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satellite dishes at
this information. I half wanted Sharon to tell me more, but I didn’t want to
let on how interesting I found the subject. I could probably just do a search
myself later. Luckily, Sharon was interested enough on her own behalf that she
needed no encouragement from me.
     
    “I’m checking out a few of these links – did you know he’s dated
more than a few celebrities? Not just B-listers, either, but models, actresses
– really high profile women. It appears your old childhood crush is quite the
playboy.”
     
    A part of me already knew this – after seeing how he had acted
with those two women in the office, throwing money at them and keeping them
around almost like personal accessories, it was obvious that he was a ladies’
man. Well, why shouldn’t he be? He was single, he had a lot of money and, well,
he was certainly very attractive to women. But even though I knew this, a
little seed of jealousy had sprouted in me at the information.
     
    “He’s got a reputation as quite a heartbreaker too,” Sharon
continued, oblivious to my inner turmoil. “He’s never dated a woman for more
than a few weeks, a month or two at the most, and he always moves right on to
the next, leaving them devastated in his wake. He wines them, dines them, makes
all sorts of wonderful promises, maybe jets them off to the Bahamas or Hawaii,
and then by all accounts he just breaks it off, like he gets bored of them.
It’s a good thing you never did get involved with him, Amanda; it doesn’t seem
like he’s a very good type. Unless you just want to get shagged for a night.”
Sharon laughed. “This is some good gossip, right here.”
     
    “Yeah, it sounds like I had a lucky escape,” I laughed, joining
her laughter, but my insides felt tight and strained. It didn’t feel like I’d
had a lucky escape. Thinking about the Mathis I fell in love with when I was
fifteen, it seemed like he was a completely different person than the Mathis of
today. This cold ambitious Lothario who didn’t care anything about the string
of gorgeous, famous lovers he went through.
     
    “Maybe it’s to do with his background,” Sharon continued browsing
through her phone. “His story is typical rags to riches. He grew up in a poor
family, and then made it big – thanks to your uncle, I suppose. I guess he just
let it go to his head. It’s a shame, really. He sure is good looking!”
     
    “Yeah,” I agreed absently. “Yeah, it’s a shame he turned out that
way. Not that I ever thought there might be anything between us,” I added
quickly as Sharon gave me a searching look. “He’s far too successful to have
any interest in a boring girl like me.”
     
    “Yeah, all you have is looks, talent, and a good heart,” Sharon
said, shaking her head in mock-despair. “Who would ever be interested in
you?”
    “Knock it off,” I said, blushing. “I’m just an accountant who works in a
cubicle all day and spends her evenings watching reruns of sappy TV shows.”
     
    “Now I know that’s not true,” Sharon insisted. “What about that
novel?”
     
    “It’s just a pile of junk,” I dismissed. “I don’t know why I ever
thought I could write.”
     
    “Maybe because you can,” Sharon told me. “I’ve read some of your
stuff – you’re an incredible writer, Amanda. Just because your stuff hasn’t
been published, doesn’t mean it’s no good. Loads of famous authors have to get
through hundreds of rejection letters before they make their big break.”
     
    I smiled at Sharon over my empty latte mug. “That’s sweet of you
to say,” I said, “but if I had what it takes, I would be a great writer by now
– look at Mathis! He’s worth 300 million and it’s not like all that just fell
in his lap.”
     
    “He had an opportunity – your uncle made sure of that. True, the
rest was up to him, but he had a chance to follow his dream and he took it. You
have the same chance now, Amanda. You’ve just inherited a