“No, no! I’ll do it! I’ll stick with you for as long as it takes.” He reached out like he was going to grab her arm but pulled it back at the last second.
He can’t even stand to touch me. He’ll never convince his mother we’re dating.
“It’ll never work, Finn.” She moved back to her desk, careful not to brush against him, and settled into her chair.
“Please, Laurie…”
“Sorry, I can’t help you.” Refusing to look at him, she scrolled through the donor list. “It’s for the best. I didn’t want to lie to your mother anyway.”
His earnest face appeared over the top of her computer screen. “What if I make it official so you won’t have to lie at all?”
“How can you make a fake relationship official?”
“Like this…” He cleared his throat, feet shuffling, hands stuffed in his pockets. “Laurie Fields, would you do me the honor of being my real girlfriend until the end of tonight? I’ll treat you like a queen and buy you anything you want. And I promise to be nice and kind and do my part for the fundraiser.”
A lump formed in her throat. His words sounded so close to something genuine, except for the temporary disclaimer. Not that she actually wanted to be his girlfriend, but for some reason it felt like a slap in the face for him to specify a one-night relationship.
“Why on earth didn’t you pick some other woman to use as your pretend girlfriend?” Her annoyance came through in her tone. “I’m sure most of the other single girls would’ve jumped at a chance like this.”
“I don’t know why I told her it was you. It just came out. Mum kept peppering me with questions, and the next thing I knew I was claiming we were dating.” A knot of lines crisscrossed his forehead. “Anyway, the other women around here might get the wrong idea. With you, I won’t have to worry you’ll want something that lasts longer than a day.”
She stared at her coffee cup, the liquid inside cold, now. Like my heart.
“Just dinner tonight?”
“That’s all.”
At least if she did it, he’d call all the donors and stay on the job. And presumably, he’d be a lot nicer to work with. “Okay, I’ll do it.”
“Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
“But…” She lifted a single finger in the air. “I won’t lie. If she asks me when we started dating, I’ll tell her it’s our first date.”
“Thank you, so much.” He backed toward the door, speaking in a low voice. “I’ll be back later to call all those donors.”
“Good.”
“You won’t regret this. Mum is great once you get used to her bear hugs. And you’ll love my sister.”
“Your sister?”
“Yeah, she came over from Jersey with my mother. Didn’t I mention her?” He pulled the door open, holding a warning finger to his lips. “Bye, sweetheart,” he said, in a sugary tone. “I’ll see you after lunch.”
The door clicked shut behind him.
Laurie put both elbows on her desk and let her face fall into her hands. “What have I done?”
CHAPTER 6
As the limousine pulled to the curb outside the apartment, Finn spied Laurie standing at the top of the steps, illuminated by a nearby lamppost. Without thinking, he popped the door open and leapt out, rushing up the steps to offer his elbow.
And then it happened… she touched his arm and sent a rush of warmth through his veins. With great effort, he managed not to flinch. She didn’t react, so she must not have felt the same electric charge.
He wanted to tell her how beautiful she looked. To compliment her bold red dress and the way her skin glowed. To say how her hair was fabulous, fastened up with a few enticing curls dangling at her neck. Instead, he commented on her decrepit apartment building.
“This place doesn’t look safe.”
“My apartment?” Her fingers clenched, her nails biting into his arm through his shirtsleeve. “It’s perfectly fine.”
“I don’t like it. You need to move.”
“Well, I like it, and your opinion doesn’t matter. Anyway, it’s what I can afford.”
“I’ll get you a raise.”
“I’ve been working two days, Mr. Anderson. I don’t need a raise.” She released his arm and stopped in her tracks, slamming her hands onto her hips. “And if this is your idea of being nice and kind, I’m going right back upstairs.”
“Wait, I’m sorry.” He was apologizing again. He seemed to be doing that a lot today.
She tapped her foot on the worn concrete step, her full lips stretched in a thin red line.
He scrambled for the right thing to say, something nice that wouldn’t sound like one of his flirtatious lines. “I think you chose the perfect dress for this evening. It’s elegant, without being overstated.” He sounded pretty suave and self-assured, but he could feel the blood rushing into his face.
She glanced down at the form-fitting dress, and he took the opportunity to admire her shapely calves. “I’m glad you like it,” she said. “It’s the only cocktail dress I own.”
Amused at her candor, he offered his elbow again, searching her eyes for forgiveness. When she tucked her fingers into the crook again, the tingle was back, but it felt normal.
