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“I guess it just never came up.” I go back to my food as I’m not sure I want to go into my family history.
“Look, if you don’t want to talk about it, I understand. This may be insensitive considering your situation, but I do have a family, and except for Theo, I don’t much want to talk about them either.”
My lips quirk slightly in amusement. “Is that why you moved out here, to get away from them? Are they disappointed in you?”
He lets out a long breath, and then puts his utensils on his plate and stands up to take it to the kitchen. I realize I’ve asked a question that is too sensitive to him.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”
He returns from the kitchen, leaning against the door jamb as he looks at me. “They didn’t want me to come out here, but mostly that was because they don’t want me spending time with Theo. They want me to stay in Los Angeles where they can brag about me being a perfect son. But it’s only a matter of time before they discover that not only am I not perfect, but I’m the ultimate embarrassment to them.” He shrugs as he grabs another bottle of wine and brings it back out to the table. “It will be nice for Theo to be the chosen one for once.”
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that whatever happened in Los Angeles is the thing he’s worried about being exposed. I’m dying to ask him about it, and yet I know it’s not something he wants to talk about.
Instead, I ask, “Is it inevitable that this thing you’re worried about is going to get out?”
“I’m doing all that I can to make sure that doesn’t happen, but let’s face it, secrets always have a way of getting out.” He pours me a glass of wine and refills his glass, but then takes it over to the couch and plops back like all the energy has left his body.
I pick up my wine as I rise from my chair. I leave my dishes on the table as I make my way over and sit next to him. “My mother died when I was younger. She wanted to be a model but no matter how many times she tried, or how many times she visited a plastic surgeon, she never made it.”
His head turns to look at me and I can see understanding come to his eyes. Now he gets why I am so down on his profession.
“She also dieted a lot, compromising her health, which is ultimately why she died. The rational and professional part of me knows that it’s not plastic surgery’s fault, or even necessarily the fashion industry because my mom made the choices she made. Sometimes it’s just easier to blame them.”
His hand reaches out, covering mine and giving it a squeeze. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. Thank you for sharing it with me.”
“She’s partly why it was so important for me to keep this place. It was a dream of hers. She wanted to become a famous model and live on the Upper East Side.” I laugh lightly as I look down, feeling a mixture of happiness and sadness at the memories of my mother.
“What would she think about you having a man as a roommate and pretending to be his fiancée as a means of keeping your residence?” he asks.
I think about that a minute because I’m not really sure. But I do know what my grandmother would think. “My grandmother would think it was hilarious. And she would hope that you are handsome and good to me.”
He shakes his head and looks down. “Well, I might have the handsome part, but I haven’t been very good to you.”
Our hands are still clasped so I squeeze his. “I haven’t always been very good to you either.”
He gives me a sheepish smile.
“I think they’d both like you better than Stephen,” I admit.
He cocks his head slightly. “Is Stephen the moron who walked out on you?”
I nod. “My grandmother never quite took to him, although she always supported me in my choices.”
“Our issues notwithstanding, I can tell you for fact that Stephen is an idiot.”
I can’t help but smile because it feels good to have a handsome and kind man like Oliver say unkind things about Stephen, who hurt me.
“I’m being serious. You’re smart, intelligent, you stand your ground.”
I laugh. “That’s a nice way of saying that I’m opinionated and stubborn.”
He flashes a sexy grin. “Real men like to be challenged.”
I lean over, butting my shoulder against his. “You’re just saying that. I’m sure in the moments that you and I are sparring, you don’t like it.”
“I’ll admit it’s not always fun. But I think it’s good. The point is, Charlotte, you’re the type of woman any man would want, and the fact that the Stephen guy walked away, leaving you available to men like me, proves that he’s an idiot.”
My body goes warm and gooey at his words. I never really thought I was the type of woman who could be so easily melted by a man’s words, but that’s exactly what is happening here.
