Romeo for Hire

by Ali Parker

  “Hi,” Candice said. “We’re meeting a couple here. The reservation is probably under Smart. Leslie.”

  “Yes.” The hostess smiled and gestured behind her. “They’ve already arrived. Straight to the back.”

  “Thank you.”

  Wrapping my arm around Candice’s waist, I took a step forward. It wasn’t like me to be nervous. I made a living going on blind dates, so a double date with Candice’s sister should be nothing to me.

  We wove a path to the very back of the restaurant. Candice kept her eyes peeled for a sign of Leslie, but she was nowhere in sight. It wasn’t until we reached the very back that Candice’s face lit up with recognition.

  Leslie was sitting at a table in the corner. When we walked up, her eyes snapped to Candice’s face. She grinned and jumped to her feet.

  Rushing around the table, she pulled Candice in for a hug. Candice whispered something in Leslie’s ear before they pulled apart. I didn’t know what she said, but when Leslie turned to me, she had a determined smile on her face.

  “Ryan,” she said. “It’s really good to see you again.”

  To my surprise, she hugged me. I immediately relaxed, thinking this night might end up being okay after all.

  “You too,” I said. “Thanks for the invitation.”

  “Of course.” She beamed and turned back to the table.

  Candice and I had both been so distracted by Leslie that neither of us noticed her date. As we stepped forward, he slowly rose to his feet and turned to face us.

  My chest tightened. My mouth fell open, but no words came out. I was too shocked to speak.

  “Candice,” Leslie said. “Ryan. This is Kason.”

  Staring wide-eyed at my best friend, I tried desperately to think of something to say. Luckily, I didn’t have to.

  “Hi there.” Kason grinned. “It’s so nice to meet you both. Please, sit down. We were just about to order drinks.”

  Chapter 48

  Candice

  Fuck.

  Kason’s piercing blue eyes locked on my face, and I froze, praying Ryan wouldn’t notice how tense I’d suddenly become.

  No one said a word. The silence seemed to stretch out into an endless abyss until finally, Kason cleared his throat and broke the frigid ice surrounding us all.

  “Hi there.” He grinned. “It’s so nice to meet you both. Please, sit down. We were just about to order drinks.”

  I stumbled forward without thinking. Lowering myself onto a chair, I felt Ryan move beside me. For the first time since seeing Kason, I glanced at my date. His mouth was set into a thin line, but he looked otherwise unaffected by the situation. I breathed out a sigh of relief and tried to relax.

  Neither Ryan nor Leslie knew about my date with Kason, and I was determined to keep it that way.

  Our waiter hurried over. We ordered a couple bottles of wine for the table and sent the waiter on his way. No one so much as glanced at the menu until the first bottle was almost finished.

  “So.” Ryan took a sip from his glass. “Where did you two meet again?”

  “Sub Zero,” Leslie said easily. “Candice actually met Kason there, too, remember?”

  All eyes turned to me. I felt my cheeks flush, but I pushed through. Nodding, I sipped my wine and slowly lowered the glass onto the table.

  “I remember,” I said slowly. “Kason was nice enough to find us a cab when Leslie got a little too drunk.”

  “I was pretty bad that night.” Leslie laughed.

  “You know,” I said, keeping my voice level. “When you mentioned the guy from the club, I assumed it was the one you were dancing with when I pulled you away.”

  “Him?” Leslie winced. “God, no. He was disgusting.”

  “Yeah, he was.”

  Ryan and Kason both smiled appreciatively. Neither said a word, but I could feel the awkward tension overwhelming us all. I didn’t know if I was imagining things or if everyone else could feel it too. If they could, they did an excellent job of hiding it.

  Ryan and Kason lapsed into a conversation about hockey while Leslie chatted my ear off about her work with Heidi.

  “She’s thinking about promoting me,” Leslie announced proudly. “Ever since I stepped up my game so she wouldn’t fire me, she’s been really impressed with my work ethic. I think I might be the best intern in the department.”

