by Holly Rayner
By the time he finished the meeting with Simon—and they agreed to plan a trip to Miami to look over properties—he knew two things for sure. One, that Adison had worked her magic on him, whether he liked it or not. And two, that he needed to do something about that.
What exactly he would do, though, he wasn’t yet sure.
Chapter 12
Adison
The driver behind Adison beeped their horn, making her cringe.
“Sorry.” She waved her hand and hit the gas to speed through the green light.
It was the third time that morning she’d been honked at. Apparently the extra shot in her latte had done no good, as she was lacking the most important energy booster of all: sleep. Without that, she couldn’t function properly.
Maybe, in between her duties at the Montoya Foundation and the emails she had to write and research she had to do for the Christmas party, she’d find time to snatch a catnap in a broom closet.
The thought of curling up on a pile of cleaning rags made her smile, even as she knew she would never take a nap at work. Especially not at a job she’d just started.
Her phone rang, startling her—being jumpy was another symptom of not getting enough sleep.
Pleased to see her best friend’s name come up on the screen, she answered the call.
“Hi, Corinne. What’s going on?”
“Hey. Not much. Just got off the phone with Maggie.”
“Oh yeah? How’s she doing?” Adison turned into the Montoya Foundation’s parking lot, wondering what the phone call was really about. Not only was it eight in the morning—an odd time to call to simply chat—but there was a forced cheerfulness in Corinne’s voice. After years of friendship, Adison had gotten surprisingly good at knowing when her bestie was faking something.
“She’s doing okay. Tired of pregnancy.”
“Right. I can imagine.”
Corinne’s sister, who lived in California, was in her third trimester with her first child.
“Where are you?” Corinne asked. “Did you make it to work yet?”
“I’m parking now.” She pulled into a spot but kept the engine on so that the heat would continue to run.
As she unbuckled, she gazed at the multi-story brick building. Ken was in there somewhere.
They hadn’t seen each other since the awkward parting at his house two days earlier, though they had exchanged emails about the party planning. She wasn’t dreading seeing him face-to-face again, but she wasn’t exactly looking forward to it, either.
“Anyway…” Corinne took a moment. “I got an e-vite to Diana’s cocktail party.”
“I got one, too. It’s this Friday, right? Are you going?”
“I think so, except… Okay, I heard Buttface will be there.”
“Buttface?” Adison laughed, but on the inside her heart was sinking. She knew exactly who Corinne was talking about.
“Seems appropriate. Sorry to bring you the bad news.”
Adison started to sigh, then stopped herself. Nope. She wasn’t going to let Danny ruin so much as another moment for her again.
“It doesn’t matter,” she decided. “I’m going anyway.”
“That’s the spirit. So are you bringing a date?”
“Who would I bring?” Adison rifled through her purse, looking for her lipstick.
“Oh, I dunno… Maybe your fake boyfriend.”
Adison’s hand stilled in the purse. “He’s not that.” By now, Corinne knew every detail of the run-in at the coffee shop—since she’d made Adison retell it three times.
“Not your steady fake boyfriend, sure.” Corinne chuckled. “But maybe you guys can become more and start a fake serious relationship.”
Adison flipped the visor down and caught her unhappy reflection. “Even if that Thea woman isn’t his girlfriend, I doubt Ken would agree with that.”
“Ken?”
“Mr. Montoya,” she corrected herself. Even if he was okay with it, she shouldn’t be using his first name. It made their relationship too personal.
“How do you know? You haven’t asked him yet.”
Adison chewed that over. She really wanted to go to Diana’s party. The two of them didn’t get to see each other near enough. She could always say that her “boyfriend” wasn’t able to make the event, but there was one small, petty part of her that really wanted to see Danny’s reaction when she showed up with Ken.
“Maybe,” she said. “I have to run. Talk to you later.”
“Okay. Have a good day.”
They hung up, with Adison’s stomach twisted into knots. Instead of going into the building right away, she unlocked her cell phone and went to the first social media page her thumb hit.
She shouldn’t have been doing it, but even as she told herself that, she couldn’t seem to stop from opening Danny’s page.
Her heart clawing its way into her throat, she glanced at his last few posts. Odd. At one point, she’d loved this man. Truly loved him. Now she just wanted to see if he was still with the new girlfriend he’d mentioned at Drip. Had he been telling the truth or was he lying about that, too?
Out of the most recent three pictures, a brunette Adison didn’t recognize was in two of them. She was pretty, smiling with Danny in front of an ice-skating rink in one pic and giving a peace sign in another.
Adison’s vision blurred, an effect from the humiliation. They’d just broken up, and Danny was already putting another girl all over his socials.
The most recent picture, one of Danny standing cross-armed on their—no, his—front porch, was from the day before. Adison clicked on it and read the text below.
“Peace out Buffalo. Been real but not the best. Miami, here we come. C U in a few weeks. #moving #hustling #soulmates”
Soulmates? A bad taste coated Adison’s tongue. Did everyone know that he’d been cheating on her? She had a brief urge to go home and die of embarrassment in her apartment, but, luckily, she managed to resist it until it passed.
