by Ali Parker
“Ryan Winters.”
Nodding, he waved his hand for me to drive forward. I pulled into the parking garage and hurried inside. Candice’s building was nicer than any place I’d ever seen. My stomach flipped anxiously as I stepped up to her door.
Knocking quickly, I cleared my throat and stuffed my hands in my pockets.
Candice opened the door, smiling and beautiful. “Hey, Ryan. Come on in.”
She stood aside to let me pass. I stepped inside and turned to face her. The second my eyes fell on her body, my nerves kicked into overdrive. For the first time all day, Paisley finally faded to the back of my mind.
Candice stood in front of me wearing a short green dress that hugged her waist and fanned out into a flowy skirt. Her dark brown hair was braided elegantly around the side of her head, trailing up into a simple bun. She wore more makeup than I’d seen on her before, her deep brown eyes claiming my full attention without effort.
My pockets were soon drenched in sweat. I cleared my throat and tried to relax. Slowly, I fell into my usual rhythm, a practiced flirtation I used with all my clients.
“You look absolutely beautiful,” I said softly. “Really, Candice. Wow.”
“Thank you,” Candice said, her tone polite. “Let me grab my purse, and we can go, okay?”
“Sure.” I smiled. “Take your time. Tonight is all about you.”
Candice’s eyebrows pulled together slightly as she grabbed her purse off a table in the entryway. Nodding, I gestured for her to step into the hallway first. I followed her closely, trying to unglue my eyes from her hips.
“Where are we going?” Candice asked as I opened the car door for her.
“There’s this little place not far from here,” I said. “A French bistro I think you’ll love.”
I closed the door and hurried around to the driver’s side. Sliding behind the wheel, I turned the key and flashed Candice my most charming grin.
“What makes you think I’ll love it?” Candice challenged.
“It’s delicious,” I said simply. “And a woman like you, who clearly has exquisite taste, will definitely be able to appreciate it.”
Candice raised her eyebrows, unimpressed. “Ah.”
On the drive, I followed my script perfectly. I complimented, flattered, and flirted. My mental checklist was complete by the time we pulled up to the valet, and yet, each time Candice met my gaze, I saw something akin to annoyance behind her eyes.
“We’ll take a bottle of white,” I told the waitress as we sat down. Turning to Candice I added, “It goes great with the duck.”
Candice didn’t miss a beat. “Red for me,” she said. “I won’t be having the duck.”
“Are you sure?” I reached across the table for her hand, my eyes twinkling just right. “It really is wonderful.”
“That’s okay,” Candice said firmly. “I’m not a fan.”
“Oh.” I pulled my hand back. “Okay.”
The waitress returned with a glass of white for me, and red for Candice. We ordered our entrees, and the waitress glided away, leaving us alone in a tense silence.
“So,” I said quickly. “Tell me something about yourself.”
“Like what?” Candice asked.
“Anything.” I smiled a crooked, charming smile. “I just want to get to you know better.”
Candice glanced around us. “Uh-huh.”
She wasn’t giving me anything to work with. My other clients were always eager to spill their guts and lap up whatever affection I was willing to give. Candice was different. She didn’t know I was a Romeo, and that changed everything.
“Listen.” I leaned forward and put on my most genuine expression. “I know this is a little awkward. We’ve only been around each other a few times, and now, here we are, alone at a romantic restaurant.”
Candice scoffed. “Romantic?”
“Isn’t it?” I blinked, thrown off guard.
“It might be,” Candice admitted. “If everything about this night wasn’t so damn rehearsed.”
Laughing lightly, I leaned back with a sigh. Only Candice Smart would have the nerve to call me out on sounding scripted. She wasn’t wrong, of course, but that didn’t mean I was ready to abandon my plan just yet.
“It’s not rehearsed,” I said simply. “It’s planned. There’s a difference.”
“Is there?” Candice asked, her voice tight.
“Of course,” I said. “A woman like you deserves a little effort. That’s not such a bad thing, is it?”
