by Jen Talty
“No one. But according to my parents, you’re my girlfriend.”
She opened her mouth, but all that came out was some weird noise that sounded like a dying cow. She cleared her throat. “Why would they think that?”
“I’m sorry. You were walking down the hallway when they were giving me a hard time, and it just came to me. You’re exactly the kind of woman my parents would approve of, but now they are coming to town this weekend and want to take us to dinner. At first, I thought I would tell them you were out of town, but they are getting in on Thursday night, which means a trip to the office. Then I thought I’d tell them we broke up, but that means they might say something to you, and worse, they will start harping on me.”
“You actually told your parents I was your girlfriend? You do realize that for a man who is pushing forty, that’s quite childish.”
“My mother has been asking me for years when I plan on growing up. She’s hoping you’re the woman who will make me change my ways.” He waggled his brows.
Unfortunately, that made Kennedy smile when she should have been pissed and telling him to go to hell. She stiffened her spine. “I don’t know. Going out in public with you could cause the media to ask questions we don’t want to answer, especially with the lie you told your parents.”
“I’ve already thought of that and told my parents we’re not ready to make a public announcement, so dinner would be at my place. They fly in late Thursday and then have some charity event on Saturday before flying back to Colorado on Sunday. I just need you for one night.” He moved to the chair next to hers. “Actually, two nights because I think we should sit down and prepare ourselves for the onslaught of my mother’s questions.”
“That is if I agree to this insanity.”
He curled his fingers around the arms of her chair and shifted it to face his, forcing her to look at him directly. “I know I’m asking a lot of you. And you have every right to say no. But I’m begging. For years, my parents have been offended or hurt by my single status and the women I date. They think they are all shallow and self-absorbed.”
“They are,” Kennedy said. “And while you might not care, every single one of them is using you to get ahead in this business.”
“I know that.”
“So, why do you go out with them?”
He arched a brow. “Because I’m as shallow as they are?”
“Are you asking me if that’s the reason? Because we both know you’re not shallow. At least not like those women.” The majority of her conversations with her boss had to do with work with the occasional discussion about music. Every once in a while, he might ask her opinion about a gift, but otherwise, the topic of his sexual exploits was generally not a topic they pondered.
Well, except for when she had to do damage control, but still, that didn’t require her to get too personal with him. This, on the other hand, would put them in a situation where they would have to act as though they were intimate, and that would involve knowing details about each other, and that made her want to race out of his office.
“I’m using them for sex in the same way they are using me to get ahead in this business.”
“Maybe, but Lorna was the only client you’ve ever slept with, and you actually cared about her, even if you don’t want to admit it.”
“I cared about all the women I’ve dated. I just don’t care enough about them to keep them around longer than a few months.”
She let out a long breath. “Now you sound like a dick.”
“Look. Maybe there is someone out there for me, but no woman that I’ve met, thus far, makes me want to run out and buy a ring, much less let them spend the night at my house.”
“Your girlfriends don’t sleep over?”
He shook his head. “A few have, but it’s always awkward, and I can’t wait for them to leave. I don’t like to share. I’m an only child and—”
“I don’t understand what that has to do with anything. You’re making excuses for your inability to commit. Or maybe I should say, your desire not to be in a relationship, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Tell that to my parents.” He tossed his hands wide. “They think there is no way in hell I could be happy unless I’m married with at least one kid and maybe a dog.”
Kennedy couldn’t believe she was having this conversation with a grown-ass man. Nor could she believe she was even considering pretending to be his girlfriend for the sake of his parents’ feelings. “Why is it so important to them?”
“My mother has lupus, and her health has been up and down. Right now, she’s doing pretty well. But when she has flare-ups, it’s pretty rough, and it could very well lead to an early death.”
“I’m so sorry. I had no idea.” Kennedy had seen what lupus could do to a person firsthand since her aunt had the disease and had died from it at the age of sixty-three. “They want a legacy.”
“Exactly. There are times I wish I wanted a family. I mean, I suppose I’m not totally opposed to the idea, but the older I get, the less appealing it becomes, and the women that are in my circle are not the kind of women I’d want to have a kid with, much less spend the rest of my life with. My parents are well meaning when they try to set me up, but the last time I actually went out with one of their top picks, I broke her heart and nearly ruined one of my mother’s friendships.”
“Who was that?” Kennedy should stand up right now and tell him absolutely not. That he would have to tell his parents she was not his girlfriend, but instead, she found herself more and more curious about him, his life, and his parents. So much so, that she’d already decided she’d play the part. What the hell could it hurt? It was only one night.
“Her name was Isabelle, and I had just passed the bar and was opening up this place. She was a really sweet girl, and she followed me from Colorado to LA, which I knew would be a mistake, but I didn’t say anything.”
“How did you know?”
