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“Speaking of your interesting reunion night, what will you tell them about how you met?”
“School.”
“Ah.” She nods once.
“We figure sticking as close to the truth as possible will be the easiest tactic. Lying about little things would only muddy things up. No sense in that.”
“That makes sense. You have enough going on without adding to it.” She pauses. “Client gonna make it?”
I can’t stop from rolling my eyes. “When their biggest worry is whether Uncle Sam will find a few hundred k to tax, it’s hard for me to get my sympathy up for them. Yeah, he’ll make it. He’s looking at a smaller tax burden than most lawyers normally have, and he has several hundred million stashed around the world. Can’t say I’ll be up tonight worrying about him.”
“Well, that’s good. You have enough on your plate.”
“Speaking of, I have to get ready. Anderson will be here soon to pick me up.”
“Good luck tonight, June. Break a leg.”
I chuckle to myself. “Guess I’m making my acting debut, huh?”
“Nah. Pretty sure that happened every night in bed with Trent.”
That earns a laugh. A bitter, sad little laugh. “You’re not wrong.”
I grab the garment bag and my boots to change in the bathroom. Once everything is on, I check myself a dozen times in the mirror. Callie says it’s a suitable outfit and I trust her on these things, but I’m still tugging the sweater dress to stop it from hugging my curves so much. It fits, but it’s fitted, and I’m not used to that.
When I come out of the bathroom, though, I get a low whistle from her. “You’ll knock him dead.”
“Not before I get my money.”
“Have fun tonight.”
Fun? How can I think about having fun tonight? I’m going into the lion’s den. But she means well. “I’ll try.”
The trip in the elevator feels like I’m sinking to Hell itself. Like when the doors open, there will be an inferno about to engulf me. I don’t enjoy lying to parents. Little white lies? Sure. I’m fine, how are you? Sure, I caught that play. I love the Red Sox. Little white lies that mean nothing in the grand scheme of things.
But pretending to be Anderson’s fiancée is a huge one. For all I know, his parents could be perfectly lovely people, excited to meet me because I’m the first girl he’s brought home. Disappointing parents is something I am hard-wired to hate doing. Thanks, Mom. So this feels incredibly wrong.
But four-hundred thousand dollars feels incredibly right.
I’ve committed to this, and I’m doing it. I am not backing out because of guilt or any other pointless reason. When the doors open, there’s no inferno. Only the lobby. Strolling through, I wave at the security guards like I always do, and walk out to the canopy in front of the building. The weather is freezing and wet, but I hardly notice it because Anderson is there, leaning on his shiny sports car. I don’t know cars very well, but I’ve never seen its equal. The car is low to the ground and sleek beyond need. A showing off car. It’s so black, it looks like it drinks the light. He smirks and opens the door. “Your chariot awaits.”
I laugh and roll my eyes before stepping into the car. I hadn’t thought it was built for comfort as well as speed, but I was wrong. The sumptuous black leather seats swallow me with ease, like sitting in a spa chair for a treatment.
He closes my door, then joins me in the driver’s seat. Anderson’s eyes rake over my body, making my thighs clench. What the hell. His deep voice rumbles, “Are you ready for this?”
“Only if you drive near the speed limit.”
“Such a good girl, aren’t you, June? For tonight, let’s be bad.”
His words caress every intrusively dangerous thought I’ve had about him since our night together. It’s too close to what he said about going down on me, and I can’t help but think he chose those words on purpose to do exactly what they are doing to me.
I clear my throat, trying to think. “The speed limit, Anderson. If you want me to be on my best behavior with your parents and not a frazzled wreck, then you will get me there in one sane piece.”
“Have it your way.”
I plan to.
Chapter 28