“All right.” Candice waved her hands and adjusted herself in the chair. She narrowed her eyes into a severe glare. “Cut the shit, Ryan. What happened to the guy from the coffee shop?”
My stomach tightened painfully. “What do you mean?”
“That guy was real,” Candice said. “Charming and a little too flirty, sure, but real. What happened to him? That’s the guy I agreed to go out with. This version of you—this scripted, awkward thing you have going on—I’m not interested in it.”
“I’m not …” I began, but Candice cut me off with a sharp look.
“Come on.” She eyed me closely. “Tell me what’s going on, what’s really going on, or I’m leaving.”
Her brown eyes burned a hole in my face. I considered my options. Tell her the truth and lose my job or try to make my façade a bit more convincing.
Candice wasn’t the type of woman to accept less than exactly what she wanted. She would see through my lies in a second. There was only one way I was going to get out of here with both my job and my dignity intact.
“It’s my daughter,” I finally said. “She’s four years old, and honestly, I feel like a shitty dad for leaving her tonight.”
Candice’s mouth snapped shut. She blinked and jerked her head back, surprised. I knew it was the last thing she was expecting, which is exactly why I told her. She wanted the truth, and she got it. At least, one version of it.
“You have a daughter?” Candice asked, her voice softer than before.
“Yes,” I said. “She was pretty upset with me for going out tonight.”
Candice frowned. “Oh.”
Another tense silence fell over us. I’d been so certain that telling Candice about Paisley was the right move, but after a few minutes of quiet, I wasn’t so sure.
Candice continued to stare at me with that small, confused frown on her face. While I waited for her to say something, my brain spun itself in circles.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything,” I said quickly.
“No.” Candice shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I asked.”
She smiled kindly, and I immediately relaxed. There was something in her eyes that made me want to keep talking, to tell her everything about my little girl and my own hopes and fears. What started out as a way to distract her had quickly become something more, something real.
“Her name is Paisley,” I said, the Romeo façade melting away, and Ryan coming fully to the surface. “And she’s perfect. Just the most amazing little girl in the world, you know?”
Candice smiled but didn’t speak. She simply watched me with a kind but unreadable expression. And me? Well, once I started talking, I couldn’t stop.
“I want to give her everything,” I said. “The whole damn world, but I can’t. Being a single dad is a pain in the ass. It’s hard, and most of the time, I’m pretty sure I’m fucking it up. But I can’t stop trying, you know? I won’t. Because … Well, because she’s my girl. She’s my everything.”
While I talked, Candice listened without a word. Finally, her silence got the best of me, and I shut up. Chuckling awkwardly, I waited for her to speak. Instead, she just looked at me. And I was left to wonder if my sudden burst of truth was exactly what she wanted or if it was the thing that would push her away for good.
Chapter 12
Candice
Ryan stopped talking. His lips pressed together into a thin line, his eyes searching my face. Clearing my throat, I leaned forward and o
pened my mouth to speak. Before I could, Ryan shifted his weight nervously and glanced down at the table.
“Do you want to leave?” he asked suddenly.
“Why would I want to leave?”
“I know the single father thing can be a turn-off,” Ryan said with a shrug. “I’d understand if you wanted to bail.”
For the first time all night, Ryan wasn’t reciting some made up script inside his head. Gone were the pathetic lines designed to woo me. His daughter was the only real thing I knew about him, and I wanted to hear more.
“Your daughter sounds adorable,” I said. “Do you have pictures?”
Surprised, Ryan reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He flipped to his pictures, then held one up for me to see.
“Oh. She’s beautiful, Ryan.”
Paisley had dark brown hair, almost the color of mine. Her bright green eyes were the spitting image of her father’s. They twinkled through the phone, her smile wide and innocent.
“How old did you say she was?” I asked. “Four?
Ryan nodded. “Yeah. She’ll be five in July.”
“Is that a good age?” I asked, laughing lightly. “I don’t know anything about kids.”
