Damaged Goods: A Single Dad & Nanny Romance

by Rye Hart

  “I could say the same thing about you,” she said, taking a sip from her drink. “Maybe it's time I set you up with Brian's friend. He's a computer engineer and –”

  “No,” I said, shaking my head and holding up my hands to stop her. “I don't have time to date anyone. Right now, I'm content just doing me.”

  “I bet you are ‘doing you’,” she said with a chuckle.

  I laughed and threw a file folder at her. “Very funny. But seriously, I’m just not interested right now.”

  She shrugged. “It would get your parents off your back about Chad at least.”

  I cringed remembering the conversation on Friday, and the big fat lie I’d told my mom.

  “Yeah, about that,” I said, grimacing. “My mom called me on Friday and I might have lied to her about having a boyfriend already to get them to lay off. Not that my mom believes me, but it should keep her off my case for a little while at least.”

  “Seriously, is it worth it?” Kirby asked me.

  “Is what worth it?”

  “To keep up this charade,” she said. “Why not just tell them you're not ready to date again?”

  “Trust me, I've tried. A hundred times. A thousand,” I said with a sigh. “My mom just keeps telling me that it's been two years and I should get over it already.”

  “Well –” Kirby bit her lip as she stared at me, and I knew where her train of thought was going, which happened to be in the same direction as my mother's. “Maybe she has a point?”

  “I knew you were going to say that,” I muttered. “Not that it matters. I don't have time to date, I run a non-profit and that's my life now. There's always so much to do with securing funding and all – I really don't have the time to indulge some needy, clingy guy who doesn't understand what I do or the time commitment it takes.”

  “But if you really wanted it, you could make time to date,” Kirby said, drawing a scowl from me. “Well, it's true. You could hire another person or two to help you. I could handle all the fundraising and donation requests, leaving you to focus on the more CEO-type things – and oh yeah, having a life.”

  “I have a life,” I said.

  Kirby sighed. “Listen, I didn't want to argue, but we both know your mom isn't going to let up until you have a boyfriend,” she said. “So, unless you want to bring home a fake one –”

  “Do you know anyone who'd be willing?” I asked, only half teasing.

  “I might,” she said, shrugging. “One of Brian's friends might do it for a free meal.”

  A few seconds ago, I was only entertaining the idea of faking my parents out with a phony boyfriend. But now that Kirby mentioned it, that could be a good way to go. It was at least a viable option. Show up with the fake boyfriend, have dinner, get them off my back. It sounded like a solid plan to me.

  “Think you could ask Brian for me?” I asked. “Pretty please?”

  “I'll ask Brian to talk to his friend,” Kirby said, rolling her eyes. “Seriously, Abigail, it would just be easier to go on a date now and then. Or maybe even meet Chad, he can't be that bad.”

  I rolled my eyes and sighed, shaking my head. But before I could open my mouth to speak, Kirby raised her hands in surrender and cut me off.

  “But I'll ask,” she said. “For you.”

  “Thanks, Kirbs,” I said.

  I knew how ridiculous the idea of introducing them to a fake boyfriend sounded. I really did. But it would be a good way to get my parents to get off my back about it. Yes, it had been two years, but it wasn't that easy to move on; not after everything that happened and everything I went through.

  If only they truly understood, but I couldn’t make myself tell them..

  Kirby stood and left my office, letting me return my focus to the one thing that could always distract me from my thoughts – work.

  Doing good in the world, helping the less fortunate, that was an endeavor worth devoting my time to and allowing myself to get lost in. I might not have time to date, but I helped poor children get education, and honestly, why would anyone complain about me throwing my all into that? It seemed so much more important than my love life.

  ooo000ooo

  “John said he'd do it,” Kirby said, poking her head in my office.

  “John? Do what?”

  I was going blind from staring at the mountain of reports on my desk and my brain was officially fried. I looked up at Kirby, having no idea what she was talking about.

