Romeo for Hire

by Ali Parker

  I motioned to the table where each person had a folder placed in front of them.

  “Take a look,” I said. “Think about what I said, and let us know if you’re interested in becoming a member of the Smart family.”

  Smiling around at everyone, I turned to the door. Lingering in the conference room would only serve to make them feel tense. Instead, I hurried back to my office with instructions for Kendra to get me if a decision was made.

  It was only twenty minutes before she tapped on my door.

  “They want to see you.” She grinned.

  “Of course, they do.”

  I winked at her and hurried back to the conference room. The men were talking as I stepped inside, but when they saw me, all chatter died away.

  “Your presentation was sound, Miss Smart,” the lead investor said. “And we’re impressed with how well you’ve run the company since your father’s passing.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “However,” he said pointedly. “We aren’t prepared to invest the amount you’re asking. If you could lower it by only a million, we would be more than happy to sign on the dotted line.”

  I grinned, success coursing through my veins. We specifically set the price too high, knowing they would counter with something lower.

  “I think that sounds doable, Mr. Clarke.”

  We shook hands, and I called Kendra in to finalize the paperwork. By the time morning faded into afternoon, I was flying so high, nothing could tear me down.

  Nothing, except my mother.

  I barely stepped into my office, my smile radiating off me like a beam of light, when my face fell on hers. She rose from the chair she’d been occupying and breezed easily across the room.

  Pressing her lips to my cheekbone, she wrapped her bony fingers around my upper arms and pulled me to her.

  “Candice,” she gushed. “You look beautiful. Something is different about you. Are you using a new skin regimen?”

  “No.” I shook my head, fighting the urge to tell her it was from sex. “I’m just happy today. We closed the deal with those two potential investors.”

  “How much?” Mom asked.

  “Four million each.”

  Mom’s eyes widened. She was impressed, but she would never admit it. I stepped around her and slid behind my desk, my computer screen beckoning.

  “I’m sorry, Mom,” I said without looking up. “But today is insane. I really don’t have time to chat. Did you stop by for something?”

  “Yes.” She took a pointed step forward. “You.”

  I blinked and looked up. “What?”

  “Lunch,” she said simply. “We haven’t spoken since you came by my house, and honey, I really think we should.”

  “About what?” I demanded.

  “Nothing in particular,” she said, waving her hand casually. “Though I am dying to hear how things are with Ryan.”

  I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. My mother didn’t do anything without reason. Her motives, though not always obvious, were always present.

  “I can’t today.” I looked back at the computer. “Do you see all these emails pouring in? They’re about the banquet. I only have two days to make sure everything is perfect, and if I don’t—well, I don’t have to tell you what happens if things don’t get done.”

  “The banquet will be fine,” Mom assured me. It wasn’t like her to act so casual about the anniversary banquet. “Come with me, Candi. For an hour. What will it hurt?”

  I sighed and stared at her. She wasn’t going to back down, and we both knew it. Besides, there was something I wanted to talk to her about.

  “Fine.” I huffed and reached for my purse. “But just an hour.”

  “Cross my heart.” Mom smiled.

  With a roll of my eyes, I stood up and followed her into the hallway. I told Kendra to forward all my calls and then led the way to the elevator. Mom kept her arm on my back as we walked, making sure I didn’t stray too far from her.

  It wasn’t until then that I realized how right Leslie had been. My mother, no matter what she said to the contrary, would never relinquish control over her children.

  ***

  “Tell me.” Mom set her water glass down and fixed her gray eyes on me. “How is Ryan? Are things still going well with you two?”

  “Things are great,” I said.

  Mom smiled, her eyes widening as she waited for me to continue. As happy as I was, I didn’t want to share that with her, not after what she was doing to Leslie.

  “And?” Mom laughed. “Come on, Candi, don’t I get any more details than that?”

  “Well, the sex is pretty damn good.”

  She slapped her hands over her ears. “Candice!”

  “You asked.”

