Romeo for Hire

by Ali Parker

  Looking between Ryan and Kason, I suddenly realized I didn’t care if things remained civil anymore. Leslie had a right to know who she was dating, consequences be damned.

  “Hey.” I grabbed her arm gently. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

  “Sure.” Leslie shrugged. “We’ll be back, boys.”

  I pulled her to the very edge of the room. We stood against a wall and turned to face each other. Leslie, who had been smiling seconds before, took one look at my face and grimaced.

  “What?” she demanded. “I know that look. What is it?”

  “There’s something you need to know about Kason.”

  Leslie shifted her feet. Her eyes didn’t leave my face. Sucking in a long deep breath, I tried to think of the best way to explain.

  “Do you remember the company Ryan works for?” I asked. “Romeo Rebound?”

  “Yes.” Leslie nodded. “Of course.”

  I stared meaningfully into her eyes, silently willing her to understand so I wouldn’t have to say it out loud.

  “Spit it out!” she hissed. “You’re freaking me out.”

  “Kason works for the same company,” I blurted out. “He’s a Romeo.”

  Leslie’s eyes widened with understanding. She slowly rolled her eyes up to the ceiling and shook her head, a small smile working its way back onto her face.

  “Ohhhhh.” She groaned. “Of course, he does.”

  “You aren’t surprised?”

  She looked back at me and shrugged. “Not really,” she said. “When we met him at the club, I kind of suspected as much, but I was too drunk to say anything.”

  “Why did you agree to go out with him then?”

  “Why not?” Leslie laughed. “Mom’s paying for it, isn’t she?”

  I nodded. “She sent him after me first,” I said. “But when she realized that wasn’t going to work, she made him turn his attention on you.”

  “Sounds about right.”

  “You’re not upset?” I asked with disbelief. “You aren’t angry or hurt? You don’t want to go over there and slap that cocky little smirk off his face?”

  Leslie glanced behind her. Kason and Ryan were still right where we’d left them, chatting amicably while the other guests milled around them.

  “Nah,” she said. “I won’t make a scene here. I have a feeling that’s exactly what Mom would expect. And I’m not in the business of giving her what she wants.”

  “Wow.” I couldn’t believe my ears. “That’s mature.”

  “Don’t sound so surprised.” Leslie laughed. “I am almost thirty, you know?”

  “I know,” I said. “I just wasn’t sure you did.”

  We both laughed and wrapped our arms around each other. Walking back to the boys, I tried to make sense of what just happened. It wasn’t like Leslie to keep her emotions in check. I had expected her to fly off the handle and ruin the entire banquet. Which, honestly, I was kind of okay with.

  “Hello, boys,” Leslie cooed. “I’m parched. Drinks?”

  “I’ll lead the way,” Kason said. He offered Leslie his arm, and she took it with a dramatic curtsey.

  “How’d that go?” Ryan asked as they slipped away.

  “Better than I could have hoped.”

  Relief flooded his features just as Kendra popped up beside us. I hadn’t yet seen her, but I wasn’t surprised to find she was lurking in the shadows to make sure everything went off wiothout a hitch.

  “Candice,” she said softly. “It’s time for your speech.”

  “Speech?” Ryan asked.

  I groaned and handed him my champagne. “Hold this for me,” I said. “I’ll be back.”

  Kendra whispered instructions in my ear as she led me toward the stage. I’d done this before, but this was the first year I could feel my heart racing inside my chest. Not only was Bart Banks looking for a reason to get rid of me, but Ryan was standing front and center with his green eyes perfectly trained on my face.

  “Good evening, everyone!” I called out. “As many of you know, I’m Candice Smart, and I am responsible for this little shindig.”

  My eyes found Ryan’s, and I couldn’t look away. I gave my speech to him that night, wishing I could jump off the stage into his arms.

  Chapter 59

  Ryan

  Candice had never looked more at home than she did on that stage. With her red dress fanning out around her and her shoulders squared confidently, she completely commanded the room. She didn’t even need a microphone because the second she spoke, everyone fell silent.