  “Brian’s friend? He said he'd pretend to be your fake boyfriend, silly,” she said. “Seriously, you really need to get out of this office more. I'm afraid you're going to start growing roots if you don't.”

  Rubbing my eyes, I looked back at her.

  “You look frazzled, Abigail,” she said. “I'm worried about you. Seriously.”

  “Nothing to be worried about,” I muttered. “Once we get past this event, I can relax a bit more.”

  “Until you start planning the next one, and then the next. I know how you work, Abigail,” Kirby said. “And it hasn't slipped my notice that since you've been in charge, we've doubled the amount of fundraising events we plan; all of them coordinated by you.”

  “Which is why I was promoted in the first place,” I countered. “Most people would consider being ambitious and trying to grow a business a good thing. Especially since it enables us to help so many more people.”

  “It is a good thing. I'm not debating that,” Kirby said, her voice softening. “I just worry about you.”

  Everyone was worried about me, and I was tired of it. I was a big girl and I could take care of myself. If I didn't want to date anybody right now, I shouldn't be forced or cajoled into it. My idea to introduce my folks to a fake boyfriend was outlandish, I wasn't going to deny that. But at least this little plan might finally get my family off my back for a while and let me breathe. I had to try it.

  “So, is he someone I'd want to introduce to my parents?” I asked. “Have you met him before?”

  “I have, and he's amazing,” Kirby said. “Tall, dark, handsome. Very well spoken and intelligent. He will absolutely knock your parent's socks off. I guarantee it. And you don't have to worry about him wanting anything more with you. He's gay, so you're not exactly his type anyway. Not that you can tell, he totally had me fooled when we first met.”

  He sounded perfect, so I stopped her and took a second to collect my thoughts. I needed a plan of action, to come up with the best way to introduce him to my folks.

  “Can you tell your friend to meet me at The Cellar at six-thirty Wednesday night?” I asked. “I'll meet him at the bar and brief him on my life, et cetera, beforehand to make it a little easier. We really need to sell this, so the more we know about each other, the better.”

  “Sure thing,” Kirby said, her voice sounding sad – probably pitying me again.

  “Oh, and tell him dinner and drinks are on me,” I called out to her as she walked out of the office and down the hall. “He's doing me a huge favor, so it's the least I can do.”

  Honestly, I had no idea what to expect. This was all new and strange ground for me. I'd never gone out on a fake date with a fake boyfriend before. How was I supposed to act like half of a happy couple when I didn't even know the guy?

  I shook my head. I'd figure it out. One thing at a time. We'd get to know each other and form our plan of action then. At least he wasn't into women though, so there would be no pressure. It would probably be the first date in a long time that I actually could be myself – which would be something of a nice change of pace.

  As long as my parents bought what we were selling.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  HARRY

  The Cellar had quickly become my go-to place when I wanted to pop in somewhere for a drink. The crowd was a little younger; mostly millennials drinking overpriced whiskey and trying to act intellectual while working retail and living with their parents. But the atmosphere was nice, and I actually could afford the exotic liquors they sold – something that al
ways made me a hit with the ladies.

  Not to mention the fact that unlike some of these kids, I actually was an intellectual and could discuss any range of topics with some authority. It was something else that got the panties to drop in record time. Women tended to love wealthy, intelligent men, which made this very fertile hunting ground for me.

  As I sat at the bar, I had my eye on a pretty brunette with a Russian accent sitting a few seats down from me. She looked like she'd do very well for the night. I sidled up next to her, and offered to buy her a drink.

  “I'm sorry, my English isn't very good,” she said, a smile on her lips.

  You could tell she was born a blonde but the darker shade complimented her fair complexion and made her look even more exotic and sexy. Just the way I liked it.

  “It sounds good enough to me,” I said, reaching my hand out. “I'm Harry.”

  “Anya,” she said. “But before you buy that drink, please know you're not my type.”

  “Eh, we'll see about that,” I said, completely undaunted as I motioned for the bartender.

