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Trinity ran a hand over her face and walked to where Alyssa sat. She touched her cheek in a gesture of affection. Irritation rose in Alyssa, and she fought the urge to smack her cousin’s hand away. All she needed was a yes.
“I’m sorry, girl,” Trinity said. “I love you like a sister. We grew up together, and I’ll always be there for you, but not for this. As far as I’m concerned, that bookstore is an ending waiting to happen. It’s held you back for five years. You’re smart. You can do so much more.”
“This is what I want to do—run the bookstore. I’m living my dream!”
A harsh laugh escaped Trinity. “You call what you do living? Your apartment is in the worst part of the city. You could have stayed with Dad and done something better with the money you inherited from your parents when they died. Instead, you threw it all away on this money pit, and now you want me to throw good money after bad.”
“You’re a cold-blooded, bitch, you know that?” The moment the words left her mouth, Alyssa slapped a hand over her lips. No way Trinity would help her after such an insult. She searched for words to rectify the situation along with convincing her cousin to change her mind. “Trin, please.”
Before Trinity could comment, the phone rang at her desk. She glared at Alyssa and then leaned across the desk to answer it. Alyssa didn’t mov
e from the spot where she sat. She couldn’t afford to leave the office without help. The bank had already turned her down for a loan. Trinity had the money. She knew that, and she was Alyssa’s last hope. If she could just find the right words to convince her, she would not lose the one thing that belonged to her in the world. Trinity couldn’t understand what this meant to her.
Her cousin’s distraught voice pulled her from her thoughts for the second time. “Look, I told you it’s just part of the job. Please, Curtis. I thought you would understand.”
The tremor in her cousin’s voice struck pain in Alyssa’s chest. Curtis, Trinity’s boyfriend, hung the moon, if Trinity told the story. She loved the man to distraction and did anything he asked. He treated Trinity like gold, but he had one flaw that Alyssa saw. His jealousy knew no bounds.
Sitting so close to Trinity’s desk, Alyssa couldn’t help but pick up her side of the conversation.
“I’m just pretending to be his girlfriend for a week,” her cousin explained.
Alyssa’s eyes widened until they hurt. What the heck could they be discussing? Who was she pretending to date, and why?
Trinity went on. “I don’t understand why you’re tripping, Curtis. It’s not like we’ll be sleeping together, and I’ve gone with him on business trips before. You didn’t have a problem then. His parents are going to be there. He wants to get them off his back. No, he’s not gay!”
Alyssa pressed a hand to her mouth to keep from laughing. She figured out Trinity and her boyfriend discussed Nathan. Why in the world would he need a woman to pretend to be his girlfriend? If, as Trinity said, Nathan’s parents would be wherever they intended to fly, then wouldn’t it be more volatile to bring home a black woman than to just show up alone? Maybe he was gay and still in the closet. The thought of that disappointed her somehow. Not that she’d ever get a chance with him or would even try to.
When Trinity began to cry, an idea struck Alyssa. Guilt knotted her stomach, but she ignored it. As far as she could see, this was a win-win-win situation, and one Trinity couldn’t refuse.
At last, Trinity hung up the phone, and Alyssa guessed it wouldn’t be the last time Curtis called to harass her about her decision to play her boss’s girlfriend. Trinity walked around her desk and sat down to check her makeup. “I’m sorry, Alyssa. I’m not in the mood to fight with you too. I’ll call you tonight if you want, and we can talk more.”
Alyssa slid forward in her chair and pinned her cousin with a narrowed stare. “I’ll do it.”
Trinity blinked at her. “Do what?”
“I’ll pretend to be Nathan’s girlfriend. If this isn’t business—because I type with two fingers and don’t take dictation—I will play his girlfriend. We look a lot alike, so if it’s about his parents already seeing a picture of you, then…”
“They’ve never seen me.” A dazed expression crossed Trinity’s face.
“Then it’s perfect. You said a week, right?”
Trinity frowned. “Why would you do this? You don’t even like Curtis.”
Alyssa rolled her eyes. “I don’t hate him. Y’all are just so lovey-dovey most of the time, it makes a person sick. He’s a decent guy, and even though he wants your attention twenty-four seven, he treats you right. I don’t have a problem with him.”
“Okay, I get that much, but this is a big favor. Nathan didn’t even want to ask me. Just like you, I overheard him talking to his mother about the trip. He might be ruthless when it comes to business, but he respects them, and they drive him nuts about settling down. He didn’t say so, but I’m thinking he wants to shock them with bringing a black woman as a potential wife.”
“Shock them?”
“Yeah, into realizing he can’t just grab any woman off the street. She has to be the right one.”
Alyssa cringed. “So you were going as the money-grubbing gold digger?”
“No, he’s not like that.” Trinity considered it. “Well, maybe they are. Money does run in the family. I didn’t even think of it that way until you mentioned it. I’m used to being respected around here because I work for Nathan. Wow, maybe he should find another way.”
“No!” Alyssa cleared her throat and calmed down. “I mean, he’s a good man and great boss, as you keep saying. He wouldn’t allow his family to mistreat his girlfriend even if she is a fake. Let me do this. I can spare a week, and you can keep your relationship.”
Trinity folded her arms under her breasts. “In exchange for what?”
