Romeo for Hire
Page 31
“Are you sure about that?” she finally asked. “Mom isn’t exactly known for taking her hands off the wheel.”
“I’m not a car.” I laughed. “I’m her daughter.”
“So am I.”
“And?”
“And I know what I’m talking about,” Leslie said. “Mom is controlling. She’s not going to back off just because you asked her to.”
“I think it’s different this time,” I said thoughtfully. “We had a really great talk. She gets it now.”
“If you say so.”
Leslie shrugged and looked away. There was more on her mind, but she did her best to keep it to herself. After a few minutes of silence, though, I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Oh, just say it! I know you’re dying over there.”
“I just want you to be careful.” Leslie sighed. “Mom is crazy, and you know that. I wouldn’t take her word for anything, especially when it comes to butting into your life.”
“I’ll be careful,” I said. “Besides, as long as she stays away from me and Ryan, I don’t really care what she does.”
Leslie blinked. Her eyes widened. She sat forward, leaning over the table like I’d just admitted to killing someone.
“What?” I demanded.
“You and Ryan?”
With everything that happened, I’d forgotten to tell Leslie about our reconciliation. She had no idea Ryan was back in my life.
“Oops.” I giggled nervously. “Sorry, I thought I told you.”
“No!” she squealed. “You didn’t!”
“I’m sorry. Things have been crazy, what with Bart’s threat and everything else.”
She bounced in her chair. “I don’t care. Just tell me now. Tell me everything!”
Shaking my head, I laughed and took a sip of my coffee just to drive her nuts. She hated being on the outside of anything, especially my life. I drug out the silence by nabbing a piece of muffin and slowly placing it on my tongue.
Leslie glared at me, her foot tapping out an impatient rhythm against the floor.
“Candice Deborah Smart!”
“Okay, okay, okay.” I laughed. “I’ll tell you.”
I quickly explained how Ryan and I got back together. I told her all about my change of heart and how I realized it wasn’t worth making myself miserable. Ryan wanted me, and I wanted him. Nothing else mattered.
“So, just like that?” she asked. “You just changed your mind?”
Kason flashed in my mind. I thought about telling Leslie that we’d gone on a date, but something stopped me. The thought of anyone, even my sister, knowing about Kason made my stomach tighten painfully. He’d been a mistake, one I wanted to put behind me.
“Yeah.” I shrugged. “Ryan apologized for lying. He was in a shitty position, you know? Mom had him backed into a corner, but now, she’s not a problem anymore.”
“That’s what you think.”
“Leslie,” I warned.
“Okay!” She held her hands up. “I believe you. Mom is reformed. Ryan is the perfect man. Everything is back on track.”
“You could at least try to be happy for me.”
Leslie peered at me from beneath her eyelashes. She sighed deeply and rolled her eyes to the ceiling. With a dramatic groan, she smiled.
“I am happy for you. In fact, I’ll prove it to you.”
“And how are you going to do that?”
“By taking you guys out,” she said firmly. “A double date. Tomorrow night.”
I hesitated just long enough for Leslie to notice. She scooted her chair forward excitedly, the metal legs scraping against the cement floor.
“I met a guy.” She grinned. “Actually, you did too.”
“What?” I frowned.
“Yeah,” she said. “Remember that guy from the club?”
I had a vague memory of Leslie dancing with some guy. She was grinding on him, his hands on her hips. I’d pulled her away so quickly, I couldn’t believe she had time to give him her number.
“Wow,” I said. “You move fast.”
“Nah.” She shook her head. “I actually ran into him again. Sober this time.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
Leslie shot me a look and then waved her hands in front of her.
“Anyway,” she said. “He’s pretty cool. We’ve gone out once already, and I think you’ll like him. We have plans tomorrow night, so you and Ryan should join us.”
“I don’t know—”
“It’ll be fun!”
“A doubt date, though?” I grimaced. “Come on, when was the last time we did that?”
“High school.”
“Exactly.”
“Which is why it’ll be fun!” Leslie said. “Please. I really like this guy, and I can tell you really like Ryan.”
The last thing I wanted was to subject Ryan to yet another night with my baby sister. Last time, things didn’t exactly end well. Leslie saw the fear on my face. She reached for my hands.
“Candice.” Her fingers folded around mine. “I’m your sister, and I love you. Do you really think I would embarrass you?”
“No,” I said honestly. “It’s Ryan I’m worried about.”
“You think he’ll embarrass you?”
“No.” I laughed. “I think you’ll embarrass him.”
Leslie grinned slyly. “Only a little.”
“Leslie!”
“I’m kidding! I’ll be good, I promise.”
I stared at her for another second, weighing my options. When Leslie got something in her head, it was almost impossible to deter her.
“Fine,” I said. “We’ll go, but only if Ryan can get a sitter for Paisley.”
“Yes!”
She grinned and pulled me to my feet. We grabbed our coffees and stepped out onto the sidewalk. The morning coffee break had taken longer than I expected. It was already almost nine, and I hadn’t yet made it to the office.
“Lunch?” Leslie asked as we hurried inside.
“Probably not today,” I said. “Banquet prep.”
