The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella and Romeo) novel Chapter 1418

On the other side of town.

Martin had just wrapped up his work and was about to dash off to keep a date when he ran smack into Fitch.

“Buddy, I need a solid,” Fitch was waiting for him right outside his office, a look of sheer desperation on his face. “I’ve got this developer who’s being a real pain. We’ve been haggling over this contract forever, and my grandpa is running out of patience. If I don’t seal the deal today, I’m toast. Come with me, will you? Just pretend you’re part of my team.”

Fitch hadn’t even finished his plea when Martin cut him off, “Sorry, man. I’ve got plans with Serena today. Can’t bail on her.”

“What, she didn’t give you enough grief yesterday? Now you want an encore?” Fitch gaped at him in disbelief. “Are you some kind of masochist? After the way she’s been acting up, you’re still indulging her?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Alright, alright,” Fitch tried to reason with him. “You and she have got a lifetime to sort things out. But this contract is urgent. You know how my grandpa's temperament.”

“Today’s really not good,” Martin said, stopping in his tracks to emphasize his point. “Serena’s been really down lately. I need to be there for her.”

“What’s she got to be down about?” Fitch was at his wit's end with that woman. “This contract is critical, man. You’ve done a ton of deals, you’ve got the chops. At least tell me what the other side is thinking. How to move this partnership forward? What concessions do I need to make?”

“Fitch," Martin said, his gaze soft yet resolute, leaving no room for argument. “Serena really needs me.”

Fitch wanted to blurt out, "Aren't you just her backup plan? How important could you be to her?" But not wanting to hurt his good friend, he simply suggested, “Can’t you reschedule with her for tomorrow?”

“It’s a sensitive time for her. I don’t want her jumping to conclusions.”