Romeo for Hire

by Ali Parker

  “He did agree to come with me tomorrow night, though,” I said casually.

  Leslie dropped her spoon. “To Mom’s?”

  “Yup.” I nodded, giggling softly. “I think it’s time they met.”

  “Be careful,” Leslie warned. “If anyone can scare him away, it’s Mom.”

  “I don’t think we have to worry,” I said. “Something tells me Ryan isn’t going anywhere.”

  Smiling to myself, I played with what was left of my Froyo.

  “Is that what he wanted to talk to you about?” Leslie asked. “Meeting Mom?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “He wanted to talk about things moving forward between us. He said he wants to spend more time with me.”

  Leslie’s eyes widened, impressed. “Wow. That’s …”

  “Shocking?” I asked with a laugh.

  “Yes.” Leslie laughed with me. I couldn’t blame her. I was still surprised too. “Is his daughter coming to dinner?”

  I blinked. “What?”

  “His little girl,” Leslie said. “Is she coming? I’d like to meet her too.”

  My stomach dropped. My spoon followed, landing heavily in my now empty bowl. I sat back with a groan. How could I have forgotten to invite Paisley?

  “Shit,” I mumbled. “Ryan probably hates me.”

  “Why?” Leslie frowned.

  “I didn’t even think to invite her,” I said. “It totally slipped my mind.”

  Shrugging, Leslie got up to throw away our bowls. “Invite her now,” she said. “Don’t stress yourself out about it. Trust me, Candi, everything always works out.”

  ***

  I’d forgotten how much I hated driving during the week. Traffic backed up horribly on the Brooklyn Bridge as I tried to make my way out of the city. Horns beeped mercilessly all around me and the sun beat down through my windshield, making beads of sweat pop up on my forehead.

  When I finally made it to Ryan’s place, he and Paisley were just stepping outside.

  “Hey.” He blinked, surprised to see me. “Did we have plans?”

  “No.” I shook my head quickly. “Nothing like that.”

  “Candice!”

  Paisley bounced on her toes and stared at me with excitement. My heart swelled when I saw how happy she was to see me.

  “Hi, Paisley!”

  Smiling, Paisley jumped into my arms for a hug. I laughed and held her tight, glancing up to see Ryan watching us warmly.

  “We were just leaving for Max’s,” he said. “I would invite you, but…”

  “Can you come?” Paisley squealed. “Come on! Please? Uncle Max is really fun, and his house is awesome and—”

  “Take a breath, Pea,” Ryan put his hand on the top of her head. She immediately calmed down. Turning to me he added, “I would invite you, but honestly, my brother would totally scare you away.”

  “You think?” I asked playfully. “Or are you just afraid that I might find out who the handsome brother is.”

  “Definitely not.” Ryan didn’t blink. “That’s me. Hands down.”

  “Someone’s cocky today.”

  “Uncle Max is funny looking,” Paisley said. “His nose is kinda long.”

  “Paisley!” Ryan’s eyes widened as he looked down at her in shock. Shaking his head, he fought back a laugh. Our eyes met and he mouthed a silent ‘she’s right,’ behind Paisley’s back.

  I stifled my own laughter, remembering why I was there.

  “So listen,” I said. “I realized I forgot to invite Paisley tomorrow night.”

  Ryan frowned. “Tomorrow night?”

  “To dinner,” I explained. “At my mom’s.”

  “Oh.” Something I didn’t recognize flashed behind Ryan’s eyes. It was gone as soon as it came. “You don’t have to do that. I already asked my brother if he’d babysit.”

  “I’d love it if she could come,” I said, smiling down at Paisley. “And I think my mom would too. Plus, Leslie was already asking about her.”

  “Who’s that?” Paisley asked.

  “Leslie’s my younger sister,” I said. “The one I told you about.”

  “Yeah!” Paisley jumped once. “I wanna go! Can I?”

  “Ryan?”

  Ryan looked from me to Paisley and then back again. A playful smirk crossed his face as Paisley shook with repressed excitement. She was just dying to jump with joy and dart around in a fast circle. I could see her feet itching to move.

