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Audrey shot me a quick look, as if to ask a question, and smiled back at him tentatively.
“I’m Audrey Reynolds,” she said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, too.”
“Cole Bryson. And the pleasure’s all mine,” Cole said.
“Down boy,” I said, moving closer. “Audrey’s mine. She’s agreed to be my date through these two horrible weeks.”
“So she’s beautiful and brave,” Cole said, reluctantly dropping her hand.
“Yes. She is.” I took another step protectively toward Audrey and wrapped my arms around her side. Cole was my best friend, but he loved women, and more importantly, women loved him. He’d been my staunchest competitor in grad school for hot dates; I had no intention of losing my current one to him.
I squeezed Audrey a little tighter to me.
She turned to me and laughed. “I’ll give you two a minute to catch up,” she said, pulling away from me. She handed me the plate of half-eaten crab cakes and, continuing to play the game, kissed me gently on the cheek.
“I’ll be right back,” she said and was gone before I could process the fact that my cheek was burning where she’d just kissed it.
We watched her head down the hallway to the ladies’ room.
“I thought I’d never see the day,” Cole said, turning to me with wide eyes. “You’re in love with that girl.”
I came back to earth with a thud and scoffed at Cole. “You just got here,” I said. “Don’t start being an as**shole already.”
“I’ve never seen you look at a woman like that before,” Cole said. He motioned to the plate I was holding and stared at it, aghast. “And you ate crab. You hate crab. You must be totally in love with her.”
“Oh, f**k off, Cole,” I said, exasperated with either myself or with my best friend, who knew me better than anyone.
I put the plate down on the bar and turned back to him, irritated. “I’m not in love with her,” I told him in a low voice. “I only ate the crab cake to be polite.”
“You’re never polite,” Cole said. He grabbed a pint of beer meant for someone else from a passing waiter.
I sighed and glared at him. “She’s been very good to me,” I said, wondering how much I should tell him. Cole was the only person I was almost always honest with. Still, he didn’t know everything about me. No one did.
Cole drank some beer, waiting. “Out with it,” he said. “Tell me everything and make it quick. She’ll be right back, just like she said.”
I glowered at him. I didn’t want to tell him the truth, but I also didn’t want to deal with his nagging. Cole could be a relentless pain in the as**s when he wanted.
“I hired her to be my date,” I said, keeping my voice low.
He looked at me, his handsome brow furrowed, not comprehending.
“She’s not your girlfriend?” he asked.
“No,” I said.
“She sure seemed like it,” Cole said.
“I just met her this afternoon. I picked her up from an escort service,” I said.
Cole almost choked on his beer. “Shut the f**k up,” he said.
“It’s true. I couldn’t face my family alone, and I broke up with Logan a while ago.”
“Logan sucked as**s,” Cole said.
I nodded at him, my exasperation deepening into chagrin. “You don’t have to tell me that. I’m the one who broke up with her.”
“So this one’s just for sex?” Cole asked.
“She’s not even for sex,” I said. I felt a headache coming on. “I’m not going to f**k her.”
Cole looked at me as though I had three heads. “She’s a f**king escort, bro.”
“I know,” I said. “But she’s just for show. I don’t want to get involved with her any more than that.”
“You can still f**k her. That’s why you’re paying her. It’s about as clear-cut as it can get,” he said.
“It’s not clear-cut,” I said, running my hands through my hair.
We watched as Audrey emerged from the hallway and smiled at me.
“She’s gorgeous,” Cole said. “It’s a f**king waste, James.”
“I’m making it worth her while,” I snapped. “Now please, finish your beer and come over to see my father with us. I’ve put it off long enough.”
“You’re the boss,” Cole said.
I watched as he watched Audrey come closer, and I bit the inside of my cheek on purpose to remind myself of just what an as**shole I was.
Audrey
I finally made it to the bathroom. Relieved to be alone for a moment, I splashed cold water on my wrists. I would have shoved my whole face under the faucet, but my makeup would run. I needed to keep my game face on—for James, for his family, for his buddy Cole, for myself. Easy girl, I thought, willing my racing heart to slow down. It’s just another date, I reminded myself. He’s just another John.
