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“At least I don’t have to worry about my breath anymore.” Ruby shoves a huge chip, piled high with toppings, in her mouth and chews savagely.
“He gave you a hard time about your breath?” My voice is sharper than I intend it to be.
“Rowan? The way you’re holding the knife’s a little alarming,” Mason points out to me.
I glance down. I literally hadn’t even realized that I’d picked up a sharp knife, much less that I was clutching it and pointing in the guys’ direction. I carefully set it down.
“Sorry,” I say sweetly.
“Damn. Don’t get on her bad side,” Pax says to Mason.
“I try not to,” Mason assures him.
“Excuse me? Are you the man who made me listen to ‘Macarena’ twenty-seven times in a row and who also forced me to be in the vicinity of shredded coconut?” I demand.
He grins at me. “That was someone who looks a lot like me.”
“Uh-uh,” I say skeptically, and sip my wine. I glance back at Ruby. “So, listen, this honestly sounds like a situation where—”
She shakes her head. “It’s a situation where you’ll just have to accept that I don’t want this guy to give me any trouble, he and I are done for good, and I’ll handle it.”
“What if he thought you had an improbably hot and huge hockey player boyfriend?” Pax speaks up around a mouthful of sub sandwich.
“I think the order was huge and hot,” Mason says.
“What are you even talking about?” Ruby gives him a puzzled look.
“I’m saying that if he thought you had a boyfriend who’s been known to break a few noses on the ice, he’d think twice about messing with you, and also he’d know that you’ve moved on.” Pax washes down his sub sandwich with half his glass of wine.
“I assume you mean that you’re the fake boyfriend in question?” Ruby frowns at him. “I just came out of a very bad relationship. I don’t want a new boyfriend, and I don’t want a hookup.”
“I don’t want a girlfriend, and I don’t want a hookup either,” Pax shrugs. “But girls hit on me all the time.”
“Aww, boo-boo.” She gives him a fake pitying look. “That sounds so terrible. Can I get you a Band-Aid for the emotional pain you’re going through?”
Pax grins at me. “Your sister is savage. I like it.”
“She’s sitting right here.” Ruby waves her fork at him.
“Anyway,” Pax continues. “I’ve been featured in the tabloids twice this month with rumors about girls that I’m not even banging. Someone even suggested that I’m the new Mason. God forbid.”
“Hey.” Mason glares at him.
“Sorry,” Pax shrugs. “But I don’t want that rep. I really only want to focus on the game. If I had a fake girlfriend and was seen with her consistently, then the paps would go look for someone else to hassle.”
“Hmm.” Ruby looks at him suspiciously. “No nookie.”
“It goes without saying,” I cry out. “If we even agree to this crazy scheme.”
“You are not the boss of me,” Ruby huffs. “I’m almost tempted to sleep with him now, just because you’re saying I can’t.”
Luigi is approaching the table, pushing a cart of desserts. “Uh, I’ll come back,” he says, and backs off, leaving the cart.
“Do I get a say in this?” Pax wonders.
“Debatable.” Ruby reaches out and grabs a chocolate mousse. If she’s reaching the stress-eating stage of her relationship grief, that’s a good sign. It means she’s about ready to move on emotionally.
She looks at Pax and nods. “I will agree to fake date you for a while.”