  “I guess.” Ryan dragged the word out to make Paisley crazy. “If you really want to.”

  “I do!” Paisley darted forward. She spun a quick circle around Ryan and me. “I really do!”

  “Okay, then.” Ryan laughed. “We’ll both go.”

  “Perfect.” I grinned as Ryan’s eyes fell on my face. He put his hand on my lower back and pulled me forward. I raised my eyebrows. “In front of Paisley?”

  “What?” he asked innocently. “She watches Disney movies. She’s seen a prince and princess kiss.”

  “I am far from a princess.” I laughed.

  Ryan didn’t wait for any more arguments. His lips collided with mine. My head spun as my arms slowly lifted around his neck.

  The kiss was short, but that didn’t stop me from feeling dizzy when he pulled away. Sighing, I put my palms against his chest and took a firm step backward.

  “Does this mean you’ve figured everything out?” I whispered just loud enough for him to hear.

  “Almost.”

  A promise danced in his eyes. I remembered the dream I had the other night and the way I could still feel Ryan’s fingers on my skin when I awoke. Shivering, I took another step back to regain my composure.

  “So, I’ll see you guys tomorrow night then, yes?” I asked, looking at Paisley.

  “Yes!” Paisley exclaimed. “Definitely!”

  Smiling, I waved a quick goodbye to Ryan and hurried back to my car. He watched me pull away with something between desire and sadness in his eyes. It wasn’t until I made it home that night that I let my emotions truly run wild.

  Things between Ryan and me had never felt more real. Spending the weekend with him and Paisley was enough, but after the past two days, I suddenly felt like we were moving toward something serious.

  Grabbing my phone, I dialed my sister’s number and pressed it to my ear.

  “Hey,” she said. “What’s up?”

  “Paisley’s coming too,” I said simply.

  “Awesome.” Leslie laughed. “That should keep Mom on her best behavior.”

  “Who cares?” I plopped down on my couch. “Mom can’t ruin this.”

  “You sound oddly cheerful,” Leslie mused. “Why the sudden change of heart?”

  Grinning, I pressed myself back against the cushions. My stomach fluttered, and my cheeks felt warm.

  “Is this what happiness feels like?” I asked. “Because honestly, Les, I wouldn’t know.”

  I could practically feel Leslie’s smile radiate through the phone. She sighed and clucked her tongue, getting ready to tease me.

  “And to think,” she said. “You haven’t even had sex with him yet.”

  “I don’t need to,” I said, sure it was true. “Just being near him is enough.”

  “God.” Leslie scoffed. “You make me sick.”

  Laughing, I threw my head back and wiggled with excitement. It was insane how easily Ryan and Paisley could put me in a good mood.

  “I feel like a teenager,” I told my sister. “Like one of those girls I used to hate.”

  “Full circle,” Leslie said. “See? I told you everything would work out.”

  Chapter 27

  Ryan

  Paisley twirled in a quick circle, her light pink dress fanning out around her. She smiled, shy and nervous, and looked up at me with wide eyes.

  “Am I pretty?” she asked. “Do you think Candice’s mom will like me?”

  “You look beautiful.” I tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “She’ll love you, Pea. I promise.”


  Paisley frowned. “How do you know?”

  “Because,” I said. “Daddies know everything.”

  Taking Paisley’s hand, I stepped outside and helped her climb into the car. Paisley settled in the back seat and looked out the window as we drove into the city.

  As nervous as she was, it didn’t come close to the fear brewing in the pit of my stomach. I could barely breathe. My fingers trembled against the steering wheel as I pulled into the parking garage and slowly made my way to the top floor.

  “Candice lives here?” We stepped inside the building and Paisley’s green eyes shot wide with wonder.

  “Yup,” I said. “Pretty nice, huh?”

  “Can we live with her?” Paisley asked.

  Laughing, I stepped up to Candice’s door and knocked. My throat felt tight. I could hear Candice’s soft footsteps through the door. They grew louder. Paisley wiggled beside me, but my own excitement was stifled by nerves.

  “Hey there.” Candice opened the door and beamed down at Paisley. “You look beautiful.”

  “See?” I nudged Paisley’s head. “Told you.”