She put her phone away, the bile rising in her throat. What…a…jerk! They’d just broken up, and he was showing off his new girlfriend.
That decided it. Not only was Adison going to the party, she would be bringing her “boyfriend” as well.
She made her way into the Montoya Foundation, heart thudding against her ribs. Not only was she feeling foolish and gullible for having wasted almost a year of her life with Danny, she was also nervous about asking Ken to go to the party.
In the days since, she’d replayed that video call a dozen times over in her mind. At no point had words been exchanged that confirmed that Ken and Thea were an item, and Adison was beginning to think that, still reeling in the wake of Danny’s betrayal, she might have jumped to conclusions.
At the same time, though, if her initial suspicion had been correct, she was about thirty seconds away from making a complete fool out of herself.
Well, only one way to find out.
At her cubicle, she stopped long enough to hang up her coat and stash her purse in the desk. Then, smoothing her skirt, she pushed open the double doors that led to Ken’s office.
She’d never been in his office before, and as she approached one of three desks stationed in front of another door, her step faltered. Perhaps she shouldn’t be doing this. She could be breaking some sort of company protocol by walking right up to Ken’s personal area.
“Yes?” A woman with a pale face and bright red hair looked up at Adison expectantly.
Adison swallowed. “I would like to see Mr. Montoya. My name is Adison Hale. I’m the new charity administrator and I’m planning the Christmas party.”
Before she’d said “Christmas party,” the redhead had looked like she’d been about to call security. Those two little words changed everything, though.
“Oh, Adison.” Her voice lilted. “One moment, please.”
The redhead picked up the phone on her desk and pressed a button. “Mr. Montoya, Adison Hale is here…yes.” She hung up and looked bac
k at Adison. “Go right in.”
“Thank you.” Unable to believe how smoothly that had gone down, Adison went to the frosted door on the far side of the room.
Even though the assistant had told her to go in, she still knocked.
“Come in,” Ken called.
She let herself into the room, her heart starting to race all over again. Except this time, it was the handsome man who was to blame.
Ken had already stood from his desk and was coming around to meet her. “Adison. How are you?”
“Good. Thank you.”
He reached out for her, seemed to think better of it, redrew his hand, seemed to think better of that, and then pecked her on the cheek. His aftershave tickled her nose, and her knees went weak.
Ken cleared his throat and stepped back. “I received your email about decorations. I like everything you put in there. Again, though, I’m leaving the choices up to you.”
“I just thought I would, uh, check.” Her face was hot as Hades, and she prayed he hadn’t noticed the blush.
“Would you like to have a seat?”
“No, thank you.” In an effort to stop herself from wringing her hands, she clasped them together. “I only stopped in for a minute. I would like to…to ask you a favor.”
His thick eyebrows rose the slightest bit. “Sure.”
“There’s a party this upcoming Friday, and…um…” Was it hot in here? She was burning up.
He frowned. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. No.” She pressed her lips together. “Sorry. I’m fine. It’s only that this is hard for me to ask.”
Ken blinked slowly, his expression soft. When a few more seconds passed, he cleared his throat. “You don’t need to be nervous with me. I promise, whatever you have to ask, I won’t judge you for it.”
She nodded. “Okay, well, uh, if it’s all right with you, and there’s no reason why it would be a problem…”
“Yes?”
“Will you come to the party with me as my boyfriend?” she blurted out.
His eyes widened.
“My fake boyfriend,” she clarified. “Not real. I mean, of course I mean fake. What other kind would you be?”
She needed to stop talking right now. With every word, she dug herself into a deeper hole.
Ken chuckled. “When did you say this party was?”
“Friday.”
“And will What’s-His-Face be there?” Ken’s eyes darkened.
“Yeah. He’ll be there.” Adison stood a little taller, trying not to shrink under the weight of embarrassment.
“I would love to go.”
She felt her jaw drop. Did he use the word “love”?
“What time should I pick you up?”
“Oh. We don’t…that’s…”
He met her gaze. “If we’re going on a date—even if it’s a fake one—I should pick you up.”
Her tongue had become incredibly heavy. “Okay. Thank you. Seven?”
“Wonderful. Text me the address?”
“Of course.”
So that was that. She’d asked him to go to the party, and he’d accepted. The mission hadn’t been that impossible, after all.
Since they both had work to get to, she turned for the door. As her hand touched the knob, she hesitated.
“Thank you, Ken. Really.”
“You’re welcome,” he said softly. “It’s my pleasure.”
It wasn’t until she’d left his office that she realized she’d broken her rule and called him by his first name.
Chapter 13
Ken
The address Adison had given him was for an apartment complex on the edge of town. Ken arrived right on time, having left the office early to run home and shower and change.
He hadn’t been on a date in months, and the last few hadn’t gone so well. As far as a relationship…
Well, what counted as a relationship, exactly?
Here and there, he had fun with women. He was busy, though, and finding a partner wasn’t a priority. Besides, the few times he’d considered it things merely hadn’t worked out.