  “See?” I raised my eyebrows. “A little hard work never killed anyone.”

  Leslie shrugged, but I could tell she was proud. Not only had she made a real name for herself within the company, but she was on a second date with the same man. That, more than anything, was a huge milestone for her.

  We finally ordered our food, and it arrived quickly. Leslie slid her hand over Kason’s back, gently kneading his shoulders while he looked at her with twinkling blue eyes. I cleared my throat, fighting back the wave of nausea that threatened to overwhelm me.

  “Tell me, Kason.” He pulled his gaze away from Leslie. “What is it you do for a living?”

  Kason spouted off an answer that sounded too rehearsed, but I couldn’t catch him in a lie. I wanted so badly to bring up our date, if only to knock him off his game. How could he go out with my sister and never once mention he’d first gone out with me?

  I was angry, but with Ryan by my side, I managed to keep my mouth shut. He didn’t know anything about my date with Kason, and I wanted so badly to keep it that way.

  Things between us were finally going well. The last thing I needed was for him to get jealous or insecure. I hoped all the drama was behind us, so I pressed my lips together and let the conversation unfold naturally.

  After we finished dinner, Kason asked for the dessert menu.

  “Les, look at this.” He wrapped his arm around her like he’d done it countless times before. “The chocolate souffle sounds amazing.”

  “Her favorite is the cheesecake,” I said pointedly.

  “Oh, come on.” Kason chuckled. “The cheesecake is so basic. You can tell the real dessert chefs from the frauds by tasting their souffle.”

  “We’ll order the cheesecake,” Ryan said quickly. “You guys get the souffle. We can share.”

  Leslie clapped her hands. “Perfect.”

  I shot Ryan a gracious look, but I secretly wished he hadn’t said anything. My irritation with Kason only grew as the evening dragged on.

  The dessert arrived, and we dug in, splitting two plates between the four of us. As I suspected, Leslie ate almost the entire cheesecake. It had been her favorite since she was a child.

  “Leave some for the rest of us, Les.” I laughed.

  She stuck her tongue out at me and slid her spoon between her teeth. Popping her lips around it, she grinned. Kason’s eyes never left her mouth.

  A sudden urge to throw my wine in his face reared up inside me. My fingers twitched toward the glass, but I pressed them firmly against my lap to stop myself. Ryan looked over just in time to see me curl them into fists.

  “Candice,” he said. “More wine?”

  “Sure.” I smiled and watched as he refilled my glass. When he was done, he rested his hand on my knee.

  He was trying to help me relax, but it was no use. I was livid with Kason and annoyed with Leslie. Every time they leaned into each other, I wanted to shove my hand between them.

  “We’ll have to do this again sometime,” Ryan said politely when the check arrived. “It was fun.”

  “Absolutely!” Leslie gushed. “I think you boys might be sticking around for a while. Right, Candice?”

  “Well, I know Ryan is.”

  He smiled at me and squeezed my hand. Our eyes met. I didn’t want to look away. The night was almost over, but I wasn’t ready to go home. Being with Ryan was everything I wanted. The only problem were the other two members of our party.

  “I think your sister is incredible,” Kason said, drawing my attention back to him. “I think you’ll be seeing a lot of me, Candice.”

  Leslie kissed his cheek and laid her hea
d on his shoulder.

  “I have to say.” I cleared my throat. “I was a little surprised when Leslie told me about you. It isn’t like her to date the same man for very long.”

  “It’s only been two dates, Candi.” Leslie laughed.

  “That’s pretty close to your record.”

  Leslie’s face fell. “Candice.”

  “I’m sorry.” I waved my hand casually. “I was just teasing, Les. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  Leslie frowned and then relaxed. She seemed to accept my apology, eager to keep the evening pleasant for everyone. Though, after looking around the table, I was certain she was the only one having any fun.

  “She’s right,” Leslie admitted with a dramatic sigh. “I’m a bit flighty, but who cares, right? We’re young. This is the time to figure out what we really want.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Kason said.