  “That is not what I meant.”

  I shrugged. “Sorry,” I said, though we both knew I wasn’t. I’d intended to shock her. It was my own little payback for what she did with Kason.

  “How is Paisley?” Mom asked, straightening her napkin over her legs. “Will you tell me that at least?”

  “Paisley is adorable,” I said. “We spent the day together yesterday. Ryan took us to a make-your-own pizza place, and Paisley put together this—”

  “Yesterday?” Mom interrupted. “You weren’t at work?”

  I blinked. “No,” I said. “Ryan asked me to take the day off so we could all spend some time together.”

  “I see.”

  Mom looked down at the table, disapproval written all over her face. I sighed and reached for my glass, but Mom spoke up before I could take a sip.

  “Are you sure he understands the demands of your job?” she asked. “If he’s willing to pull you away from work, then I’m not sure he’s the right man for you, Candice.”

  “Well, I don’t know, Mom.” I smirked. “Aren’t you the one who picked him out?”

  Her face fell, her gray eyes darting down to her plate. She picked up her fork for something to do with her hands and pushed a piece of lettuce to the side. Sighing deeply, she looked back up at me with eyes full of emotion.

  “I thought we worked that out, Candice,” she said sadly. “I had hoped our conversation meant things were going to get better between us again.”

  “They were better,” I said boldly. “Until I found out Ryan wasn’t the only man you hired to ask me out.”

  My accusation didn’t even faze her. She straightened her shoulders, not at all jostled. I couldn’t believe she could act so cavalier, so casual about butting into her daughter’s lives.

  “I hired Kason before you and I talked,” she said simply.

  “For me, maybe,” I snapped. “But what about Leslie?”

  There it was. I’d finally hit a nerve. Her carefully placed mask finally slipped an inch. It didn’t take long for her to recover but I saw it, and I pounced.

  “You did it, didn’t you?” I scoffed. “It’s really true. God, I’d hoped it was all a mistake. A misunderstanding. Something other than this.”

  She blinked at me impassively. When she finally spoke, I realized my anger could reach an entirely new depth.

  “Do you expect me to apologize?”

  I could feel my rage work its way up my spine. Slowly, I pushed myself away from the table and began to stand.

  “Don’t make a scene, Candice,” Mom snapped.

  Sinking back down onto my chair, I smirked across the table at her. I hadn’t been able to defend myself the way I wanted to, but I was sure as hell going to defend my sister.

  “How can you do this to her?” I demanded. “After you saw how much it hurt me? Do you really care that little about us both?”

  “Leslie will be fine.” Mom sighed. “When it comes to men, she’s stronger than you, Candice.”

  “And that makes it okay?”

  Mom brushed her light brown hair off her neck and turned her head slightly to the side, her nose in the air.

  “I don’t have to explain my choices to you,” she said simply. “You’
re my child.”

  “Fine.” I threw my napkin down on the table. “Then, maybe you’ll explain it to Leslie after I tell her the truth.”

  “You won’t.”

  Mom sounded so confident that I paused. It was almost as if she knew something I didn’t. Freezing in my seat, I narrowed my eyes and waited for her to continue.

  “You needed a man by your side for one reason,” Mom said. “To prove you can commit. For Leslie, it’s different. She needs a date to keep her in line, to keep her calm during what is sure to be an incredibly sensitive night.”

  “Leslie’s been to the past fifteen banquets,” I snapped. “Why is this any different?”

  “Do you not remember last year?”

  Mom fell silent, letting the memory of Leslie’s drunken speech wash over me. I closed my eyes, hating myself for seeing her point.

  “Do you really want that to happen again?” she demanded. “This year? When the board is already breathing down your neck?”

  It was wrong. We both knew that, and yet, it also made sense. The idea of my sister hiking up her dress and slurring her words in front of the entire board made my skin crawl.

  “Leslie’s different now,” I said defensively. “She knows how to behave.”

  “Does she?”

