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Aiden grins, still scribbling on the paper.
“Not really. I will have you all prepped during the days before, anyway. I’m not going to just throw you to the wolves.”
He places the pen down suddenly, then drops his hands over the sheets of paper. We look directly into each other’s eyes, and I forget all about the sandwich in my hands. He truly is ridiculously good looking.
“How do you feel about going on a date with me?”
I feel the meat of the sandwich beginning to slip out from between the bread slices, and it slaps crudely onto the plate below. My heart hammers in my chest, and I clear my throat to prevent any shakiness.
“Um, what do you mean?”
He chuckles. I feel my face heat in embarrassment.
“I think that it would look more authentic if we actually went out on a few dates,” he says confidently. “Go for dinner, lunch, a movie even. Get to know each other a bit, so we don’t seem like strangers who only met days ago.”
I pick up the slab of meat and awkwardly place it back between the buns. I know he isn’t asking me out in reality, but my body is responding like he is. I try to center myself and act professional, but feeling his big, blue, ocean eyes on me makes it nearly impossible.
“That sounds like a good idea,” I say quickly. “When is the grand ball?”
“About a week from now.”
My heart pounds even faster in my chest. One week? How am I supposed to go from a total stranger to the wife or girlfriend of this spectacular man in a single week?
I suppress my panic by chowing down on the rest of the sandwich. It feels nice to finally have something in my belly. I know it will help me think straight.
At least, a bit more straight.
“Okay, then. You will have to give me plenty of notice for what time works for you, because I’ve got the shop to deal with.”
He leans forward, the way he had yesterday at the 24/7 cafe. His teeth glisten under the relentless fluorescent lights.
“How about tomorrow night? When do you get off work?”
His look, his words, his kindness, all of it makes my heart flutter. I can’t let him see these real feelings that I am starting to have for him. We have a deal, and that is it.
I hold out my hand, one that isn’t damp from the sandwich, and he holds out his. We shake on it, and I feel hollow.
“Tomorrow it is, then.” I try to sound confident. “Where are you taking me?”
Aiden finishes his list, not answering my question. I’m not sure if he didn’t hear me or ignored it on purpose, but I realize I’m too chicken to say it again in either case.
He grabs his paper, standing up, and we make arrangements for him to pick me up at home. I agree to everything, but I am already feeling forlorn.
Still, I know I don’t have any other choice. I ease my wavering mind by thinking of my mother, once again healthy after finally getting the surgery she needs. It works, cheering me up almost immediately. Suddenly the idea of a fake date with a handsome man doesn’t sound nearly so terrible.
16
AIDEN
Iam so glad that Josephine has accepted my offer. Although she only accepted out of desperation, which I feel guilty about, I know that this is only going to be brief. If she can just hold on for a few weeks, hell, maybe even just a month, this thing can be done and over with. I really do need her and plan to guarantee she won’t regret assisting me, even if it was a bit reluctantly.
I decide to take her out on a few ‘dates’ so we have a genuine connection at the grand ball. If we simply showed up on the day of, my father would be sure to see right through it. It is a matter of practicality. We need to be able to comfortably nail our act as a couple.
Plus, Josephine isn’t entirely bad to be around.
I take her out the very next day, picking her up in one of my many expensive sports cars. I think of making a joke about crashing it but resist. It might still be a sore subject with her.
I wait for her with the door of the car open in front of her home. We are going to dinner at a place I have been to many times, and I have already suggested she wear the best dress she owns.