  Turning to me, Leslie asked, “Why don’t we go out for a drink? There’s a great little bar just around the corner. Ryan?”

  “Um—” I began.

  “I can’t tonight,” Ryan said quickly. “My daughter is waiting for me.”

  “Right!” Leslie’s eyes widened. “Little Paisley. How is she?”

  “She’s perfect.” Ryan smiled. “She said to tell you hello.”

  Leslie put her hand to her heart. “Oh, I love her. Tell her I’d love to see her soon, okay?”

  “I will,” Ryan promised.

  We all rose from the table and made our way outside. Ryan and Kason handed their ticket slips to the valet while Leslie and I walked a few feet away.

  “So,” she asked, vibrating with energy. “What do you think?”

  This was my chance, my moment to tell her the truth. I opened my mouth, but just before I could say anything, Ryan caught my eye. He smiled and waved before turning back Kason.

  “I like him,” I told Leslie. “He seems like a great guy.”

  “Doesn’t he?” Leslie gushed. “Ugh! I know it’s weird, but I’m totally smitten.”

  I shook my head. “It’s not weird. You deserve something good, Les.”

  She hugged me and winked before hurrying over to stand beside Kason. He put his arm around her easily, pulling her against his chest.

  Ryan extended his hand for me to take. I wrapped my fingers around him and let him pull me forward. With a wave goodbye, I slid in the passenger seat of Ryan’s car and closed my eyes, glad the evening was finally over.

  ***

  “Are you okay?” Ryan asked as he got behind the wheel.

  “Yes.” I snapped my head up quickly. “Of course.”

  He frowned and put the car in drive. “Are you sure? You look a little—”

  “I’m just tired,” I said. “Work and everything.”

  “Right.”

  Ryan didn’t seem to believe me, but he was too polite to question it. He held my hand as we drove back through the city. Just as he was about to turn onto my street, I stopped him.

  “Can we go pick up Paisley first?” I asked. “I’ll take a cab back from Max’s. I just want to see her.”

  “Sure.” Ryan beamed and straightened the wheel.

  Paisley was fast asleep by the time we got to Max’s. Ryan carried her to the car and laid her gently across the backseat. Max followed close behind, leaning down to wave at me through the window.

  I rolled it down and stuck my head out.

  “Hey, Max.” I smiled. “How was your night?”

  “Great,” he said. “We had fun. How was dinner?”

  “Oh.” I waved my hand. “It was a double date. You know how those go.”

  Max nodded sympathetically. He straightened up to say goodbye to his brother. Slapping hands, they whispered something I couldn’t hear before Ryan hurried back around to the driver’s seat. He slid behind the wheel with something I didn’t recognize hidden behind his eyes.

  “Are you sure you want to drive me home?” I asked. “I can take a cab. It’s no big deal.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “Paisley’s asleep anyway.”

  “Okay.”

  He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. When we pulled into the parking garage at my place, he cut the engine and twisted around to face me.

  “Listen,” he said seriously. “How busy are you tomorrow?”

  “Um.” I blinked. “Pretty busy. I have a few meetings in the morning and some banquet prep in the afternoon.”

  “Can you skip it?”

  Chuckling, I shook my head. It wasn’t until his face fell that I realized he wasn’t joking. Frowning, I leaned closer to him.

  “Ryan, I’m sorry,” I said. “I have to work. Things are crazy right now.”

  “I think you’re stressed,” he said boldly. “You aren’t eating well, and you’re exhausted. You need a break.”

  “I can’t just—”

  “You’re the boss,” he said. “Of course, you can.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I was flattered that he cared so much about me but terrified of what might happen if I bailed on work for the day.

  “I want to help you relax,” he said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “You deserve one day off.”

  An entire day with Ryan? It sounded amazing, yet how could I explain it to Kendra?

  The “no” was poised on the tip of my tongue, but when Ryan’s brilliant green eyes locked on mine, I felt it fade away.

  “Yes,” I said. “I’ll have to juggle some things, but yes. I would love to spend the day with you.”

