, giving unsolicited advice and reminding you life is better once you find the right person."

"So subtle."

"I've always been direct. Seriously though, Nate, when you find someone who matters, don't let her slip away because of pride or fear of complications."

We talked a bit longer about football and plans for when he and Zoey came to London, until Matt woke up and started crying in the background.

"Break time's over," Christian laughed. "Talk next week. And Nate?"

"Yeah?"

"Be honest with her, whoever she is. Life's too short for complications we create on our own. And trust me, I know what I'm talking about."

When we hung up, I stared at my phone for a long moment. Christian was right about being honest, but how the hell was I supposed to explain this? How did I tell my best friend, who was also technically my boss, that I was interested in his sister in law, who also happened to work for me, and that I'd made a fake profile just to talk to her?

The whole thing sounded insane when laid out like that.

I looked at Annie's message again. She'd been waiting more than a day. She probably thought I'd lost interest, or that I was just another app jerk who vanished after sending one interesting line.

I started typing, deleted it, tried again. How was I supposed to reassure her without sounding like a complete lunatic?

It was already ten on a Sunday night. If I replied now, it would look like I'd spent the entire weekend thinking about her message.

Which, ironically, was exactly what I'd done.

I sighed and set the phone aside. I'd respond tomorrow, when I had something better to say. When I had the slightest idea what I was doing.