  I barely heard a word she said. I was too busy gawking at her beauty. There was something about seeing her up there that filled me with a deep sense of unshakable pride. All I could think was, I’m with her. Her. Candice Smart. She’s mine, and I’m hers.

  It felt surreal to even be at the banquet, let alone alongside the owner of Smart Cosmetics. Smiling to myself, I kept my eyes glued on her perfect face, watching her lips move steadily through her speech.

  “She’s good, isn’t she?” a voice whispered in my ear.

  I spun around to see Leslie and Kason behind me with drinks in their hands. I didn’t know how long they’d been standing there. Candice had my full attention.

  “She’s incredible,” I whispered back. “I finally see why this company is doing so well.”

  “Candi knows her shit.” Leslie laughed lightly. “Which is probably why Daddy left it to her in the first place. Lord knows I would have fucked things up by now.”

  “I’m sure that’s not true,” I said kindly.

  Leslie snorted. “Just look at her,” she said. “Can you really imagine me up there?”

  Looking back at Candice, I knew Leslie was right. No one was more graceful or eloquent than Candice. She didn’t just command the room, she inspired the room. By the time her speech was finished, everyone seemed to come alive. The party could finally begin.

  Candice tiptoed down from the stage, holding her dress up as she moved. Without thinking, I darted forward and offered her my hand. She took it with a grateful smile and moved quickly to my side.

  “You were perfect,” I told her. “That was—”

  “Awkward?” she offered with a laugh. “Uncomfortable?”

  “Are you kidding?” I blinked back my disbelief. “You were incredible. Everyone thinks so. Didn’t you hear that applause?”

  She shrugged. “Of course, they clapped. I sign their paychecks.”

  An amused glint flashed in her eyes. I hadn’t seen her look more at ease all night. It was like giving the speech had not only brought the guests to life but Candice as well.

  “Candi!” Leslie claimed her attention. “Best speech yet. Really. Totally topped last year.”

  “You think?” Candice asked. “I definitely stole most of it from the speech Daddy gave for the fifteenth-anniversary banquet.”

  “How did you even remember that?” Leslie demanded.

  “Kendra has copies of all of Dad’s old speeches.”

  “Cheater.”

  Candice winked at Leslie before turning back to me. She touched my arm gently and motioned for me to join her.

  We walked slowly around the room one more time, stopping to talk to anyone who crossed our path. By the time we completed the circle, it was time to take our seats for dinner. Candice led me to the front of the room where her mother and Leslie were already seated at the head table.

  “I didn’t realize there would be dinner,” I said.

  Candice shrugged. “We haven’t always done it this way,” she said. “But Mom thinks it’s tacky not to feed people a real meal.”

  “Of course, she does.”

  Candice chuckled as she sank into her chair. I sat beside her with Leslie on my other side and Kason beside her. Deborah occupied the seat on Candice’s right. She hissed a steady stream of directions in Candice’s ear throughout the entire dinner.

  Finally, when dessert had been served, Candice wiped her mouth and rose to her feet.
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  I moved to follow her, but she stopped me with a gentle hand on my shoulder. Smiling, she pointed to my plate.

  “Stay,” she said. “Finish dessert. Keep my family company. I need to speak to a few of the other tables before the night is over.”

  “Okay.” I smiled up at her. “Hurry back.”

  She winked and moved gracefully through the room. I watched as she stopped at different tables, leaning over to talk to her employees. Even at an event like this, the work never stopped.

  “Ryan,” Deborah said, calling my attention back to the table. “Would you join me for a minute, please?”

  I glanced at her, a deep frown etched on my forehead. Deborah didn’t explain herself. She simply rose to her feet and breezed across the room.

  “She expects you to follow,” Leslie said.

  “I can see that.”

  Snorting, I hurried after her. Deborah didn’t so much as glance back at me until we reached the edge of the ballroom. She held open a door on the side of the room and gestured for me to walk through it.

