by Parker, Ali
She batted it away playfully. “Can you think about it?” she begged me. “Please? Just a little?”
“Just a little,” I replied. “But don’t get your hopes up, okay?”
“We could go and see that nice vet lady again,” she offered slyly.
I raised my eyebrows at her. “I don’t think you’re in any position to be bargaining here, missy,” I teased her. “Go on. Take your bag upstairs and unpack. I’ve got dinner cooking.”
I was just glad she was talking to me again. And more than a little surprised that she had picked up on my attraction to Raina. She had her mother’s perceptiveness. That was for sure.
And now, I was going on a date with a vet.
Exactly what vet? I had no idea, and precisely how it would go being out on the dating scene again after so long? I wasn’t looking forward to finding out. But Yara was right. I couldn’t just hide out forever.
I needed to get back out there and see what the world had to offer me. This might not have been the way that I would have chosen to do it, but maybe I needed a kick in the ass to get things moving.
Friday night. For the first time in a long time, I actually had a reason to look forward to Friday night. And it felt pretty damn good.
Chapter 6
Raina
I rubbed a smear of blood off my wrist and sighed. Ugh.
This had been a whole lot harder than I had thought it would be. Work had been pretty mellow right up until the last half hour. Then someone had brought in their dog, who’d been hit by a car and broken his leg.
I’d had to set the fracture and get this poor thing all calmed down and dosed up so that he wasn’t freaking out too badly. I was covered in blood, and all I wanted in the world was to go home, have a hot shower, and clean myself up.
But instead, of course, I had to go and get myself ready for my darn date. I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t found some way to wriggle out of this since Reed had announced that he had set it up in the first place. I had credited myself with more in the way of guts than that, but I figured this was the only way that I was going to get my brother off my back so I could get back to work again.
“You’ve deleted the dating profile thing, haven’t you?” I asked over our coffees the day after he’d told me what he had done.
“Well, it cost a lot of money,” he said in protest.
I lifted a finger and waggled it in his face. “And it’s going to cost me a lot of my time to go to this silly date and put on the game face and pretend that I didn’t get hit with this by my brother when I least expected it. This is the least you can do, all right?”
He sighed, fiddling with the spoon on his saucer. “Fine,” he agreed. “I’ll get rid of it. But if you end up meeting the love of your life because of this, I at least want partial credit, okay?”
“Fine,” I shot back. “But you know I’m only doing this for you, don’t you? If I had my way, I would be canceling this thing already.”
“Yeah, but you love me, so you’re doing this.” He grinned. “Come on. You can’t tell me that you’re not looking forward to this even a little bit?”
I sighed and swirled the last of my coffee around my cup. I had to admit, he had a point. I hadn’t had a chance to get properly dressed up in a long time, and even though I had no idea what to expect from this date, it would be an excuse not to just hang around the house for hours on end.
An excuse that I would have been all too glad to take, though, as I came home from work on this particular Friday and wished I could have been doing anything but heading out on the town. Reed had picked the restaurant, given me the address, and told me that there was a table booked under my name. All I had to do was walk in and sit down.
I was starving, and I sincerely hoped that it wasn’t one of those places that served tiny little portions and assumed that would be enough to fill you up. I had to get something hearty inside of me. Or wait. Wasn’t I meant to just order salads on a first date? To show how dainty and womanly I was? I honestly had no idea what the protocol was these days. I just wanted to eat.
I pulled out everything from my wardrobe and dumped it on the bed to find something that would make me look a little less of a mess than I did now. I hadn’t told Hannah about my date because I knew she would get her hopes up too much, but honestly, I was starting to wish that I had. I could have used someone else’s eye on my clothes to help me choose something cute.
No, I didn’t need that. I could do this all by myself. Because this wasn’t anything that I was actually going to get invested in—not really. I just needed to get through this, get it done, and I could get out and move on with my life. I had no intention of letting this actually go anywhere, no matter what Reed hoped for. I didn’t need anyone in my life right now. I was far too busy to think about opening myself up to anyone else.
I grabbed a simple black dress that I think I had last worn to my graduation, and I held it up against me. Yeah, that would just about still fit. I was sure. I cleaned myself up—got the worst of the blood off myself anyway—and quickly put on a little makeup.
It had been a long time since I had actually worn too much, but I had the muscle memory to remind me what to do. I let my hair loose around my shoulders, stepped back, and looked myself up and down.
Okay, so I wasn’t going to win any awards or turn up on any “red carpet best dressed” lists, but I thought I looked fine. Cute, even.
And in truth, I was starting to get a little excited. Not that I would have admitted that to Reed or anyone else, but it had been a long time since I had been out on a date, and maybe there was nothing wrong with letting myself get a little giddy at the thought of it. I worked hard—too hard probably—and sometimes, it was nice to just blow off a little steam and remember that I was capable of having fun too.
