by Chelsea Hale
He had assumed Matt had never grown out of his shyness, but maybe it was more than that. Maybe he was really uncomfortable around money. The thought made him sad, that his friend would only talk about it in terms of him helping someone, not in just enjoying a good time. “Matt is a good guy,” he finally managed. And maybe James really was an idiot like Matt had said.
“He really is.”
“So, I was rethinking this weekend. And I think I can make it work.”
She gave him a small, pitying smile, holding eye contact with him for the first time since they’d started walking together.
“Thanks, James. I’m sure it’s only because Matt made you, but really, it’s okay. I can’t afford you. But it was so nice meeting you. I think under different circumstances, we would have gotten along well.” She tucked a curl behind her ear. “I mean, Matt is a good judge of character, so any friend of Matt’s … well, thanks.”
“I’ll do it for a thousand,” he said, inwardly cringing that he even brought it up. He’d help Matt’s friend out. She seemed nice, and she was right, Matt was a good judge of character. Matt wouldn’t have tried to set him up with someone who would be like the last two women he dated.
She stopped in the middle of the street and turned to him. “Why?”
He could feel the passerby pedestrians and people in their cars looking at them. His face heated at the thought that someone might recognize him, even with the beanie on and his glasses.
“Matt already told you that life has been … hard for me lately.” He didn’t however, correct her thinking that it was more on love and relationships and less on the money side of things.
Of course, he did have money troubles. It was just more connected to how other people viewed his money, and not that he was lacking in money.
“I offered you two.” A small line formed between her eyebrows, like she was trying to figure out why he’d take only her original offer.
He could think fast on his feet and come up with a reason. “Yes, but then you changed the scope. I thought you needed the whole week between Christmas and New Year’s.” And truthfully, that would have been better for him. It would have gotten his mind off of other things at this time of year.
“I guess it’s a win-win now, since now you don’t have to change your plans for Christmas.” She smiled brightly at him.
“Right. Win-win.” Or not. He realized she’d stopped walking and huddled close to the building they stood next to.
“Well, this is me,” she said. She turned like she was going to go inside then stopped and faced him again, something in her look that he couldn’t quite place. “You must think I’m pathetic, huh? Paying someone to come with me to see my family for the weekend.”
His mouth dropped open. Should he have thought that? He hadn’t. He watched her bright green eyes, looking at him for answers. But the thought of her eyes took away all ability to speak. “I—”
“I know.” She covered her face with one hand. “I know, it is pathetic. I … just … don’t want to disappoint my grandpa.”
A lump formed in his throat. He remembered saying similar things once upon a time. Of anyone’s opinions in his life, it was always his grandpa’s that he came back to, that he relied on. James could feel the connection with Emery. They were going to help each other out. It would be fine. One weekend. So, what if he still had to figure out Christmas by himself. That was no different from what he’d been planning anyway.
He gently lifted her chin until she met his gaze. Her bright green eyes captivated him and for a moment the thought of what he wanted to say to her left him again. He stumbled for the words as she looked expectantly at him. “I don’t think you’re pathetic.”
He wasn’t sure how it happened, but he pulled her into a hug. The wintry December morning suddenly seemed warmer as he was taken by the tropical scent of her hair.
She pulled back from him, her eyes blinking rapidly. “Thanks, James. I better go in.”
“What’s the plan?” What he really wanted to know was when he was going to see her again. He was already counting down the minutes.
“Right, well I guess we should get together before the plane leaves on Saturday morning. I obviously haven’t booked the flights yet, but we could try coming back on a red-eye on Saturday night or on Sunday.”
He hated red-eyes. And he was not going to love not being on his private jet. He mentally smacked himself for sounding like a snob. He was supposed to be down on his luck. He couldn’t very well use his own plane. “You said the weekend, let’s just stay until Sunday. You’ll get more time with your family that way.”
“Exactly why I think we should leave on Saturday night,” she muttered.
“Which airport are we headed to?”
“Boston Logan International. My family lives in Boston.”
“I have some flight miles. Why don’t you let me take care of booking the airfare?”
She raised her eyebrows. “I’m the one who needs to fund this.”
He stepped closer to her, whispering, “Then add it to my tab. I won’t use the miles otherwise.”
“So, I’d be helping you?” she asked.
“I suppose you would be,” he said, especially since he’d have to book the flight under his full name, and he really didn’t want to tell her that right now.
She nodded, her dark curls bouncing just a bit. “Okay. That’s fine. A flight there on Saturday and home on Sunday. And just let me know how much the equivalent price is and I’ll add it to your tab.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Though the idea of taking even one dollar from her still didn’t sit right with him.
She chewed on her lip. “Maybe we could meet after work and get to know each other? I have a list of questions that I know my family will pester me about.”
He nodded. “How about dinner tonight? I know the perfect place.”
“Dinner? Only if you let me pay. I don’t want to be a burden.”
This woman was stubborn, but he liked the fact that she wasn’t trying to take advantage of him. But he wouldn’t take advantage of her generosity either.