  Ryan grinned and pulled me in for a kiss. He stopped just before things went too far. With a glance at Paisley in the back seat, he groaned and rested his forehead against mine.

  “I wish we were alone,” he whispered.

  “Tomorrow,” I promised. “Tomorrow.”

  Chapter 49

  Ryan

  The door to the Romeo office was still locked when I arrived. Beatrice hadn’t yet made it in, and I was eager to get this over with. I had an entire day planned for Candice, and I refused to be late.

  When B finally arrived, she pressed her bright red lips to my cheek before opening the door. We barely had time to say hello when Kason showed up. Right on time. He hugged B and followed her quickly inside her office.

  I glared after him and leaned against the espresso machine. There was only one reason I pulled myself out of bed at the crack of dawn and that was to confront Kason. I wasn’t leaving the Romeo office until I had the chance to get the answers I needed.

  At dinner last night, Kason and I didn’t have a chance to talk. His had kept that fucking smile plastered on his face all through dinner, and I so desperately wanted to punch it off his face. For Candice’s sake, I remained civil. She didn’t know who Kason really was, and I couldn’t bring myself to tell her.

  Our relationship was still new, still shaky. As much as I didn’t want to lie to her again, I also couldn’t bring myself to tell her I knew Kason, that I’d known him for years. That we worked together. That he, too, was a Romeo.

  When Kason stepped out of B’s office, his eyes fell on my face and a fresh wave of anger washed through my chest. I stood up straight and marched over to him, my hands clenched into fists at my sides.

  “Simmer down.” He held his hands up before I reached him. “There’s no reason to be so pissed off, Ry.”

  “Are you fucking kidding?” I hissed.

  I glanced behind Kason to make sure B’s office door was closed. She didn’t need to hear what was about to go down between us.

  “You’re dating her fucking sister?” I demanded. “What the hell are you thinking?”

  “Mrs. Smart asked me to.”

  His words fell heavy on my ears. I took a step back, wishing I’d heard him wrong. This couldn’t be happening, not again.

  “What are you talking about?”

  Kason took a deep breath and motioned for me to follow him. We walked back to the espresso machine where Kason went to work making himself a
drink. I glared at the side of his head, waiting for him to explain himself.

  “When I couldn’t close the deal with Candice,” he finally said, “Mrs. Smart came back in to see B. She said she had another daughter, one who’s a little wild and crazy, and who also needs a date for the anniversary banquet.”

  “Oh my god.”

  I rolled my eyes and stared up at the ceiling. Just when things had started to change between Candice and me, Mrs. Smart went and threw yet another wrench in our relationship.

  “That woman might be insane,” Kason said. “But she’s got deep pockets, so B loves her.”

  “I’m sure she does.”

  Words failed me as I looked back at Kason. I wanted so badly to hate him for lying to both Candice and Leslie, but I couldn’t. I’d done the exact same thing.

  “Look, I didn’t want to do it, okay?” he said defensively. “I told them no at first, but you know how B is. There was no way she was going to let me walk away from a payday like that.”

  “What about another guy?” I snapped. “You could have passed the buck onto someone else. Henrik or Tucker. Either of them could have closed Leslie, and you know it.”

  “She wanted me,” Kason said. “What was I supposed to do?”

  Shaking my head, I hated him for being right. We both knew that once B set her mind on something, there was no changing it.

  “So, just because you couldn’t lock Candice in,” I said slowly. “Mrs. Smart gave up?”

  “Basically.” Kason shrugged. “After I told her what happened, she knew there was no point pushing it anymore.”

  “What do you mean?” I demanded. “What happened?”

  “On our date,” Kason said blankly.

  He stared at me like I was an idiot. Clearly, he thought I knew what he was talking about, but I didn’t have a clue. Candice hadn’t even mentioned their date.

  “She didn’t tell you.” A wicked grin passed over Kason’s face. “And here I was thinking you two were Romeo and Juliet.”

  “Shut the fuck up,” I snapped. “Just tell me what happened.”