  I had a bad feeling, but I ignored it. When I defended Deborah to her daughter, I meant every word I said. I really believed Mrs. Smart only wanted to do what was best for Candice and Leslie. So, I stepped inside the small room without complaint.

  Deborah pushed the door closed behind us and walked to the center of the room, which was somewhere between an office and a broom closet.

  “Ryan,” she said, her arms extended out in front of her. She looked pointedly down at her hands. I slowly moved forward to take them. “I cannot tell you how grateful I am for everything you’ve done for my Candice.”

  A sigh of relief escaped my lips.

  “You were worried.” Deborah squeezed my hands affectionately. “When I pulled you in here, you were worried it was something bad, weren’t you?”

  “A little,” I admitted.

  “Oh, Ryan.” Deborah giggled. “I have nothing bad to say to you. You’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty. I could have never imagined how far you would take this job, but I am so glad you did.”

  I dropped her hands and stumbled backward. My relief had come too soon. It vanished in a second, only to be replaced by a gut-wrenching fear.

  “Job?” I stammered. “Mrs. Smart—”

  “You don’t have to pretend with me,” Deborah said. “Beatrice and I have been in touch this whole time. I know why you’re with Candice, and it’s okay. It’s good, Ryan. If you really did love her … Well, that would only complicate things.”

  “Complicate things?” I didn’t know why, but my words kept sticking in my throat. I couldn’t believe this was happening.

  “Yes.” Deborah laughed. “I’m sure you’re aware how difficult it can be to juggle a relationship and a business. Well, Candice is this company. She lives and breathes Smart Cosmetics. Having you in her life would distract her.”

  “I’ve been in her life for months now,” I snapped. “Does she seem distracted tonight?”

  Deborah narrowed her eyes. This conversation was not going how she had hoped. Clearing her throat, she moved across the room to a small desk. She slid behind it and stuck a tiny key in a lock. Smiling conspiratorially, she pulled open the top drawer.

  I held my breath as she emerged with a thick envelope in her hand, holding it up for me to see. My stomach, already filled with dread, hit the floor.

  “Mrs. Smart,” I began. “I’m not sure what you think is happening here, but—”

  “Ryan,” she snapped. “It’s my turn to talk.”

  My lips pressed themselves into a thin line. I hated myself for not being stronger. I knew exactly what was in that envelope, and I didn’t want it.

  “I’ve already paid Ms. Cantone,” Deborah said. “She received a handsome sum for both your services and Kason’s. But because you’ve gone above and beyond what I asked, I wanted to share a little something with you personally.”

  “Mrs. Smart—”

  “It’s still my turn, Ryan.”

  Anger bubbled up inside my chest. If this woman wasn’t Candice’s mother, I would have spat in her perfectly painted face.

  “Here.” She stepped forward and pressed the envelope against my palm. “Inside you will find enough money to set you up for a while. You and that adorable daughter of yours.”

  Paisley.

  At that moment, I hated Deborah Smart more than I’d ever hated anyone in my life. Looking down at the envelope, I slowly pulled it open. Inside were thousands of dollars, all in one-hundred-dollar bills.

  My mind went blank as I took in the sight. I’d never held so much money in my life.

  A soft click yanked my attention away. Candice’s dark brown eyes fixed themselves on my face. Slowly, they flicked down to the envelope. I watched as realization dawned. Tears pooled in her eyes and she jerked back out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

  “Mrs. Smart.” I turned back to Deborah. “You can keep your money. I don’t know what B told you, but this hasn’t been a job for me in a long time. Candice is real. My feelings for her are real.”

  “Oh, I know that!” Deborah snapped. “Do you think I’m blind?”

  “If you know, then—”

  “I told you,” Deborah said. “You are a complication. That should be enough money to uncomplicate things.”

  I scoffed and shook my head in disgust. Was this woman serious? She just saw the pain on her daughter’s face and didn’t make a move to help. She let Candice go back out there, with board members and employees, knowing that her heart was in pieces.

  “I defended you.” I glared. “When you turned on Leslie and put Candice in the middle, I defended you. I said there was no way a mother would purposefully hurt her own daughters, but you would, wouldn’t you?”

