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But who am I to judge? I share my bed with a herd of cats and dogs every night. Those animals keep me moving forward, away from the ex-husband who tried to reshape my identity until I didn’t recognize myself. Maybe the new name, the money, and the silly watch ads are his version of cats and dogs?
Pulling open the door to the stainless steel fridge, I examine the contents. I skip over the traditional breakfast items, take out Gavin’s leftover miso soup from last night, and head for the microwave.
“I wonder if Margaret will change her instructions when Alexandra goes public with her story and those damn pictures,” Gavin murmurs.
His words are like an unexpected thunderstorm during a parade. He’s right. We’re fighting an uphill battle. As soon as Alexandra comes forward—and I have no doubt that she will—our “engagement” will face additional scrutiny.
“I’m guessing Margaret has a different playbook for defensive strategies,” I say.
He nods, closes the folder, and pushes it away.
“We should get started on her list before that happens.” He stands and heads to the coffee pot. “I’m going to take a shower. After that, let’s head out for a walk with …” He scans the expectant K-9 faces tracking his every move. “The herd.”
He turns to leave and the dogs, aside from Rocky, follow. “Sounds like a plan,” I call after him. “You’re in charge of the poop bags.”
“You really know how to bring the romance,” he calls back.
I hear the door to his bedroom close. A second later, Ava appears at my side. I’m guessing the others are waiting outside his door. I look down at her. “Do you want to break the news to him that there is nothing romantic about walking four country dogs down busy city sidewalks, or should I?”
Ava cocks her head and her Shepard ears stand at attention.
“You’re right,” I murmur. “He’ll figure it out himself. If he wants to create a pretend romantic atmosphere, we need to leave you guys at home.”
Ava places one paw on my lap. I move to brush her off, but she’s faster than me. Her second paw is on my leg before I can reprimand her. Instead of a sharp “down girl,” I cave and wrap my arms around her.
“This might have been a mistake.” I whisper the words against her fur. “What if our plan just makes everything worse?”
CHAPTER 8
KAYLA
The midtown Korean restaurant smells like heaven. I close my eyes and inhale deeply.
“I love it here,” I murmur.
“So far we’ve walked in the door,” Gavin says. “You haven’t tried the food yet. You can’t possibly know if you love it or not.”
“Yes, I can.” I draw another deep breath. “I love everything about this place.”
“May I have your shoes, please?” the hostess asks. She’s smiling at me, but something in her eyes tells me I won’t be allowed to take another step if I don’t surrender my heels.
“Of course.” I slip off my black Louboutins and hand them over. I watch as she places the shoes in a cubby by the door. She can keep my purse too. I don’t care as long as I get to sample everything that comes out of the kitchen.
A waiter walks by with a plate of fried dumplings, and my mouth waters.
Imagine how many servings of dumplings a billionaire can buy. And he’ll still have money left over for dog food.
I abandon all thoughts of potential “mistakes.” Standing barefoot beside the hostess stand, I firmly believe I made the right choice by pretending to be my best friend’s fiancée.
“This was a great idea,” I say.
Gavin shakes his head. “It’s been a while since we went out to eat in the city, just the two of us. I’d forgotten what it is like.”
As we walk to our table, the hassle of wrangling four dogs through Central Park this morning fades into the background. I don’t need to worry about my pets right now. Gavin arranged for one of his assistants to pet sit while we enjoy a night out. I can focus on the tantalizing, exotic smells wafting from the restaurant’s kitchen.
I love living in the country. But oh how I’ve missed eating in Manhattan.
“I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but I’d like you to order for me,” I say, wiggling my toes. The plush carpet beneath the table matched the deep red drapes handing around our private booth.