She shrugged. “Okay, but call Ryan about tomorrow.”
“I will.”
We stepped inside the building and hurried to the elevators. I was distracted the whole way up to my office. I didn’t even notice Leslie get off on her floor.
Kendra stopped me before I could even make it through my door.
“You have a conference call in twenty minutes,” she said frantically. “And the caterers need your approval on the menu.”
“Okay.” I nodded. “Give me two seconds, okay?”
Kendra looked like she wanted to argue, but she held her tongue. Stepping around her, I disappeared inside my office and pulled my cell phone out of my purse.
“Hey,” I said when Ryan answered. “Do you have plans tomorrow night?”
“No.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “Why? What do you have in mind?”
I took a deep breath. “A double date.”
Ryan hesitated. I could almost hear the wheels spinning in his head. Double dates were always awkward, and I knew that was exactly Ryan’s concern.
“With my sister,” I said quickly. “And some guy she’s seeing.”
“Some guy?” Ryan asked.
“Yeah. I guess she met him at Sub Zero and then ran into him again later. I don’t know. He didn’t exactly look like a winner when I met him.”
“You’ve met him?”
“Briefly.” I laughed. “I pulled Leslie away from him when he was grinding on her ass.”
“Oh. Well, in that case, I can’t wait to meet him.”
We both laughed, our snickers fading quickly to silence. I held my breath and waited for Ryan’s answer. I wouldn’t have blamed him if it was no.
“Sure,” he finally said. “Why not? It’ll be fun, right?”
“I’m not promising anything.”
“I’ll call Max,” Ryan said. “See if he can keep Paisley.”
“Thank you,” I s
aid. “Really. I owe you one.”
“You don’t owe me anything. This is what boyfriends do.”
The word hung in the air, making me press the phone harder against my ear. I didn’t want to say it out loud, but I loved hearing it.
“I’ll call you later,” he said. “Have fun at work, Smart.
“You, too, Winters.”
Chapter 47
Ryan
I picked Paisley up from school on Tuesday and headed straight for her favorite ice cream shop. She was excited until we sat down to eat. After just one bite, her face fell.
“Wrong flavor?” I asked.
“No.” She put her spoon in the bowl and pushed it across the table. “I’m just not hungry.”
“Why not? You love ice cream.”
Her eyes hit the table and didn’t look up again. I frowned and reached over to lift her chin. Slowly, she raised her eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“You only take me to get ice cream if you have to work or something.” She pouted. “You said we’d spend time together, but you have to work tonight, don’t you?”
Paisley had always been smarter than I gave her credit for. My guilt over working too much formed a knot in my stomach, but this time, I was able to lessen it with the truth.
“Not working.” I grinned. “But you do have to stay with Uncle Max tonight.”
“Why?” Paisley demanded.
“Because I’m taking Candice out on a date.”
Paisley’s green eyes widened. She flew out of her chair and jumped around the table, squealing with joy as she bounced.
“I love Candice!”
“I know you do.” I laughed. “So does that mean it’s okay if you stay with Uncle Max?”
“Yes!” She grinned and sat back down. Pulling her ice cream to her, she asked, “But wait, why can’t I come too? Candice likes me.”
“Of course, she does,” I said quickly. “But sometimes adults like to be alone. No kids.”
“That’s stupid.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Pea.”
“Sorry, but it is!” She scooped up a huge bite of ice cream. Swallowing hard, she added, “I really want to come with you.”
“Not this time.” I shook my head. “Candice’s sister is bringing her new boyfriend.”
“Leslie has a boyfriend?”
Paisley was far too interested, but I loved it. Seeing how excited she became when talking about Candice and even her family proved to me I was doing the right thing. Candice was the perfect woman to have in my life.
“Come on,” I said when Paisley took her last bite. “Let’s get home so I can change.”
“Okay!”
Paisley wrapped her fingers around my hand as we walked home. She yanked on my arm, skipping a few steps ahead and then slowing down to stay beside me.
“You really like Candice, huh?” I mused aloud, already knowing the answer.
“She’s great,” Paisley cooed. “Can you make sure she comes over again soon? Really soon?”
“I’ll do my best.”
Paisley beamed up at me. We got home with some time to kill, so I got dressed and then played trains with Paisley for a few minutes. When it was time to leave, I felt like my life had finally fallen into place.
Things with Candice were perfect. I had some time off work. And my relationship with Paisley never felt more solid.
I couldn’t stop smiling as Paisley and I pulled up to Max’s that evening.
He met us outside with a wave and a smile. Paisley ran into his arms, gave him a quick hug, and darted around him. She burst through the front door and disappeared.
“Bye, Pea!” I called out. She stuck her head back outside and waved. Laughing, I turned to Max. “Thanks again for doing this. Candice and her sister got this whole double date idea in their heads, and as much as I wanted to say no, I didn’t think I could.”
“You aren’t excited?” Max asked.
“About seeing Candice? Always. About being around her judgmental little sister? No.”
“Ah.” Max lifted his head. “Got it.”
I waved and took a step toward my car. “I shouldn’t be too late. Maybe eleven.”
“That’s fine.” Max followed me forward. “Hey, wait up a sec.”