  Deborah didn’t say a word. She simply blinked at me, enduring my outburst with all the grace she’d taught Candice.

  “Here.” I shoved the envelope against her chest and dropped my hand. “I don’t want your fucking money.”

  Turning away from her, I hurried through the door. Candice was nowhere in sight, but I knew she couldn’t have gotten far. I craned my neck, searching desperately for a sign of her red dress.

  It was nowhere. She was nowhere.

  Defeated, I slowly made my way around the room. I kept my eyes peeled, but I had a feeling I wouldn’t find Candice until she wanted to be found. I could only hope that, when she did, she would believe I wanted nothing to do with that money.

  A few minutes later, I saw Deborah reappear. She smiled at all the guests, just like nothing at all had happened. My hatred for her only grew as I watched her make the rounds.

  It wasn’t until I saw Candice again that I realized just how bad things were. She refused to look at me, but she slid her arm in mine.

  “Candice—”

  “No.” She shook her head once, so subtle that no one but me could have noticed. “We’re not doing this here. Not here. Not now.”

  “But, I—”

  “Smile,” she ordered. “Remember, you’re on the arm of the owner of Smart Cosmetics. Act like it.”

  Chapter 60

  Candice

  The banquet couldn’t end fast enough. Ryan’s arm felt wrong beneath my fingers, but I kept them clutched tightly around his bicep for the sake of appearance. If I showed even a trace of weakness, Bart would pounce. The company would slip from my grasp, and all I knew was that I could not let that happen.

  Anger mixed with crippling pain kept me moving through the ballroom. Dinner and dessert had ended. Everyone abandoned their tables and mingled throughout the room, sipping champagne and martinis. They talked animatedly among themselves. Everyone was happy. The banquet was a success. And my heart was breaking.

  “Candice,” Ryan said softly. “If we could just go somewhere and talk, I’ll explain everything.”

  “I said, not now.”

  My eyes stayed focused on the room at large. As the night came to an end, people began to
say their goodbyes, making sure to shake my hand on their way out. I’d never had such a hard time keeping a smile on my face.

  As the owner of Smart Cosmetics, I couldn’t leave until the last guest took their exit. Leslie, Kason, and my mother hung back as the final person stepped out of the ballroom.

  “You can go,” I told them. “Kendra is still here. She’ll make sure everything is handled.”

  “Are you coming?” Leslie asked, glancing nervously at Ryan. “I thought we could get a nightcap. Maybe celebrate a little.”

  “It’s late.” I shook my head. “Ryan has to get back to Paisley.”

  “Oh.” Leslie nodded. I knew she didn’t believe me. “Totally understand. Well, you guys have a good night, okay? Candi, call me tomorrow?”

  “Of course.”

  Leslie bumped her lips against my cheekbone. Shooting Ryan one more glance, she wrapped her arm around Kason and led him out of the room. They had barely disappeared when my mother stepped in front of me.

  “Now is not the time, Mother.”

  I moved around her and hurried across the room. Kendra was talking to the caterers, making sure they cleaned up properly.

  “Kendra,” I said. “Do you have things handled here?”

  “Absolutely.” Kendra smiled. “You go. Everything is fine.”

  “Thank you.”

  I tried to show her my gratitude, but my smile was fake, and we both knew it. Kendra looked at me just like Leslie had—with something between pity and fear. I ignored her gaze and hurried outside with Ryan nipping at my heels.

  We practically sprinted through the lobby, bursting into the night air like two criminals on the run.

  I sucked in a breath of fresh New York City air and told myself to relax. Flying off the handle wouldn’t be good for anyone. Even though the photographers had disappeared hours ago, I wasn’t naïve enough to believe we were alone.

  “Candice!” Ryan called, running up behind me. “Please. Just, let me explain what happened back there.”

  “Explain?” I sounded hysterical, but I couldn’t stop myself. After an hour of repressing my emotions, I was ready to let them fly free. “How the hell could you possibly explain?”