  Candice stepped into the hall and pulled the door closed behind her. My eyes traveled down her body as they always did, lingering on her hips and marveling at how well the green dress clung to her curves.

  “Should we go?” I cleared my throat and offered Candice my arm.

  “Yes,” she said.

  Paisley held Candice’s free hand as we made our way back to the car. From the look on Candice’s face, I wasn’t the only one who was nervous.

  We climbed into the car, and Candice stared out the window, her hands twisting into fists on her lap.

  “What’s wrong?” I reached out to her, my fingertips resting easily on her knee.

  “I should probably warn you,” she said. Glancing back at Paisley she added, “Both of you.”

  “About what?”

  “My mother.” Candice sighed and sank down in the seat. “She can be difficult.”

  Paisley sat forward in the back seat. “Is she scary?” she asked.

  “Yup.” Candice popped her lips on the word, rolling her head side to side. “She won’t scare you though, Paisley. I promise. My mom loves kids.”

  “Then, why are you so nervous?” I asked softly.

  “Because you should be scared,” Candice said. “My mother will adore Paisley, but you?”

  “Hey.” I pretended to be offended. “I’m not that bad.”

  “Oh, it’s not you.” Candice sat up quickly. “It’s her. She judges anyone we bring home. You should have seen her with Leslie’s last boyfriend. God, I thought that guy was going to sweat right through the dining room chair.”

  Forcing a laugh, I pulled out of the parking garage and turned onto the street. Candice was warning me about her mother, but she didn’t know I already knew Deborah.

  My fingers were calm against the steering wheel, but my palms were drenched in sweat. Candice kept glancing at me, waiting for me to hold her hand. I couldn’t. If I did, she would instantly know something was wrong.

  My heart thudded painfully inside my chest when we reached Deborah’s neighborhood.

  “Just up here.” Candice pointed. “Turn left.”

  I turned the wheel and came face to face with a gigantic, four-story walk up. It sat at the end of the street and rose up intimidatingly.

  “Here?” Paisley shook off her seatbelt and darted forward.

  “Be careful, Pea,” I said. “We haven’t parked yet.”

  Paisley ignored me and swiveled around to face Candice. “Your mom lives here?”

  “Yes.” Candice sighed. “This is home.”

  I parked and quickly pushed open my door. As I walked around to open Candice and Paisley’s doors, my palms were still sweating. I wiped them impatiently on my pants and shook my head.

  Deborah was just a woman. Just a typical, upper-east side New Yorker with a little too much money and a lot of privilege. I’d dealt with women like her for years. There was no reason for me to freak out.

  Still, I was shaking as we walked up to the door.

  Candice knocked. I held my breath, silently praying Deborah would play it cool. If Candice caught wind of the fact that we knew each other …

  “Candi!” A woman about my age opened the door. She ushered us inside, placing a quick kiss on Candice’s cheek.

  “Candi?” I whispered. Candice shot me a look. I grinned and turned to the woman. “You must be Leslie.”

  “That’s me.” Leslie beamed. “Ryan?”

  I smiled and held out my hand. Leslie took it, her eyes turning to Paisley. She dropped my hand and bent down.

  “Hi,” Paisley said, sliding over to hide behind my leg.

  “You must be Paisley,” Leslie said kindly. “I’m Leslie.”

  “You’re Candice’s little sister?” Paisley’s eyes were wide. Leslie nodded. With a frown, Paisley said, “I thought you would be little.”

  We all laughed as Leslie straightened up and waved us forward. Candice led the way into the dining room where Deborah was busy setting the table.

  My stomach dropped when Deborah’s gray eyes turned to me. She blinked, recognition flashing over her face.

  Before she had a chance to speak, I darted forward and extended my hand.

  “Mrs. Smart,” I said boldly. “I’m Ryan Winters. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

  Deborah glanced at Candice and then back at me. Confusion lined her face, but she covered quickly. Taking my hand, she leaned around me to address her daughter.

  “You didn’t tell me you were bringing company,” Deborah said.

  “I’m sorry.” Candice stepped forward. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”

  “Well.” Deborah eyed me. “It most certainly is.”

