Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 59265 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59265 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
“What kind of problem?” Owen asked.
“Willa is being forced to attend this awful formal work event and she needs someone to pretend to be her significant other. I’m sure you can see what I’m getting at here.”
“Are you asking me to escort her?” he asked, glancing over to where I was standing, arms crossed, face on fire.
“Well, we have a lot of family. But that’s, you know, family. I don’t think anyone would buy any chemistry there.”
“Yeah, can’t imagine that would work,” Owen said, that lazy, charming smile of his spreading across his face.
My belly tightened.
Heat and need pooled.
“So, would you be free?”
Oh, God.
This was excruciating.
I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole.
“You don’t have to—”
“Sure. Is this a tux-type event?”
My brain stopped functioning for a second.
Owen. In a tuxedo.
Owen standing beside me in a room full of people who knew me as the polished, successful financial advisor who had her life together.
Owen meeting my coworkers.
Owen putting a hand on my waist while I introduced him as my partner.
Owen possibly pulling me close and moving me around the dance floor.
That last one made me choke a bit.
Because I knew it would just be pretend. A performance. A favor. Nothing more. And yet my body apparently hadn’t received that memo.
I could already imagine the feel of his strong hand at my back. His mouth close to my ear while he murmured something only I could hear.
The inevitable questions about how we’d met and how long we’d been together. The need to stand close enough that no one questioned the relationship.
It was going to be torture.
And, if I were being completely honest with myself, there was a tiny, shamefully excited part of me that was already looking forward to it.
Which was exactly why this was a terrible idea.
But it seemed like the wheels were already in motion. And I wasn’t sure there was a brake to pull.
Gracie looked to me.
“Yeah. It’s black tie.”
“I know of a place to rent if you—” Gracie started.
“That’s not necessary. I have a tux.”
He did?
Sure, in my circles, a lot of men did have tuxes because black-tie events were relatively common. But normal men didn’t own a tux. I would wager that ninety percent of the men in my family didn’t have one.
“Great then! See? It’s all settled,” Gracie declared. “No need to stress out about it.”
Oh, there were plenty of things to stress about still: my dress, the pumping, being around my boss and coworkers who would be scrutinizing everything I did or said, and, yeah, the whole explaining to Owen about fibbing to work about my ‘spouse,’ and, possibly, the whole story about Adelaide’s biological father.
“Really, I don’t want you to feel put on the spot,” I said as I mentally crafted some story to feed my boss and coworkers about why my ‘significant other’ wasn’t at the gala.
“I don’t. I wouldn’t agree to go if I had some kind of objection to it. Don’t stress out about it. I’m happy to escort you.”
“See? Nothing to freak out about. Everyone’s happy. I think my sweet niece needs a diaper change,” Gracie said, lying through her teeth. Adelaide had just been changed. She just wanted to leave us alone to talk.
Owen moved all the way down the stairs so she could go up, but neither of us spoke until we heard her up in the nursery.
“You still look tense. If she put you on the spot and you don’t want me to take you, that’s fine. You can just tell me that.”
“No! No, that’s not it. I just don’t like that she kind of conned you into it.”
“She didn’t. A gala might not be my usual speed, but it doesn’t sound like the torture event you seem to be making it out to be.”
“No, you’re right. I’ve gone to this every year. The food and music and alcohol are all top-tier. The people can be… a little stuffy, but it’s not too bad.”
“So, we will get dressed up, eat some good food, endure some conversations about who has the biggest yacht, then head out.”
“You’re making it sound a lot more doable.”
“It is doable.”
“You’re right,” I agreed. “Thank you, Owen. Really. I can’t tell you how much I app—”
“Stop. It’s no big deal. But I do have a big deal to discuss with you.”
“Uh-oh.”
“The vanities have to come out. I hate saying that. But when I pulled off the baseboards to do the flooring, I noticed some wetness on the wall.”
“Oh, great.”
“Yeah, not what we wanted to realize at this stage. But it’s better that I noticed before the job was done and you started to get mold growing in the walls.”
“You’re right. That would be a lot worse. Obviously, you need to do whatever you need to. If it’s possible to hold onto the mirrors, that’d be great. But anything else can go.”