  Anya placed her tiny little hand on my arm, stopping me and giving me a small smile.

  “No, really. You're not my type,” she said a little more firmly. “I like women.”

  Damn. Well that settled it then, I was going to have to move on to another target. Thankfully, the bar was full of them. Still, I'd look like a dick if I walked away now.

  “What a coincidence; so do I,” I said with a smile. “I can still keep you company.”

  Just then, a tall, slender woman walked up and kissed her on the cheek. They both turned and looked at me as if I were intruding on their private time.

  “Or I guess not,” I said, sliding out of my seat. “Sorry.”

  “You seem like a very nice man, Harry,” Anya said, holding the other woman's hand. “Good luck.”

  “No luck needed,” I winked as I moved away.

  The woman who'd joined Anya at the bar was breathtakingly beautiful. I was having a hard time taking my eyes off of her. And to imagine her and Anya together in the throes of passion – well, let's just say I needed to sit down before my erection became obvious. I looked around, checking out the crowd, but not seeing anyone else of interest. They were either not my type, or totally my type but with some other guy. I couldn’t afford a fight, not when my hands were as valuable as they were.

  Then, a woman walked into the bar. She was petite, but curvy – a little curvier than my usual type, but I couldn't complain. She was nice to look at, with a nice rack, highlighted by a little black dress that clung to her in all the right places.

  A pearl necklace and matching earrings made her appear classy, more put together than the usual crowd. Her auburn hair fell to her shoulders, highlighting her delicate face and bright, green eyes. She was stunning, and best of all, she was alone.

  She appeared to be looking for someone as she stopped in the doorway and glanced around the restaurant. Walking over to the bar, I watched her search the faces in the seats before she looked over at me. Our eyes locked and I gave her a warm smile which she returned, and walked over to me.

  “You must be my date for tonight,” she said, stepping up beside me. “I'm Abigail.”

  Just my luck, a blind date. Too bad for the sucker she was supposed to meet, but I wasn’t letting this beauty go.

  “Harry,” I said, shaking her hand.

  Abigail looked confused for a moment, then pushed it aside. “Harry? You are my date, right? I didn't just walk up to a random stranger in the bar and assume something ?”

  “I'm the man you're looking for, Abigail,” I said, laughing. “Don't worry. Have a seat, let me buy you a drink.”

  “No, I told Kirby to tell you that the meal and drinks were on me tonight,” she said, a serious look in her stunning green eyes. “So, I'll be the one buying you the drink.”

  Huh. Not only was I getting to spend time with a gorgeous woman, but she'd be the one footing the bill? Not that I could seriously let her do that and get away with it. But I would let her buy me a drink. Make her feel like she was in control for a bit. The rest of the night would be on me though.

  We took a couple of seats at the bar and she turned to me with a smile on her face.

  “So, Harry, is it?” she asked. “What is it you do?”

  “I'm a cardiac surgeon at Cedars Sinai,” I said.

  Abigail's eyes grew to the size of saucers. It was clearly not the answer she'd expected when she asked the question. I loved impressing the socks off of beautiful women.

  “And you?” I asked.

  “I'm the CEO of a non-profit – Brighter Horizons – here in Los Angeles,” she said, a note of obvious pride in her voice. “We focus on providing quality learning opportunities for inner-city children.”

  “Impressive,” I said.

  I was taken a little bit aback, to be honest. For the first time in a long time, I was with a woman who impressed me . Couldn't say that happened often. The bartender came and took our drink orders, and unlike most of the women I dated, Abigail didn't order a glass of wine. Instead, she ordered an Irish Whiskey.

  I was beginning to really like this girl.

  “The place is known for their whiskey, figure I might as well try it, right?” She seemed nervous, and looked behind us to check the door as if she was afraid that she was being followed, or at least, watched. “Anyway, I should probably give you some info on me and my family.”

  “Your family?” I ask, slightly amused we were moving so fast.