“No?” Ryan asked, leaning back as our waitress arrived. She set our plates down and then politely slipped away. Ryan thanked her, turning quickly back to me. “No nieces or nephews?”
“God, no.” Wrinkling my forehead, I tried to picture Leslie as a mother. “My sister isn’t exactly the maternal type.”
“And you?” Ryan asked. “Ever think about having kids one day?”
I shrugged and looked down. The truth was, I’d always liked the idea of kids, but my life was too hectic to even consider it.
“Work is my baby.” I looked back up, confident in my answer. “Ever since my father passed away, I’ve thrown myself into the business. I can’t imagine starting a family right now.”
“It’s crazy,” Ryan admitted. “Honestly, I never wanted kids until my ex got pregnant. One day, we were the kids, and the next, we were having one. Nothing can change your life more.”
“I’m sure Paisley is worth it.” I smiled and stabbed a broccoli floret, bringing it to my lips without dropping Ryan’s gaze.
He nodded and reached for his fork. “She is,” he said. “Though, like I said before, she’s not exactly happy with me right now.”
“About tonight?” I asked.
“Among other things.”
“Like what?”
Ryan hesitated. He cut off a piece of duck, raising his fork to his mouth. Chewing slowly, he considered how best to answer.
“Work is important to me too,” he said slowly. “There are times when I have to change plans at the last minute. If I get called in, I can’t say no. So Paisley has to stay with my brother sometimes.”
“She doesn’t like that?” I frowned.
“She loves Max,” Ryan said sadly. “She would just rather be with me.”
“Well.” I let a half-smile pull at the corner of my lips. “You can’t blame her for that.”
Ryan’s piercing green eyes locked on mine. His own smile was subtle, softer than I’d ever seen before. It was like it had always been painted on, but now, I was seeing the real Ryan peeking out from beneath the mask.
The tiniest of sparks ignited deep inside me. With our eyes locked on each other, the rest of the restaurant seemed to disappear. It wasn’t until Ryan cleared his throat and looked pointedly down at his duck that I realized we were still in public.
Shaking myself, I quickly popped another piece of broccoli in my mouth.
“What is Paisley into?” I asked with genuine interest. “A four-year-old girl, so … Dance? Gymnastics? Softball?”
“None of the above.” Ryan chuckled. “Right now, she’s obsessed with snakes.”
I blinked. “Snakes?”
“Yup.” Ryan nodded, his eyes dancing with amusement. “Everyone is surprised by that. She’s a little weird, but …”
“Hey,” I said quickly. “The weirdos grow up to be the most successful adults. It’s a proven fact.”
“Is that right?” Ryan asked.
“Oh, yeah.” I nodded confidently. “Just take me for example.”
Ryan wrinkled his forehead. “Candice, you’re the furthest thing from weird.”
“Now,” I said. “You should have seen me as a kid. Chubby, stringy hair, braces, thick glasses. Ugh. It was the worst.”
Ryan’s eyes flicked down my body so fast, I almost didn’t notice. If it weren’t for the blush on his cheeks, I would have missed it completely.
“I can’t imagine that,” he said, his voice low. “You’re beautiful.”
Ryan spent the first half of our evening plying me with disingenuous compliments, but this time, I didn’t know what it was. Maybe the look in his eyes. Or, the way his hands were tucked beneath the table nervously. Or even the way he leaned slightly forward like he wasn’t quite close enough. Whatever it was, this was the first time I actually believed him.
“Thank you.” My cheeks burned hot, but I didn’t look away. Ryan’s gaze held mine effortlessly.
We spent the rest of dinner talking about Paisley and all her crazy interests. Snakes were just the tip of the iceberg.
“She went through a hedgehog phase,” Ryan said. “I think we had six at one point.”
“Six?” Shaking with laughter, I took another sip of my wine. “That’s insane.”
“It was my fault,” Ryan admitted. “I told her she needed to start a collection. Anything she wanted.”
“So, she chose hedgehogs?”
