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Elias raised his eyebrows at that. “And what exactly has my son told you about me? I would be delighted to know.”
The air whooshed out of my lungs at that, and my palms began to sweat. Why did I say that? I cursed internally and quickly looked at Connor. His eyes were wide, and he shook his head almost imperceptibly. I took a breath, giving Connor an overly bright smile and then turning back to his father. “Just how excited he was for us to meet at dinner tonight. He says you’re a great man and that you’ve accomplished a lot in your life.”
Elias stared at me until sweat prickled on my neck, and then headed into the apartment.
I rushed in behind him, wondering how I could throw my things around in a casual, domestic sort of way, without him noticing. Connor put a quick arm out though, catching me around the waist. He pointed inside as Elias looked around, and I noticed day-old flowers in a vase on the table, a fuzzy purple cardigan folded over the back of the couch, and women’s shoes, tucked beside Connor’s by the door. None of the stuff was mine, but it didn’t matter. Connor’s father must have told him he was coming early, and Connor had grabbed whatever he could from the corner shop down the street. It was smart and I glanced at him, nodding in a way that I hoped showed him how impressed I was.
I excused myself from the main room while Connor and Elias were talking and dropped my duffle inside the bathroom. I laughed a little in amazement when I saw the pink toothbrush next to what must have been Connor’s blue one on the counter. He really had thought of everything. I raised an eyebrow at him as I left the bathroom and he nodded, smiling a little. I imagined he was feeling very proud of himself at that moment. I shook my head, smiling without really realizing it. Elias was sitting on the couch, and when he coughed, he covered it very quickly with the dark handkerchief in his front pocket. He looked sickly now that I could see him clearly, and I wondered if it was terminal—whatever it was. I wondered if this was exactly why Connor wanted to prove himself to his dying father.
“So, Ms. Harlow—” Elias started as I sat in the armchair across from him, crossing my legs after toeing off my shoes.
“It’s just Sadie,” I said quickly, and I saw Connor twitch from where he stood at the counter. I imagined that Elias Lennox was not used to people interrupting him, and he narrowed his eyes.
“Sadie,” he said, testing the name on his tongue. “We’ve met, have we not?”
“We have,” I nodded and Connor ordered Thai food on his phone from where he stood in the kitchen. “Inside of my brother’s shop. I’m sure you remember.”
Elias let out a loud laugh and I squeezed my fists at my sides, letting out a sharp breath. When he began to cough, he stopped and looked at me once again. “I do. I’m glad to have met you again under different circumstances, however.”
“Me too,” I lied, put off by his laughter and rubbing my sweating hands on my jeans discreetly.
“The food should be here soon,” Connor said putting his phone away and sitting carefully beside his father on the couch. “That new Thai place is just a few blocks down the street so it shouldn't take long for them to make the food.”
“Sadie,” Elias said confidently, and I turned, still yet unused to hearing my name fall from his pinched mouth. “I’m sure you don’t mind that I’m here at the apartment early, do you, my dear? I assumed that you would both be home.”
Assumed. Yeah right, I’m sure. I almost laughed at that ridiculous statement. Elias knew damn well we wouldn’t be ready for his visit this early in the day. Connor’s father wanted to catch us by surprise at the apartment. He wanted to see the reality of what was between the two of us. For the first time, I pondered the notion that convincing him of our “love” might be a lot harder than I had imagined. Considering the fact that I needed this all to work for me, that I needed Elias’s approval so that we could win Games of Love, I was willing to be just about whoever I needed to be to convince him. I smiled politely, sitting up straight and looking at him with lowered lashes, soft and honest. “I’m actually happy that you’re here early, It’ll give us all more time to get to know each other. I’m sorry for rushing in so suddenly, I was at my brother’s house, helping his wife. She’s pregnant and due anytime now.”