Some people were better off alone. It sounded sad, but it was true.
Many times, Ken had wondered if he was one of those people. While most people he knew maintained a work-life balance, he focused entirely on business. A family wasn’t part of his plan.
Once upon a time, he’d had a family. They hadn’t gotten a happily ever after, though. Far from it.
Parking in front of Adison’s building, he walked through the cold and up a flight of exterior steps. Her apartment was at the end of the second-floor breezeway, its porch light on.
Pausing at the door, he touched his hair to make sure the wind hadn’t pushed it out of place. Realizing what he was doing, he dropped his hand. This wasn’t a real date.
And Adison wasn’t a woman he should be interested in.
She’d just gotten out of a relationship, and he couldn’t give her what she deserved. Plain and simple, they would be a terrible match.
He went to knock on the door, but it opened before he could touch it.
“I heard someone out here,” Adison said with a smile.
He looked for words, but they evaded him. The woman standing in front of him was stunning. She wore a red dress that fit snug at the waist and flared at the skirt. Black heels elongated her legs, and a loose updo exposed her delicate neck.
Combine these with her red, full lips and long lashes, and Ken thought he might fall over from sensory overload.
“Come in.” She stepped to the side, ushering him into the apartment.
The place was small but homey, with a plush couch and a round dining room table. A set of shelves contained books and photos, and a cat bed and scratching post were in the corner.
“You have a cat?” he asked, as Adison shut the door behind him.
“Yes. Taffy. But she usually hides when strangers come over.” The close proximity of her voice sent a delicious chill through him. She had to only be inches from his neck.
“I’m sorry I didn’t bring her a present. What kind of gentleman am I if I don’t try to win my date’s cat over?”
There he went again, pretending this was a real date. He really ought to stop with that. For both their sakes.
Adison didn’t seem to be bothered by the comment, though. She pulled on a black wool coat and smirked.
“I’d like to see you try,” she said good-naturedly. “Treat or no treats.”
There was a faint meow, and a cat appeared in one of the two doorways leading from the living room/kitchen area. Next to Ken, Adison gasped.
“I believe that’s what they call famous last words.” He winked at her, then squatted down and extended a hand to the cat.
The black-and-gray striped feline hesitated, rubbing its tail against the doorframe. In the dark beyond, Ken could make out the shape of a bed. Adison’s room.
“That’s odd,” Adison said softly.
Ken cocked his head to grin up at her. “I guess you can call me the Cat Whisperer.”
She grinned. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. It’s not like she’s actually come up to you.”
“Meow,” Taffy said, and promptly trotted over to Ken.
As he stroked the cat’s head, he couldn’t help but laugh.
Adison threw her hands in the air. “Hell has frozen over.”
“But it’s such a nice place to be.” He rubbed the cat under the chin one last time and stood.
Adison was biting into a smile, her cheeks flushed. “Should I go to the party on my own? Leave you two here so you can cuddle on the couch?”
If Ken were being honest, he would have said that he only wanted to cuddle on the couch if it were with her. He kept his head on, though, and gestured at the door.
“You asked me along tonight for a very specific reason,” he said. “And I don’t take that lightly.”
She ducked her head. “Again, thank you.”
“Adison.” He stepped a littl
e closer, and she watched him through lowered eyelashes. “We’re going to have fun tonight. This is as much for me as it is you.”
“Really? How?”
“Simple. One of the things I love most is putting a jerk in his place.”
Adison rolled her eyes. “I don’t know if we’ll manage that. I just don’t want Danny to think I’m a loser.”
That stung him right in the chest. “You’re anything but a loser, Adison. Do you think you’re falling short because you didn’t jump into a relationship the week after leaving one? I haven’t been in a relationship in years.”
As soon as the words left his lips, he regretted them. Whatever impression he’d just given her, it couldn’t be a good one.
She didn’t respond, though, instead grabbing her keys and a small purse that sat on the kitchen island. “Well. I’m ready if you are.”
Maybe her ignoring his stupid statement was worse than her responding to it. Either way, mulling over it wasn’t the thing to do.
They stepped out into the cold night, hurrying to his car as fast as was safely possible. Ken opened the passenger’s side door for Adison, and there was a brief moment where she held his arm to steady herself. A warm feeling coursed through him at the touch. Wouldn’t it be nice if this were real?
Closing the door behind her, he sucked in a breath and counted slowly to three.
Get control of yourself.
He was there tonight to help her. Not to take a shot on a beautiful, sweet woman that was sure to fail. Because fail he always did when it came to personal matters.
“Are you nervous?” he asked in the car.
She rearranged the folds of her skirt. “No.”
It was obviously a lie, but he decided not to question her. Instead, he sat there and wondered how on earth a girl like Adison had ever ended up with a loser like her ex.
The party was at a townhome in a newer neighborhood, walking distance to restaurants and shops. It was the kind of spot that catered to young business people who could afford to drop a little extra on a home. Ken found a parking spot on the street but hesitated to kill the engine.