“Mhmm.” Ryan took a bite of the chocolate cake we ordered. “Oh my god. Try this.”
Glancing at it, I knew it was too decadent. My mind immediately went to my hips, and I stressed over how much weight I would gain after just one bite.
“No, thanks.” I shook my head.
“What? Oh, come on! It’s delicious.”
Ryan stuck his fork in the cake and broke off a small bite. Waving it in front of my face, he stared at me with wide, seductive eyes.
“You know you want it,” he said.
“Fine.” I rolled my eyes and grabbed the fork. The second the cake touched my tongue, my eyes fell closed and an unconscious moan escaped from deep inside my chest. “Holy shit.”
“Right?” Ryan laughed and took the fork back. “I told you, it’s incredible.”
“One more bite,” I said, reaching for the fork.
Ryan held it just out of reach. “Nu-uh,” he teased. “Mine.”
“You were just pressuring me to eat it, remember?”
He grinned and stuffed a huge bite in his mouth. We stared at each other, a playful challenge flying through the air between us.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw our waitress hovering nearby.
“Excuse me.” I raised my hand and she hurried over. “Could we get an extra fork, please?”
“Of course.”
She scurried away, returning within seconds with a fork wrapped carefully inside a cloth napkin. I took it from her and pointed it threateningly at Ryan.
“Checkmate,” I said.
“You think a little fork is enough to scare me?” Ryan wiggled his eyebrows. “Bring it on, Smart.”
I lunged forward and buried my fork deep inside the cake. Ryan took his own fork and shoved mine out of the way. Like two children having a sword fight, we slammed our forks together, viciously spraying cake all over the table.
Laughing, Ryan held his hands up in surrender.
“All right,” he said, still laughing lightly. “You win. Cake’s all yours, madam.”
“What cake?” I demanded, waving my hand over the messy table. “It’s nothing but crumbs now.”
“And whose fault is that?”
Ryan and I both erupted in fits of laughter. Leaning back in my chair, I crossed my legs and arms, my eyes never leaving Ryan’s.
“What?” he asked softly. “What�
�s that look?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” I said innocently.
“Yes, you do.” Ryan challenged. “Spill.”
I uncrossed my arms and rested one elbow on the table. My chin fell gently onto my waiting fingers.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I guess I’m just surprised.”
“By what?”
Hesitating, I dropped my eyes. “You,” I said. “I didn’t really expect to have fun tonight.”
Ryan slapped his hand dramatically over his chest. “Ouch.”
“Hey, you asked,” I reminded him.
“Guilty.”
“What I’m saying is, I’m glad I said yes.”
Every time Ryan smiled, it was different. Subtle changes in his eyes made every single grin unique. This one was more subtle than the others. The corners of his lips barely jerked upward, but his green eyes were wide with attraction.
We slipped into our own little world all over again. The rest of the restaurant disappeared as we engaged in the most sexually charged staring contest imaginable.
“Um.” A voice pulled us back to reality. “Excuse me?”
Breaking eye contact, Ryan and I both jerked our heads around. The same waitress from before was standing beside us. She glanced awkwardly from Ryan to me and then turned her head an inch to the side.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “But, we’re closing.”
I sat up and swiveled my head. Sure enough, the restaurant was almost completely empty. A few servers were wiping down tables, and behind the bar, the bartender was washing glasses by hand.
“I’m so sorry,” Ryan said quickly. “We didn’t even realize.”
He pulled out his wallet and handed over a credit card. Smiling, the waitress hurried away. When she returned, Ryan scribbled his signature on the receipt and got to his feet.
“Shall we?” he asked, holding out his hand.
I placed my fingers in his palm and followed him outside. Once we stepped onto the sidewalk, we turned to each other, fighting back another wave of laughter.
“Well,” I said. “That was awkward.”
“Uh, ya think?”
“Poor waitress,” I said. “She looked like she was going to collapse from fear.”
Ryan placed his hand gently on my back as we walked to the valet.