Between Desire and Denial

Dimitri Hardy and I were never really supposed to be friends. He was a risky, over-the-top investor. I was trying to avoid the glamorous lifestyle my parents had raised me in.
He was fun and laid back. I was wound tight and dramatic.
He had his life put together. I did not. So having Dimitri witness my breakup was a low moment. Especially since my boyfriend was also my professor, and after cheating on me, he decided to make me redo my master's thesis. But Dimitri saw an opportunity. He offered to assist with my thesis. In exchange, I would help him gain the trust of the upscale town where I'd grown up-one he'd just heavily invested in.