“You’re not a burden. You’re going to be my girlfriend, so we should probably go on at least one official date before I meet your family.”
She giggled, and he found that he liked the sound. He wanted to hear it again. In fact, maybe that would be his goal during their dinner date.
“Okay, I suppose that’s smart,” she said. “We can’t describe our first date if we haven’t really had one, can we? We should definitely discuss that over our dinner meeting.”
And just like that he realized the danger of getting too close to this woman. He wasn’t going to let his attraction for her get out of hand. She’d called their first date a meeting. Which is technically what it was, and he needed to remember it.
Chapter 5
Emery could barely concentrate at work all day. Her mind was full of the cologne that filled her senses when James had given her a hug. She’d felt completely stupid for even asking him to be her fake boyfriend, and he’d responded with a hug and the reassurance that she wasn’t as pathetic as she knew she was. And he was going to come with her for the weekend.
When he’d asked to go to dinner with her in that awkward sort of way, it almost felt like a real moment, not a manufactured one. Almost like he wanted to ask her on a date and was thinking of an excuse to see her again. It was a silly thought, and she tried to shake it from her head, but that only made the butterflies in her stomach flutter faster. It wasn’t real, but she could enjoy that it almost felt real.
She put the papers in a folder and looked up to see Matt at her desk. “Oh hey,” she said. “Thanks for helping me out. You’re a good friend.”
Matt nodded. “I really try to be a good friend.” He looked down at her folder, a smirk forming on his lips. “Are you sure you’re ready for this presentation?”
“Of course I’m ready, why wouldn’t I be?” She smoothed her hair down, wondering
if there were fly-aways. Why had she curled her hair this morning? Thoughts of James giving her a hug rushed back to her and heat filled her cheeks.
“Because the papers are in the folder upside-down.”
Emery opened the folder and nonchalantly turned the papers the right way before replacing them back in the pocket. “See, you’re even useful at work too.” She slugged him on the shoulder. “Thanks.”
He gestured to her folder. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with James, would it?”
Her blush deepened. “Maybe just a little. I’m going to pretend he’s my boyfriend, so I guess being frazzled about it would be natural, right?”
Matt nodded slowly. “Right.”
With her folder in her hand, she stood and pushed in her chair. This presentation was one of the last they had scheduled before Christmas. With any luck they’d crush it, and she’d secure her Christmas bonus and the promotion she’d been working toward. She’d spend her Christmas holiday working and be a full week ahead of schedule when the New Year started. “Ready?”
“Always,” he said.
* * *
Emery smiled as she returned to her desk. The presentation had gone well and after negotiations, Matt and Emery had won over Better Views, a company specializing in building redesign.
Better Views worked with new developments as well, but this specific campaign focused on promoting the positive benefits of the large downtown revitalization project, spanning several blocks.
It was no small task. Reconstruction wouldn’t start for six months but publicity for the project would start shortly after the New Year.
Emery rolled her neck and cracked a few knuckles. She could do this. She loved creating the perfect advertisements, regardless of the medium. This was a project she believed in and one that would elevate the part of downtown that had fallen into ruin. The rest of the day would be her and her mock-ups, perfecting them and getting them ready for the final stages.
A few hours later her desk phone rang. “Hello,” she said.
“Emery? This is James. We met this morning.”
She laughed a little at his introduction. “I remember who you are.”
“I realized I didn’t have your phone number, so I had Matt patch me through to your work phone, I hope that’s okay.”
She twirled the cord on the headset, feeling like a giddy teenager. “Yeah, that’s just fine.” Ugh. Had her voice just squeaked? Embarrassing.
“About dinner tonight. I was wondering how you want to do this. Should I meet you there? I have a place in mind.”
“Sure, let’s just meet there.” That would seem a lot less date-like and probably be less awkward. She didn’t think that Matt’s friend would turn out to be crazy or dangerous, but just in case, maybe it was better that he didn’t know where she lived. After all, they only needed to get through this weekend with her family. She tried not to let the reality of what she was doing sink in too much.
“Okay, mind if I just text you the address?”
“Sure. That works for me.” She gave him her phone number.
“Dinner at 6:00 p.m.?”
“That sounds great.”
They said their good-byes, and Emery couldn’t wipe the grin off her face. She knew it wasn’t a real date, but it held all the awkwardness of a first date. Maybe her mother was right. Maybe it had been too long since she’d been out.
Maybe she had focused too much on her career this past year. It had been the easier way to go. She shook her head and reminded herself that James was playing a part. This wasn’t a real thing. She’d hired him to help her. It was as simple as that. But the grin stayed on her lips the rest of the day anyway.
* * *
Emery pulled up to the center of Chicago where each lamppost was decorated with a wreath down the entire street. She pulled up and let the valet take her car keys. Had she gotten the address wrong? Gone East when she should have gone West? James was in a hard financial spot and just the valet parking would be more than he should pay for dinner here. Il Cibo Dei Sogni was one of the most exclusive restaurants in all of the Midwest. Even the red brick looked like it was a little more posh and stately than the neighboring buildings.