  “Yes.” I didn’t know who I was trying to convince, but I held my ground all the same. “Leslie is so much more mature than she was even a year ago. She’ll be fine.”

  “Yes,” Mom agreed. “She will. Because Kason will be by her side to make sure of it.”

  I glowered across the table and searched frantically for an argument that would hold up. I’d never hated my mother more than I did right now.

  “Besides,” Mom said, waving her hand as if the issue had been settled. “Look how well things worked out for you.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “You and Ryan,” she said. “You two are in love now. Who knows? Maybe Kason will fall in love with your sister.”

  I sank back into my chair and watched as my mother picked up her fork. She stabbed a piece of lettuce and stuck it in her mouth, chewing as if nothing at all had happened.

  Chapter 55

  Ryan

  Paisley wrapped her toy snake around my ankle. Soft giggles escaped her lips as she wound the snake higher and pulled.

  “Ouch!” I said playfully. “If I lose my leg, how can I make you dinner?”

  Paisley touched her lips thoughtfully. Stirring the spaghetti sauce, I kept my eyes trained on her and waited for the hilarious answer I was sure would come.

  “We can buy you a wheelchair to sit in.”

  I laughed and shook my head. “That won’t work,” I said. “How could I reach the stove?”

  “It’ll be a big wheelchair!”

  Paisley grinned up at me and then returned her attention to the toy snake. She grabbed the snake’s head and reared it back, opening its mouth wide.

  “That snake better not bite me,” I warned.

  She froze for a split second before lunging forward. I jerked my leg around, making her jiggle as she tried to hold the snake in place.

  “Ahhh!” I screamed and shook my leg violently. “The poison is in my system!”

  “No, Daddy.” Paisley shook her head. “This snake isn’t poisonous. See? Its head is normal shaped.”

  “Oh.” My leg fell still. “Well, why didn’t you say something before?”

  Paisley laughed and peeled the snake off my leg. She slid across the kitchen floor, switching between her toy snake and train while I strained the noodles over the sink.

  “All right, Pea.” I clapped my hands together. “I think we’re ready to—”

  My words were drowned out by the sharp ring of my cell phone. Frowning, I hurried over to where it lay on the kitchen table. I picked it up to see Candice’s face smiling up at me.

  Grinning, I pressed my thumb over the green button and held the phone to my ear.

  “Hello there, beautiful.”

  “Hey, you,” she said. “What are you guys up to tonight?”

  “Nothing.” I shrugged. Glancing at Paisley I added, “Just about to eat dinner.”

  “Mind if I join you?” she asked.

  I smiled and turned away from Paisley. “Only if you promise to stay the night,” I whispered.

  “Maybe.” Candice teased, but she sounded distracted. “If you’re lucky.”

  “Hey, Pea!” I called over my shoulder. “Can Candice come over for dinner?”

  “Yes!” Paisley sprang to her feet. “Oh my gosh! Yes! Is she on her way? Is she here now? Where is she? When will she get here?”

  Candice, who could hear every word Paisley squealed, laughed on the other end of the phone. I pressed the phone harder against my ear, reveling in the sound.

  “So,” I said. “See you soon?”

  “Yeah,” Candice said shakily. She cleared her throat and added, “I’m on my way.”

  I hung up and quickly set the table. After I put the spaghetti on a low setting to stay warm, I helped Paisley wash up.

  We sat on the couch and waited for Candice to arrive. Paisley’s stomach rumbled hungrily beside me.

  “You’re hungry,” I said. “Come on. You can eat while we wait.”

  “No!” Paisley glared. “We have to wait for Candice.”

  “She won’t mind, Pea.”

  “No.” Paisley shook her head. “We have to wait for her. It’s polite.”

  Smiling, I settled back on the couch. My eyes kept flicking to the door. The way Candice sounded on the phone worried me. Her voice was light and casual, but I had a feeling there was something deeper brewing beneath the surface.

  A soft knock on the door sent Paisley flying across the room. She wrenched the door open and waved Candice inside.