  “Yeah, the reason you're here, remember?” she said, chuckling as the bartender delivered our drinks. “My mom tends to run late, so we have a few extra minutes to chat before they arrive.”

  “Your parents?”

  She gave me a long, hard stare. “Yeah? Who else?” she asked. “Didn't Kirby tell you anything about what was going on?”

  I gave her a small smile, not knowing who in the hell Kirby was, but deciding to play Abigail’s game It's not like I had anything better to do at the moment and it could prove to be very entertaining.

  Maybe if I were able to ingratiate myself with the folks and impressed her enough, it would enhance my chances of getting their daughter into bed later.

  “So, when they ask us how long we've been together, you'll just tell them a few weeks,” she said. “I don't want them to assume we're really serious, you know? That would just open up a whole different line of questions I don't want to deal with.”

  “Of course not,” I said, stifling a laugh. “Why would I want them to think that?”

  “Exactly,” Abigail said, beaming with pride. “Seriously, Kirby mentioned you were a catch, but a cardiac surgeon? Wow, you're going to seriously impress my mom.”

  “I always do,” I said, feeling like I might burst from the laughter I was holding in. I was having a really hard time not letting it out. “Moms love me.”

  “I can imagine,” she said

  Abigail let her gaze linger a bit longer on my face, seeming to be admiring the view. She definitely thought I was hot.

  “A handsome doctor like yourself, and so fit too,” she said. “Kirby failed to mention that. I can already hear my mom raving about you! And just to prepare you, she's probably going to be planning the wedding before she leaves here tonight, so just ignore it as best you can.”

  “Mmm hmm,” I said, taking a long pull on my drink.

  Suddenly, the reality of the situation set in and I realized I might be getting myself in deeper than I should. Something about Abigail made me hesitate to tell the truth though. She was intelligent and driven as well as beautiful. She was definitely a major step up from my usual dates.

  I was intrigued by Abigail, and judging by the way she kept touching me, I got the distinct impression that she was into me. She wasn't even trying to hide it – flirting shamelessly, laughing, and telling me all her deep, dark secrets from the get-go.

  Man, I hit the jackpot tonight, I thought to myself. This was goi
ng to be great.

  She'd already impressed me with her wit, intelligence, and ambition. She was by far, more interesting than most of the women I brought to my bed. Now, if she could do more than just lay there and make noises, we might have a keeper.

  At least for a few weeks, at any rate.

  “Oh, they're here!” Abigail said, a nervous tremor in her voice.

  She squeezed my shoulder as she stood up from the bar. Before walking over to them, she stood on her tip-toes and planted a kiss on my cheek.

  I gave her a smile. “What was that for?”

  “Just to say thank you so very much for doing this,” she said. “You have no idea how much I appreciate it.”

  Before she pulled away, I snuck in a quick peck on the lips. Her eyes grew wide and she stared at me, seeming to be completely bewildered. I winked at her.

  “For show, of course,” I mouthed as I took her hand in mine.

  I had no idea what I was doing or why, but here I was about to meet a strange woman's parents. It was clear that I was playing the role of boyfriend, probably to get her overbearing mother off her back about Abigail's lack of a relationship. Which led me to wonder why a woman as beautiful and intelligent as Abigail was single in the first place. She was a real catch.

  Time to put on that charm I was so famous for and see if I could pull this off. If I did, she might reward me with more than a drink.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  ABIGAIL

  I was assuming that I'd misheard Kirby or somehow just thought his name was supposed to be John. Harry impressed me the moment I laid eyes on him thought. He was dressed to the nines in a designer suit and tie, with a very slight British accent that Kirby failed to mention.

  He was tall, dark and handsome, just as she promised, with the build of someone who worked out often. His dark, black hair was impeccably styled, and you could tell he put a lot of effort into his appearance. His chiseled cheek bones and grey eyes made him into a work of art.

  And damn, did he smell good too.

  “Mom, dad, this is Harry,” I said, introducing my parents. “And Harry, these are my parents, Eve and Ronald Johnston.”