$10,000,000 Marriage Proposal by James Patterson Read Free Book Online Page B

looked like it had been designed with her in mind.
    “What the hell just happened in there?” Caroline said.
    “All I know is we got swag bags!” Janey said, holding up a heavy-stock gift bag. “I’ve never gotten a swag bag from a date before.”
    “Does this count as being paid for a date?” Suze asked, rooting through her bag. She paused, holding up a box. “I’m guessing the watch alone is worth thousands of dollars.”
    “I think the whole experience falls into the category of being paid for a date—” Caroline said.
    “Except we only get the big bucks if we win!” Janey laughed.
    “Look at these!” Caroline said, opening a little cloth pouch and pulling out a pair of diamond studs. “Did we all get the same?”
    Suze and Janey dug into their bags. Suze’s earrings were a different style—daggerlike, with four smaller diamonds set in a row. And Janey, who didn’t have pierced ears, found a diamond pavé bracelet.
    “Holy shit,” Janey said.
    “Thousands of dollars, you say? eBay here I come!” Caroline grinned.
    Janey looked back at the house. “Are we the only ones? Are we three the finalists?”
    “So it would seem,” said Suze. “If I were running a ten-million-dollar wife contest, I would definitely narrow it down to three.”
    There was a moment of silence, then they all burst into laughter.
    “Let me get this straight. Would you place the billboard on Sunset for maximum impact?” Janey asked in her best reporter’s tone.
    “Would you invite said candidates to your Bel Air estate, then send handsome men to flirt with them until midnight?” Caroline chimed in.
    “Would you—”
    “Oh, my God, is it midnight?” Suze exclaimed. “Shit, shit, shit…” She pulled out her phone and hurriedly typed into it.
    “FingerLock match required,” her phone said. Suze touched a button with her thumb.
    “FingerLock match achieved,” the phone said, and Suze heaved a sigh of relief.
    “What the hell is going on with you, James Bond?” Janey asked.
    “Is your phone about to turn into a pumpkin?” Caroline teased.
    Suze blushed. “I was unable to investigate the owner of this house. It’s owned by a corporation with no other trackable assets. So I set up a remote alert in case I found myself in danger.”
    Janey whistled. “Nice!”
    “You are way out of my league,” Caroline added. “I’m so impressed. Now tell me this. Can your FingerLock technology keep my mother from reading my e-mails?”
    “Most definitely,” Suze said. “It’s set for release in the spring, but I can add you to the beta list.”
    “Would you? I’ll put in a good word for you with our future husband, whoever he is.”
    A black Town Car pulled up to the house. The driver stepped out. “Ms. Ellis?” he said.
    “That’s me,” Janey said. She stepped forward, then turned to the other two women. “Can’t we carpool? I, for one, am not done with you guys. Maybe we can get to the bottom of this.”
    “Count me in,” said Caroline.
    “Yes, in theory, but shouldn’t we at least confirm that we all live in the same direction?” Suze asked.
    “You should win,” Janey said. Then, to Caroline: “She should totally win.”

Chapter 18
    “I’m dragging you out of your way. It really doesn’t make any sense for either of you to come all the way to mid-Wilshire,” Suze said.
    “Don’t even worry about it,” Janey said, stretching back in the plush leather seat. “We need you. What’s a gratuitous tour of Los Angeles when ten million dollars are at stake?”
    “Especially if this car has beverages,” Caroline said. She tapped the driver’s shoulder. “Excuse me, but do you have any beverages?”
    The driver wordlessly handed back three bottles of water, one at a time.
    “Oh,” said Caroline. “It is a beverage, I concede. Not exactly the beverage I had in mind, but a beverage nonetheless.”
    There was no traffic, and they flew east on the 10. Caroline snuck a look to her left, assessing