Imperfect Match (Elixir Bachelor Billionaires #1)

“Did you just roll your eyes, El?”

“I didn’t, and just get on with it, Vi. It’s freezing out here.” Elodie runs her hands over her arms. Like me, she’s also without her coat, since we were marshaled outside in a rush.

“We invite the great spirit of Mother Nature and goddesses all around the world to this jerk-boyfriend purging ritual.”

My gaze flies to Elodie and Willow, and we share a look that is somewhere between amusement and shock, as if we all want to say, “What the heck is she doing?”

I bite my lip to stop my grin as Violet stands before us with her eyes closed, looking like a shaman invoking spirits and goddesses. In her defense, she looks pretty sincere.

“We give you this jerk today,” Violet continues, opening one eye and extending her hand toward me.

I take out the neon-pink-brief picture.

I don’t believe for a second that this stupidity is going to erase any bad luck out of my love life, and I’m here only for Vi and all the crazy things she does out of her care for us.

“Dear goddesses, please bless our Daisy so she no longer has to deal with stupid losers, and instead, ensure a handsome prince walks into her life. One who doesn’t use his dick as a prop for photographs and knows how to satisfy all her sexual needs in bed. Amen,” Violet chants.

My cheeks are burning red. I look once to my right and once to my left to make sure no one overheard her, and Vi ignites the lighter and brings the flame to the edge of the picture.

“Should we burn these too?” I wave the remaining pictures, when suddenly, a familiar throat clears behind me.

Crap! Crap!

“Daisy?”

4

JERK-BOYFRIEND PURGING RITUAL

DAISY

“Daisy?”

His voice cuts through the silence again, but I keep my eyes tightly shut. Maybe, just maybe, if I wish hard enough, this will all turn out to be a dream, and my boss won’t actually find me standing next to a trash bin holding nude photos of my ex.

But when have any of my wishes come true?

My friends exchange pleasantries with Charles, oblivious to my silent plea for the ground to swallow me whole in my moment of mortification.

“What are you all doing out here in this chilly weather?” Charles’ voice holds a hint of both amusement and surprise.

You can’t remain frozen like a statue forever, Daisy. You’ll have to confront this embarrassment head-on.

As I slowly turn around, a momentary relief washes over me when I notice his bodyguards. Thankfully, they’re far enough away not to see the details of the pictures in my hand. So while they might still consider me crazy, at least they won’t peg me as a pervert.

When my gaze lands on his face, he’s biting the inside of his cheek, trying to stifle a laugh. Asshole.

His eyes flicker between me and the photos in my hand before I quickly tuck them behind my back. There’s no way he missed them. I curse the overly bright festival lights that seem to illuminate every hidden corner tonight.

“We were just about to head in,” I manage, slipping the pictures back into my purse. There’s nothing I can do to wipe that smug grin off Charles’ face tonight.

My friends head into the restaurant, and before I can follow them, Charles gently grasps my elbow, halting my movement.

“You girls don’t plan to get drunk in addition to this, right?” He tips his head toward the dumpster without his gaze leaving my face. “If you are, I’ll send the driver.”

“Of course you will. Heaven forbid I fall sick before your interview, right?”

For just a second, his forehead puckers as if in confusion, but before I can make anything out of it, his face once again has that smirk.