  Silence seeped into the air around us. I was sure someone would take notice of Deborah’s knowing smile, but with one look at Candice, I knew she was too nervous to notice a thing.

  “Mrs. Smart,” I said quickly. “I’d like you to meet my daughter. Paisley, come here sweetie.”

  Paisley was standing with her arm around Candice’s leg, half her body hidden from view. With a gentle push, Candice led Paisley forward.

  She stumbled over to me, her green eyes wide as she inched closer.

  “Hi,” she squeaked.

  “It’s not like her to be shy.” I laughed. “She’s just nervous.”

  Deborah hesitated for a split second before leaning over. She smiled warmly and motioned for Paisley to come closer.

  “Hi, Paisley,” she said. “You can call me Debbie, okay?”

  “Okay,” Paisley squeaked again.

  “Are you hungry?” Deborah asked. “Dinner is just about ready, but I think I have some animal crackers stashed away somewhere in the kitchen.”

  Paisley’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

  “Should we go find them?” Deborah asked playfully.

  “Yeah!”

  Deborah smiled at me and then took Paisley’s hand and led her into the kitchen. The second they were gone, Candice sank against me, her head falling onto my chest.

  “Ugh,” she moaned.

  “That wasn’t so bad.” I kissed the top of her head. “Initial introductions are over. Now, we can have a pleasant evening. Right, Leslie?”

  I looked over to see Candice’s sister surveying me with narrowed eyes. The frown on her face made her look just like her mother.

  “Les?” Candice asked, lifting her head off my chest. “You okay?”

  “Yeah.” Leslie shook herself, a tight smile on her lips. “Of course. I think I’m just going to help Mom in the kitchen. Get to know Paisley a little better.”

  Candice frowned. “You sure? I was about to pour some wine.”

  “Nah.” Leslie waved her hand. “You two stay. Enjoy a minute alone. Trust me, it won’t last long.”

  With that, Leslie followed Deborah and Paisley into the kitchen. I watched her go, fear gripping my st
omach. Did she pick up on something no one else had?

  “We can follow,” Candice offered. “If you’re worried about Paisley.”

  “What?” I looked down at her. “Oh. No. She’s fine.”

  “Okay,” Candice said slowly. She frowned and wrapped her arms around my waist. “You can relax now. The worst part of the night is over.”

  I scoffed and rested my chin on her head. “If you say so.”

  “I do.” Candice tilted her head back to look at me. “She was great with you. Not one question about what you do for a living.”

  “Is that a big deal?” I asked, my stomach in knots.

  “Yup.” Candice grinned. “Leslie’s last boyfriend was asked to leave because he was a bartender.”

  “Wow.” I laughed. “Harsh.”

  “That’s Mom.” Candice grimaced just as Leslie reappeared.

  Paisley’s hand was in Leslie’s, swinging back and forth as they skipped over to us. All Paisley’s shyness had disappeared. She was her usual, bubbly self again.

  “Debbie has organic animal crackers,” Paisley gushed.

  “They make those?” I asked.

  “Oh, yes.” Deborah stepped into the dining room, a large platter poised on her hands. “Only the best for this house.”

  Leslie rolled her eyes, but Candice laughed and led Paisley over to the table. I followed close behind, tucking my sweaty hands inside my pockets as I moved.

  Leslie sat down first. Candice pulled out a chair for Paisley and then slid into the one beside her. I hovered awkwardly behind Paisley, unsure of where to sit.

  “Ryan,” Deborah said loudly. “Come sit by me. You and Candice get enough time together.”

  She batted her eyelashes and tapped her hand on the table. I hurried over to sit down, pulling my hands out of my pockets only after I could hide them under the table.

  We ate dinner, chatting calmly and never once talking about anything serious. Candice helped Paisley with her food while I watched them from across the table. In such a tense situation, I loved how easygoing Candice still was with Paisley.

  I caught myself staring when Deborah cleared her throat. Jerking my head around, I saw that her severe eyes were focused intently on my face.

  Smiling, I took another bite of roast to cover the moment. The look in Deborah’s eyes was too familiar, too knowing. The last thing I needed was for Candice to take notice.