  “Come on.” Paisley grabbed her hand. “Let’s eat.”

  “She’s pretty hungry,” I explained, slowly making my way over to them.

  “She could have eaten,” Candice said quickly. “You didn’t have to wait for me.”

  “Yes, we did,” Paisley said firmly. “Uncle Max says it’s impolite to eat before your guests.”

  Laughing, I nudged Paisley toward the kitchen and fixed my gaze on Candice. The second she turned her deep brown irises on my face, I knew I was right.

  “What’s wrong?” I wrapped my arms around her waist. “Did something happen?”

  Candice’s eyes widened, surprised. She shook me off and jerked her head to the side. I followed her to the corner of the living room where Paisley couldn’t hear us.

  “I saw my mother today.” Candice sighed. Her eyes fell closed.

  “And.” I drug out the word. “It was bad?”

  “I just—”

  Candice didn’t get a chance to finish speaking before Paisley darted back into the living room. She rubbed her stomach dramatically and marched over to us.

  “Guys,” she snapped. “I am starving!”

  Candice chuckled and reached for Paisley’s hand. I watched them disappear into the kitchen, my stomach knotted with worry.

  ***

  “Okay, Pea.” I raised my eyebrows sternly. “Time for bed.”

  “No way,” Paisley pouted. “We haven’t even had dessert.”

  “No dessert tonight,” I said. “I didn’t make any.”

  Paisley grinned and rose from her chair. Skipping over to the fridge, she reached her hand up and grabbed the door handle. With a yank, it clanged open and her little head disappeared inside.

  Candice glanced at me, trying desperately to hide her amusement.

  “Watch it,” I whispered. “You’re supposed to be on my side here.”

  “Always.” She winked.

  Paisley reappeared, letting the fridge door slam shut behind her. Her hands were behind her back, a mischievous look in her eyes.

  “What do you have?” I demanded.

  “Dessert!” She lifted her arms above her head and held up a small thing of chocolate pudding.
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  “I love those!” Candice slapped her hand over her mouth quickly. Shooting me an apologetic look, she snickered behind her hand.

  “See?” Paisley ran over to the table. “Candice wants pudding too.”

  “Okay, okay, okay.” I laughed and got to my feet. “I guess it’s two against one tonight.”

  “Yup.”

  Candice waggled her fingers playfully until I placed a snack pack in her palm. We ate dessert, laughing as Paisley’s face quickly became covered in chocolate.

  When she finished licking her spoon, she lifted the empty container to her mouth.

  “Hey.” I snapped my fingers to stop her. “That’s enough.”

  “Can’t I lick it?” she begged.

  “Not a chance.” I pointed out of the kitchen. “Get upstairs. Brush your teeth. Put on pajamas. I’ll be up in a few minutes, okay?”

  “Okay.” Paisley hopped off her chair and ran over to Candice. “Will you come up too?”

  “Sure.” Candice hugged her and gently pushed her toward the stairs. Paisley grinned and ran up to her room. We could hear her soft footsteps as she moved overhead.

  “So.” I reached for Candice’s hand. “Do you want to tell me what happened with your mom?”

  “Later.” Candice stood up quickly.

  Grabbing the plates off the table, she hurried over to the sink and turned on the faucet. I sighed and helped her with the dishes. When we were done, we slipped upstairs to tuck Paisley into bed. She was so exhausted that her eyes closed after just one story. Tiptoeing down the hall, Candice and I made our way back downstairs.

  “Drink?” I asked, my eyebrows raised. “I have a bottle of red.”

  Candice shook her head. “Stronger.”

  I poured us each a small glass of bourbon and then held open the front door for her. She smiled and stepped through, taking her drink from me as she moved.

  We sat down on my front step, and Candice cupped her glass in both hands. She took a long sip, her eyes fluttering closed as the warm liquid slid down her throat. When she looked at me, exhaustion colored her eyes.

  “What did Deborah do this time?” I demanded.