Breaking the Billionaire's Rules

by Annika Martin

I text her under the table. I tell her that Tarquin was there, and I had to throw him off the scent. Nothing comes back. People are coming to me with questions. I answer them, trying to act unaffected. I built an empire, but right now, it’s feeling like a cage. I step out into the alley and call her. It’s a five-alarm fire, me actually calling somebody. She picks up. “How could you say that in front of a reporter?” she demands. “How could you? Oh my god!” “It was the perfect way to make you uninteresting,” I say. “It was for the best⁠—” “For the best? Are you kidding me here? I was going there to apologize, and that’s what you do? You paint me to look like a Max Hilton girl wannabe in front of a reporter? I can’t believe you said that, Max! I have the most important audition of my life coming up.” “I was trying to throw him off the scent,” I say. “Trust me, it made you uninteresting.” “I wanted to apologize, to you.” She pauses. The pause is ominous. “You think I wanted to say that?” I ask. “No, I don’t think you wanted to say it,” she says finally. “But how does this thing with us even work? When that’s the best option as a thing to say?” “We make it work,” I say. “Says the guy who has so much less to lose,” she says. Voices in the background. “Where are you?” I ask. “Does it matter? I have to go. I need to focus on this audition. And look, it turns out the grad student will be a fine accompanist. He’ll be fine, and I’m going with him for the audition.” “Fine isn’t good e...