The doorman held the door open for her, and she stepped inside out of the cold. She pulled out her phone. Before she went all the way into the restaurant, she should ask James the name of where they were eating. She punched a message to him, and was about to press send, when James came toward her from inside the restaurant.
“Oh good, you found it,” he said.
She looked around at the large chandeliers and the marble flooring and dread filled her. “What are we doing here?” she asked him.
This was way too expensive for her … and for him. She liked nice food, but they were here to discuss a business arrangement, not to be on an actual date.
His face scrunched, and he scratched the back of his neck. “I guess I should have asked what kind of food you like before I assumed that this would be a good place. Don’t worry, they have a little bit of everything.” He said it like that would solve her problems.
She lowered her voice, so the other patrons wouldn’t hear her. “This place is expensive. We don’t have to be fancy for dinner. Besides, it’s a meeting.” This kind of place wouldn’t have bothered her in her hometown of Boston, but with a fake date? He didn’t need to impress her with it. She was fine with something less formal.
He waved his hand in the air. “The company that I work for has a tab here. I’m allowed to use it. It’s not going to set me back at all.”
“They let you use it for personal dining, not just business?” She’d never heard of such a thing, but then again, she had no idea what he did.
“Come to think of it, I guess they do. I was originally supposed to have a client meeting tonight, and it got postponed, so I already had the reservation. But if you’d like to go somewhere else …” He looked like he was trying to come up with a decent alternative but couldn’t think of one.
She didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable. After all this seemed like a nice restaurant, and she’d heard the food was amazing. Knowing that he wasn’t spending a fortune on her for their first meal together was comforting. “No, this really does look great. I’m excited to try it.”
His face relaxed. “This will be fun. We have our own private dining room.”
They approached the maître d’ where a hostess waited for them. The restaurant was gorgeous. Pillars added a noble feel. Tall candles on each table next to single-stemmed roses in clear vases added elegance and simplicity. A string quartet played Mozart in the background.
Emery had expected they would wander through the dining room until they reached their table, but James took her hand and they followed the hostess toward the door at the far end of the entryway.
Rows of curtains hung on both sides down the hallway, separated by ivory-colored marble pillars. One curtain they passed was pulled to the side and held with a gold-tasseled rope. In the room stood a table that seated eight.
With the opposite curtain also pulled back, Emery could see directly through the small room to the rest of the dining room.
The area around the table had enough room to walk and on one wall a large buffet table stood with drinks and assorted breads. An assistant prepped the table for the next group.
They passed a few more curtains before the hostess pulled back the heavy plum-colored velvet on one of them and motioned for them to go through.
James pulled out one of the two chairs at the table, and scooted her in.
Emery appreciated the gesture of chivalry. She’d listened to Sydney Hart enough times on her popular online MyHeartChannel, Hart to Heart, to know that men holding doors and pulling out chairs at the table was a big sign of the potential for caring and understanding in a relationship.
Politeness and respect was a solid start, and Emery’s parents would expect nothing less from the person she chose to go out with. She liked that she didn’t
have to even explain that expectation. He was already a gentleman.
The hostess handed the menus to them. Gold writing was embossed on the large, black leather menus. She opened it to reveal a single sheet of paper on each side of the menu book.
The hostess closed the curtain behind her. Emery expected the private dining room to dim once the hostess left and the curtain was down, but the sparkling chandelier bounced the light all over. It felt cozy and intimate. The server came in offering appetizers and pointed their attention to the shrimp cocktails he had brought and put on the side buffet table.
Emery scanned the menu, wondering what she should order, and how much everything cost. There were no prices on the menu.
“Do you know what you’d like?” James asked.
She glanced up at him. “Maybe another minute?”
The waiter excused himself and once he was gone, Emery said, “I know this is probably a silly question, but how much is this food? There are no prices. I feel so awkward.”
James smiled. “You know, of all the clients I’ve brought to this restaurant, I don’t think any one of them has mentioned that. And I’ve had several big name clients here.”
“Big time clients? Like who?”
He straightened his silverware for several seconds before looking up. “I suppose it’s not a secret who my firm works with. It’s all on the website. Most of them have given their testimonials. NFL stars like Kyle Montgomery; Hollywood actors, including Jordan Stone; Liam Summers, the self-made billionaire who owns the Summers Resorts all over the world; and New York Times best-selling authors, most notably Ty Lake.”
She shrugged. “Matt already told me that life is hard when it comes to finances. I don’t want to make it worse.”
James nodded, the smile from moments ago erased. “And suppose that wasn’t the case? If Matt hadn’t mentioned anything one way or the other, what would you think?”
She took in her surroundings. Everything about this place felt like extravagance had been given an amazing make-over. “I’d still think that a place that doesn’t show the price is going to hit my account too hard.”