“I can’t really talk, Max. I’m gonna be late if I don’t go.”
Max nodded and said, “I’ll be quick.”
“Okay.” I sighed. “What’s up?”
“Have you thought any more about my offer?”
Groaning, I turned my back on him. Now wasn’t the time to discuss Max’s dubious job offer. I still hadn’t made a decision, and I knew that, whatever I decided, Max would have a strong opinion on the subject.
“Ryan,” he called after me.
“Later, Max.” I waved over my shoulder. “We’ll talk about it later.”
I glanced back at him as I slid behind the wheel of my car. He was shaking his head, frustration all over his face. I felt guilty for leaving so quickly, but I didn’t want to keep Candice waiting. Or Leslie. After the dinner from hell, I already knew she didn’t like me.
Pulling into the parking garage at Candice’s, I tried to put Max’s anger out of my mind. He would get over it. Over the years, he’d grown used to being disappointed in me.
I hurried inside and hopped on the elevator. When I made it to Candice’s door, I didn’t have a chance to knock before the door swung open and she stepped outside.
“Hey.” I frowned and moved backward before she could run me over. “Am I late?”
“No.” She groaned and stuck her key in the lock. Turning it sharply, she whipped back around to face me. “I just want to get this night over with.”
“You aren’t excited?” I asked playfully.
Candice glared at me. “Are you kidding?”
“What?” I feigned innocence. “I thought you and Leslie were close.”
“We are.” Candice led the way to the elevator. “But her taste in men leaves something to be desired.”
“Hey, she probably says the same thing about you.”
Candice looked at me head-on for the first time. Her eyes softened when she realized how nervous I was.
“She’ll be nice,” Candice said. “I promise.”
“She hates me. Not that I blame her.”
“Leslie blames our mother, not you,” Candice assured me. “She will be on her best behavior tonight. You have nothing to worry about.”
Standing on her toes, she kissed me quickly before pulling me onto the elevator.
***
The car ride across town was almost completely silent. Candice was in her own head, and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t get Max’s face out of my mind.
He’d looked so pissed when I took off. I knew it meant a lot for him to offer me a job. A huge part of me wanted to accept just to make him happy, but I knew that would be a mistake. If I was going to leave the Romeos, it had to be because I wanted to, because I was ready.
Glancing at Candice, I hoped tonight would help me come to a decision. Being out with her inspired me to move forward with my life and put Beatrice behind me. But I knew it wasn’t that simple. Nothing was.
“Hey.” I smiled at Candice and reached for her leg. Squeezing it gently, I claimed her attention. “Are you okay over there?”
“Yeah.” Candice chuckled darkly. “Honestly, I’m surprised Leslie has a date. It’s not like her to stick with one man for very long. She loses interest too easily.”
“Well, maybe she’s growing up,” I offered. “Who knows? It could happen.”
Candice snorted. “Maybe, but I doubt it.”
“The ass-grinder could be her soulmate, Candice. We won’t know until we meet him.”
I tried to keep my tone serious, but I couldn’t. The second Candice’s brown eyes fell on me, I caved. With a snort, I sent Candice into a fit of giggles. She laughed her first real laugh of the evening, throwing her head back against the seat.
“Oh?” I grinned wickedly. “And what is your happily ever after, Smart?”
She rolled her eyes toward the window. Ignoring me, she peered outside as I turned the wheel sharply to the right. We sped down the street in search of the restaurant. Neither of us had ever been before, but Leslie swore by it.
“I hope your sister has better taste in food than she does men,” I said. “I’m starving.”
“Me too.” Candice’s stomach rumbled. “I was so busy with banquet prep, I didn’t get a chance to eat anything all day.”
“What about your daily coffee run?” I asked. “You could’ve grabbed a scone or something.”
She shook her head. “No time. Too busy.”
“That’s not okay, Candice.” My forehead creased with worry. “You have to eat.”
Smiling, she reached over and touched my cheek. I didn’t like the thought of her skipping meals, even if it was for work.
“I guess I’ll just have to bring you a snack from now on.” I grinned. “Your daily cappuccino and a vanilla scone. Every day. From now until you retire.”
“That’s quite a commitment,” Candice teased.
“You think I don’t know that?”
We were joking, but something about it felt too real. The thought of seeing Candice every single day, of taking care of her, made me happier than anything had in a long time.
“Make it blueberry,” she said as I pulled up to the restaurant. “Vanilla scones suck.”
“Whatever you say.”
She grinned and hopped out of the car. I handed the keys over to the valet and moved to stand beside Candice. I put my hand on her lower back and nudged her toward the door.
“It’s weird,” she said. “I was dreading this night, but now I’m oddly excited. I can’t wait to meet the guy interesting enough to hold my little sister’s attention for two whole dates.”
“I’m glad one of us is looking forward to this.” I groaned. “I still think Leslie might take a swing at me.”
“She’s a lover, not a fighter.”
I glowered at Candice as she pulled me through the door. The restaurant wasn’t fancy, but it was far from casual. I suddenly felt underdressed, but Candice squeezed my hand reassuringly before stepping up to the hostess stand.