“Because I didn’t love her. I liked her a whole a lot. If anything, she was the closest I’ve ever come to loving someone, but at the end of the day, I kept looking at other women and thinking about them and not Isabelle. That made me feel like shit. So, before I ended up cheating on her, I dumped her.”
“Well, that sucks, but from a chick who caught her boyfriend with his dick in another woman’s vagina, you did the right thing.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “I’ve always loved your brand of honesty, and I know I did because she’s happily married now with a couple of kids, and we’ve become friendly. That said, it wasn’t easy for her, considering she followed me out here, and I did lead her on.”
Kennedy waggled her finger. “Did you ever think that maybe, just maybe, you started looking at other women when things started getting real with Isabelle and ever since then you’ve picked women who were emotionally bankrupt?”
“Now you sound exactly like my mother.”
“She sounds like a smart lady,” Kennedy said with a wide smile. “You know, one of the reasons the press likes you so much and you never take too much heat over your breakups is because you’re sweet, kind, and respectful when it comes to women. You’re not a typical player.”
“That has to be the most interesting compliment anyone has ever given me.”
“Excuse me.”
A familiar female voice startled Kennedy, making her jump. She glanced over her shoulder and forced a smile as she stared at the happy couple.
“Kennedy, can I talk to you for a second?” Tallulah asked. “I had hoped you would have been at the office party.”
“We just had a few business things to discuss before heading down,” Hawk said. “And we’re not finished just yet.”
Tallulah glanced at her watch. “It’s well after office hours, and we’re headed out. It really will only take a few minutes.”
“I’ll be right back.” As gracefully as she could, Kennedy exited Hawk’s office. The first month after the breakup, the tension in the office had been
so thick that Hawk had to sit down with the three of them, separately of course, but it had still been humiliating. Since then, Kennedy had done her best to bury the hatchet. The fact that Tallulah and John were truly in love actually made it easier. “What can I do for you?”
Tallulah popped a piece of cheese into her mouth and chewed vigorously, then glanced in John’s direction.
“Sweetheart, you need to ask her.” John looped his arm around Tallulah’s waist.
“Ask me what?” Kennedy did her best to keep her frustration in check.
Tallulah fiddled with the massive plate of assorted cheeses and crackers. The woman had no idea what a normal amount of cheese looked like. She always wondered why she could never lose that twenty pounds she’d put on since college.
Well, the problem had a name.
Cheese.
“I know we can never go back to the way things were before I destroyed our friendship.”
Well, at least she finally took full responsibility for her actions. That was something. “No, we can’t,” Kennedy said. “But like I told you both a few months ago, I only want you to be happy.”
“We want the same for you,” John said.
Kennedy knew he meant that. They had once loved each other, but it wasn’t the kind of love that lasted through time. The more distance she got from the breakup, the more she realized she hadn’t been completely satisfied in the relationship. In the long run, they did her a favor. Her only issue had been how she found out, but even that sting had subsided.
“I know that, John,” Kennedy said. “And we’ve all managed to be able to work together and even socialize together. So, what is it that you want to ask me?”
“I want you to be in the wedding,” Tallulah said.
The air in Kennedy’s lungs turned to cement. Never in a million years did she see that coming.
“I know it would too weird for you to be my maid of honor, so a bridesmaid.”
“That’s just as weird,” Kennedy managed. “I mean, we’re friendly, but not friends.”
“And I want to change that. I miss you so much. Even if John and I came to you and told you how we were feeling, it would have hurt you. He could have broken up with you, and we could have waited, and that still would have put a stain on our friendship. No matter how you found out that we had feelings for each other, we would have ended up in the same boat.”
God, Kennedy hated it when the Cheese Queen made a valid point that she couldn’t argue against logically.
“Please, Kennedy. I’m begging.” Tears welled in Tallulah’s eyes, something that almost never happened. It wasn’t that Tallulah was an unfeeling woman, because she was sensitive as hell, but she’d always been able to keep her emotions close to the cuff. “I want you to be part of the wedding. It would mean the world to me.”
If Kennedy were being totally honest with herself, she missed her friendship with Tallulah. They’d had a lot of good times together over the years, despite Tallulah’s selfish ways. “Can I take a day or two to think about it?”
“Of course.” Tallulah nodded like a freaking bobblehead before stuffing her face with more cheese. “Thank you.”
“Why don’t you head out to the car? I’ll be right there,” John said.
Tallulah’s smile quickly turned to a frown. “All right.” She scurried off down the hallway, checking over her shoulder a few times.
“If you’re really too uncomfortable and want to say no, I’ll make her understand.” John rested his on Kennedy’s shoulder.
All the anger had died months ago. She’d mourned the death of their relationship, and she’d moved past it. However, it stung that he’d put a ring on Tallulah’s finger only six months after their breakup.
“It will be awkward, and I’m not sure she realizes that people still whisper about the entire thing behind all our backs.”
John let out a long breath. “She knows, but she prefers to pretend it doesn’t matter because most people take your side anyway.”