I put a pair of heels in my bag, put on some sneakers so I could actually be comfortable, and went to my truck to start the trek across town to this date that I had no choice but to go on. As soon as this was done, I was going to go to Reed and watch him delete that dating profile myself.
No way I was letting this slide again. I couldn’t believe he’d let it go this far, and I was already mad as hell at him for thinking he could just interfere like this. I didn’t get myself involved in his dating life.
But then, I knew that he didn’t need my help. He was a great guy, and he was always attracting women, whether or not he was making the effort to do it. His job meant he was in contact with a whole host of different people, and he had the easy, charming confidence to get anyone he wanted to fall for him.
It was what made him such a great guy to have on your side in the courtroom, and it was what made all the girls in town tumble over themselves to get their hands on him. He didn’t need anyone making it easier for him. If anything, he could have used someone making it a little more of a challenge.
I had never been that much into dating. I liked the idea of having someone around. I liked the idea of having someone I could call my own, someone who I could come home to at the end of every day and hang out with and just have fun beside.
But that would have taken a whole lot of commitment and effort from my part, and I knew I just didn’t have the time to give that to anyone for the time being.
Rita had met her husband before she had gotten into business with me, so she had already been set for life. I was pretty sure the only way I was going to find someone was if they were willing to put up with the spectacular amount of work that I threw myself into every single chance I got.
And who was going to put up with someone like that?
I knew that most guys my age were looking for someone who was actually committed to—well, committed to commitment. They weren’t interested in navigating the small amount of free time that I had where I wasn’t covered in fresh blood, just to get to know me better, and I couldn’t blame them. I wouldn’t have put up with the same treatment from someone I was involved with, and I wouldn’t have expected anyone else to, eit
her.
In fact, I was already feeling a little sorry for the hapless dude who was probably already waiting for me at that restaurant. He had no idea what he was walking in to. He was probably just looking to actually meet someone, and he was about to come face to face with an asshole who didn’t want to be there at all.
I came to an abrupt halt as I realized that I had arrived outside the restaurant. Damn, that was quick.
I was actually going to be there a little early, much to my irritation. I didn’t want this guy getting the impression that I was super interested or anything. I parked my truck and got out. I pulled my heels from my bag and, about as gracelessly as I possibly could, slipped them onto my feet. I put the sneakers away in my bag, glad I had them with me in case I needed to make a quick break for it if this date went as badly as I was worried that it would.
I headed inside and gave my name to the hostess. She smiled sweetly at me and led me to my table. Damn, Reed really had gone all out to make sure I was at a place I would feel the most uncomfortable in.
This was a classic date-night eatery, all low lighting, white tablecloths, and candles flickering on the tables for two. A half-dozen other couples were there, all holding hands and gazing at each other giddily, as though they could hardly believe just how much in love they were.
I tried not to roll my eyes at them. To each his own, right? I was hardly one to cast judgment on how the dating world worked, given that I’d had nothing to do with it for a long time.
I sat down at the table and ordered myself a glass of wine. If I was going to get through the rest of this night, I was going to need to be more than a little un-sober.
God, I really hoped this guy wasn’t coming into this too excitedly. I didn’t want to let anyone down. I should just be upfront and tell him the truth—that my brother had been the one to put this all together and that I couldn’t be held responsible for the actions of my little twin.
And that was when I saw him.
My jaw dropped when I figured out that he was actually walking toward me, and I found myself jumping to my feet. It was the guy, the dad with the niece, the one who had brought in the dog a few days before. Just as handsome, just as well-dressed, just as outrageously dreamy as he had been the first time.
The corners of his mouth quirked up into a smile when he saw me standing there. He approached me, and we both laughed as we realized that yes, we really did know each other, and yes, this really was happening.
Taking our seats, we looked at each other for a moment.
“Well,” he remarked finally. “This is a surprise.”
“It sure is,” I agreed, and we both laughed again. Some of the tension that I had been holding on to seemed to leak away. Maybe there was still a chance that I could have fun this evening. I was certainly a whole lot more interested to find out, now that I knew who I would be spending it with.
Chapter 7
Harry
Yara is getting a raise.
That was the first thing that crossed my mind as soon as I saw the woman who was waiting for me at the table at the restaurant I had been sent to for this date. I couldn’t believe it. It was the very same vet who had treated that dog that we had brought in a few days ago. And damn, if she didn’t look even more outrageously gorgeous than she had then.
Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and her gorgeous green eyes seemed to shine in the light of the candle flickering on the table between us. Once we had gotten over the initial shock and ordered our wine, Raina looked at me across the table and shook her head.
“Okay, I have a confession,” she admitted. “This wasn’t actually my idea.”
“No?”
“No, my brother set me up on this date,” she confessed. “I was going to cancel it, but I knew the only way he was going to get off my back was if I just went along and played through the evening for him. I had no idea it was going to be you.”
“In that case, I guess I’m allowed to tell you that this wasn’t my idea either,” I said.
She raised her eyebrows. “No? How so?”