“There aren’t any sides in this. Not anymore. I just need some time to think about if I can really let her back in my life as a friend, and that has nothing to do with you.”
“Why is her betrayal so much worse than mine?” John asked the burning question that’d been eating at her heart for months and that her family had been forcing her to take a strong look at.
“Maybe it’s the girl code thing.” She shrugged. “Maybe it’s because she listened to my concerns about moving in with you and wondering if you were screwing around on me while she was the other woman. I confided in her about so much.”
John nodded. “She told me, and we both knew we had to tell you; it was a matter of finding the right time.”
“The right time would have been before anything happened, but that is all past us, and I have forgiven you.”
“You haven’t when it comes to Tallulah. You’re still holding on to a bit of a grudge.” John arched a brow.
And he was right.
Kennedy wanted to keep that small pain so that she could play the part of the scorned woman a little while longer. That way she could stay out of the dating pool since everyone under the sun had the perfect man to set her up with.
“I’ll give it some serious thought. I really will. I promise,” she said.
“That’s all we ask.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “You’re an amazing woman.”
Shit. Why did he have to be such a fucking nice guy? Other than cheating on her, the man was the whole package. She turned on her heels and headed back into Hawk’s office.
“What was that all about?”
“She wants me to be in the wedding.” Kennedy had never really discussed her personal life with her boss before, except that one embarrassing chat, but considering she was going to accept his fake date proposal, she figured why not.
“That’s kind of crazy.”
“Not really. Ever since middle school, she and I always said we’d be in each other’s weddings. She was once my best friend, and while what they did was shitty as hell, they aren’t horrible people. They both have some redeeming qualities.”
“That is true,” Hawk said as he leaned against his desk with a sexy smile. “Are you going to do it?”
“Probably, but I told them I needed to think about it,” she said.
“And what about my situation? Are you going to help me out?”
She laughed. “Yeah. I think I can manage being a fake girlfriend for one night, but what are you going to do when some gorgeous actress catches your eye and you end up on the cover of a magazine with her? What are you going to tell your parents then?”
“I know. I’ll eventually have to tell my folks, but I’m still on my no women kick for at least another six months.”
“I’m shocked you’ve lasted this long.”
“So am I, honestly.” He pushed himself from his desk. “Tomorrow after work we can go back to my place and discuss our fake dating history and then Friday, dinner with my parents at my apartment.”
“Sounds like a plan. Do you need anything else from me before I head home?”
He shook his head. “Thank you, Kennedy. I really appreciate it, and if I can ever return the favor, let me know.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
Hawk didn’t make a habit of going to Thirsty’s on a regular basis, much less during the middle of the week, but since he’d taken a sabbatical from women, it was better than being bored at home or stopping by the regular watering holes.
“Are you here for just a drink? Or are we going to be eating dinner too?” James asked.
“I’ll start with a Stella.”
“No bourbon?”
“I need to keep a clear head.” He flipped open his laptop. “I’ve got some work to get through.” And he had a woman to get off his mind. But instead of opening up his email, he brought up a browser and put in Kennedy Monroe’s name. He’d Googled her three times already. She was perfect for his parents. Wholesome, but not so m
uch so that she looked fake. Her Facebook had just enough stupid drinking pictures to show she knew how to let loose, and on her Instagram, she tended to post a few pictures showing a little skin.
He had to admit, he liked that.
But he didn’t like that other men were looking at her with the same appreciation he was.
He also didn’t really care for all her past history with John. Two years of her life with him and he hadn’t given her the respect of telling her that he no longer loved her before taking another woman to bed. Feeling like a total stalker, he closed the browser and pulled up his email.
“Hawk? Hawk Jefferson?” a man called out from across the room. “Is that really you?”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Holy fuck.” He jumped up from his stool. “What the hell are you doing here?” Hawk stretched out his hand to greet his old friend from college.
“My wife and I just moved here literally yesterday,” Rusty Green said. “This is Lilly.”
Lilly rested her hands on her very round belly. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You as well. And congratulations,” Hawk said.
“Thanks. I’ve been planning on looking you up, but I figured you would have bodyguards or something. We’re always seeing you on the covers of magazines and on the red carpet and with all these beautiful actresses and models.” Rusty had been one of the biggest players back in the day, going from one hot chick to the next, but who didn’t have some wild oats to sow at one point or another in their life?
“Well, those days are over after the last fiasco.”
“I read about that,” Lilly said. “It’s women like that who make it hard for real victims.”
“That’s so true,” Rusty said.
“So, how did the two of you end up in this joint? It’s not really date night material.”
“We’re staying at the hotel across the street until we can get into our house next week, and we were told Thirsty’s has the best burgers, and Lilly here, since she’s been pregnant, can’t get enough beef.” Rusty let out a hardy laugh. “Are you having dinner? Why don’t you join us? We haven’t ordered yet.”