“My best friend set me up,” I explained. “I never really get around to dating anymore, and I guess she wanted me to have a little fun for a change.”
“Okay, so we’re both here because we’re so pathetic that the people around us couldn’t bear to have us single any longer?” she asked, filling in the blanks for me. “At least we can be honest about it, right?”
“Right,” I agreed with a laugh.
We clinked our wine glasses together, and soon, the evening was off to a better start than I could ever have imagined it would be.
She was just as sweet as she had been back when we had met at her job, but this time around, she had a little of that sparky edge to her as well. She wasn’t afraid to crack a joke at her own expense, and she knew how to keep a conversation going, asking me curious questions about myself and what I did.
“Oh, I work for a tech company,” I replied, keeping it vague. She didn’t seem to know who I was, and I actually kind of liked it. I wanted to keep it that way if I could.
The less she knew about me, the better. I didn’t want to come out and tell her who I was, who my family was, or what kind of cash that we had to throw around. It would have been way more interesting to see how she reacted to me outside of all of that. Most of the women I knew, they only came to me because they knew I had the money to get them anything they wanted.
But she was different.
“To be honest, I don’t really pay attention to much in the world past the animals I work with,” she admitted. “I think I’m a little obsessed with my job. That’s what everyone else thinks, anyway.”
“Nothing wrong with being committed to what makes you happy,” I replied. “Trust me. I get it.”
“Yeah, you seemed pretty dedicated to your daughter,” she remarked.
I shook my head. “Not—”
“Oh shit,” she said. “Yeah, you said she was your niece, right?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
She leaned forward and lowered her voice, as though she was sharing some deep, dark secret with me. “When I met you, I was sure that you had to be married,” she confessed. “I didn’t think I would see you again. Certainly not when it comes to dating.”
“Yeah, well, Winnie is my niece, not my daughter,” I told her. “My sister, she passed away a little while ago, and I stepped up to look after her kid.”
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” she murmured, and she reached across the table and touched my hand lightly.
I managed to smile. I didn’t want to think about Theresa any more than I had to. I knew that I would start getting emotional, and that was the last thing I needed at this particular point in time. It struck me that this was the first date I had been on since my sister had passed. Damn, did time really run by that quickly?
“It’s okay,” I replied, even though the very thought of Theresa had made me a little heavy in the chest. I took another sip of my wine. I wasn’t going to let what had happened get in the way of this.
“So, tell me about your work,” I asked her.
She smiled and brushed a strand of hair back from her face. Suddenly, I found myself wanting to lean forward and take care of it for her. I knew that was crazy, but the thought was so intense it made my head spin a little.
I could imagine how soft her skin would feel beneath my fingers, how sweet it would be to see the way that she reacted to my touch. It had been so long since I had been around someone who wasn’t connected to my job or my niece, and the temptation to take this a little further than I already had was overwhelming me.
But then I reminded myself that I didn’t have the time for this. Not a chance, not really. I had to stay focused on work and Winnie and—well, everything. I had a whole life that I had to get back to, and I couldn’t get caught up in how much fun it was to hang out with someone new for a change.
“So, you were set up, too, huh?” she asked, turning the conversation
back around to how we had gotten here in the first place. “Your best friend?”
“Yeah, and trust me, I wasn’t exactly pleased when I found out what she had done,” I replied with a shake of my head. “I would have canceled it, but I knew that she wasn’t going to let it drop until I had actually been out on a date.”
“Oh my God, that’s the same with my brother,” she exclaimed. “We should set them up together.”
I laughed. “Yeah, that would show them. Prove that they’re not the only ones who can pull this shit, huh?”
“Don’t tempt me,” she replied, lifting her finger as though she was on the brink of setting it up at that very moment. “I’m still so mad at him for this. Trust me.”
“Still?” I asked.
She smiled at me. “Well, maybe not quite so much anymore,” she conceded, and a little flush ran up her cheeks.
The flicker of the candle on her skin made her look even more beautiful than ever, and I glanced down to her mouth, her soft plump lips all but begging me to lean down and taste them for the first time. The stir of desire—real desire—caught me off guard.
This woman wasn’t here because she wanted my money, and she could have walked out by now after we both admitted that we were here against our wills. But she had stayed. She was here because she wanted to be here with me. And that was doing something to me that I couldn’t deny.
We split dessert. Well, two desserts actually, since we couldn’t decide on what we wanted to have. She licked the last of the tiramisu from her spoon and let out a long, satisfied sigh.
“Oh my God, that was so good,” she said. “Usually, the most dessert I get is the little packaged cakes from the store, you know?”
“I swear those things got me through college,” I replied, and she laughed. She had a really nice laugh. One that seemed genuine, not an attempt to flatter my ego or anything like that.
By the time we finished our desserts and the last of our wine, I was seriously thinking about asking her out again. Which was crazy. I understood that. I had only come along on this date out of obligation, and yet here I was, actually considering taking it a little further than that if she would give me the chance.