by Tamie Dearen
“Mum!”
Chapter 5
Laurie turned to face the woman who’d inspired such fear on Finn’s face. A mane of red hair—though not a color found in nature—surrounded plump, rosy cheeks. With a build similar to Laurie’s father, a professional football player, she would’ve been daunting, if it weren’t for the rapturous smile on her face. Her intense blue eyes were an exact match to Finn’s, and they were focused on Laurie.
“Oh!” Finn’s mother exclaimed in an accent much stronger than Finn’s, motioning toward Laurie. “Is this her?”
Laurie shook her head, knowing she couldn’t possibly be the “her” Finn would’ve mentioned to his mother.
“Uh, Mum. This isn’t a good time,” Finn began.
“Why ever not? Did I interrupt something?” She strode across the room toward Laurie’s desk, her imposing form balancing on towering heels that made her taller than her son. Her hand jutted forward, and Laurie reluctantly offered her own, fearing the grip might break her fingers. Luckily, the woman showed mercy and only squeezed tight enough to cause minor discomfort. “Susan Anderson, at your service. And you are…?”
“Very busy.” Finn clamped an arm around his mother’s shoulder and wrenched her around until she faced the opposite direction. He walked with her, pushing her toward the door as she twisted to gape over her shoulder. “Laurie’s working right now.”
“Laurie? Is that her name? Aren’t you going to introduce us?” In a stage whisper, she added, “Is this your girlfriend?”
“Come on, Mum.” He shoved her toward the door. “We’re in the middle of an important project.”
“But why can’t I meet her?” Susan protested as he forced her out the door and shut it behind them.
Laurie stared at the door, listening to the rise and fall of muffled voices outside. She wondered why Finn hadn’t simply corrected his mother as to his girlfriend’s identity. Laurie deduced the mystery woman must work somewhere at Phantom Enterprises or Limitless for Susan to assume it might be Laurie. Maybe Finn didn’t want to say the girl’s name in front of her, though it wouldn’t have mattered—she hardly knew any of the other employees.
The door opened again and Finn slid through, shutting it behind him quickly to lean against it, white-faced, like he’d escaped from a deranged assailant. In three strides he was at Laurie’s desk, kneeling beside her chair, his hands together in supplication.
“You have to help me. Please.” His wild eyes darted from side to side.
“What are you talking about?”
He sat back on his heels and pushed both hands through his hair, leaving the strands poking in haphazard directions like straw. “You have to pretend we’re dating.”
“What?” She stood up and backed away, sending her desk chair rolling.
“Please. I’m desperate.”
“I can’t pretend I’m dating you. I don’t even like you.”
“I understand.” He held out both palms, still kneeling. “You don’t have to like me. I told her we were having a bit of a spat.”
“You told her what?”
“I had to tell her something—she heard us arguing before she came in the door.”
“Are you cuh-razy?” Laurie flung her arms around. “Why didn’t you tell her the truth? Why not introduce her to your real girlfriend? Are you dating some chick who’s afraid to meet your mother?” Laurie thought she might sympathize with her. Susan was a bit intimidating, even though she seemed nice.
“There is no girlfriend. Mum kept insisting that I needed to start dating, so I made up a relationship.”
“You lied to your mother?”
“I just wanted to make her happy.” Finn climbed off his knees and flopped into her desk chair, covering his face with both hands.
“Look, Finn, I’d like to help you, but…”
“Yes. Please.” He dropped his hands, folding them under his chin, his imploring blue eyes pinning her in place. “Just until tonight. Then you can break up with me.”
“I don’t know… I don’t like to lie.”
“You don’t have to.” He jumped to his feet, his voice rising with excitement. “You can say we haven’t been dating long.” He nodded his head, tapping a finger to his brow. “Which is technically true, right? If she asks how we met, be honest—we met through Bran and Steph.”
“Don’t you think she’s going to notice we don’t get along?”
“No worries. I’ll be so nice you won’t think I’m the same person. And since she heard us arguing, she won’t be surprised if we’re a little stiff.”
“Or you could come clean and tell her the truth.”
The blood drained from his face, his entire demeanor wilting. “That’s not a good idea.”
“Why did you lie in the first place? You’re a grown man. Your mom can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do.”
His fingers massaged his temples. “Listen, I’m not in the habit of deceiving my family, but Mum… She means well, but she worries about me. I think it’s because of the CF. Maybe she feels guilty or something—I don’t know. She’s determined I need someone else in my life or I’m going to be lonely and miserable.” He let out a long, slow breath. “All I wanted to do was make her happy.”
“How long has she been nagging you?”
He shrugged, scratching the back of his neck. “I don’t know. Maybe ten years?”
“Ten years!” She must’ve yelled it, because he jumped and stared at her like she might throw something at him. “You haven’t dated anyone for the last ten years? Why not?”
His hands tucked into his pockets as his lower lip pushed forward. “I have my reasons.”
“So, you’re saying it’s none of my business.”
Pain flashed in his eyes before he looked away, refusing to answer.
I can’t believe I’m considering this. “What’s in it for me?”
His eyebrows arched high, a grin splitting his face. “Anything.” He lifted his hand like he was swearing an oath. “I’ll do anything you want.”
“You’ll be super nice and polite?”
“Absolutely!” He beamed. “I’ll be the most supportive guy you’ve ever met.”
“You probably shouldn’t go that far,” Laurie warned.
“Why not?”
“Because I might be really ticked if I find out you could’ve done it all along and chose to be a jerk.”
His head bobbed, sharply. “Point taken. Okay, I’ll be fairly polite and partially supportive, but I’ll still give you a hard time.”
“Sounds more likely, anyway.”
The corner of his mouth kicked up in a crooked grin. He jutted his hand forward. “Do we have a deal?”
“Not quite.”
The hand fell to his side. “What else do you want?”
“You agree to call every single one of these donors and make them agree to shell out again this year.” She pointed toward the computer screen.
“I’ll do it,” he answered without hesitation.
“Today,” she added.
“Agreed.”
“And you’ll stay on this project with me until Jarrett comes back or the LA Fundraiser is over.”
From his expression, you’d think she’d asked him to walk across a bed of hot coals. “But Branson would do just as good of a job—probably better.”
“Never mind… you can tell your mother the truth.”
“No, no! I’ll do it! I’ll stick with you for as long as it takes.” He reached out like he was going to grab her arm but pulled it back at the last second.
He can’t even stand to touch me. He’ll never convince his mother we’re dating.
“It’ll never work, Finn.” She moved back to her desk, careful not to brush against him, and settled into her chair.
“Please, Laurie…”
“Sorry, I can’t help you.” Refusing to look at him, she scrolled through the donor list. “It’s for the best. I didn’t want to lie to your mother anyway.”
&nb
sp; His earnest face appeared over the top of her computer screen. “What if I make it official so you won’t have to lie at all?”
“How can you make a fake relationship official?”
“Like this…” He cleared his throat, feet shuffling, hands stuffed in his pockets. “Laurie Fields, would you do me the honor of being my real girlfriend until the end of tonight? I’ll treat you like a queen and buy you anything you want. And I promise to be nice and kind and do my part for the fundraiser.”
A lump formed in her throat. His words sounded so close to something genuine, except for the temporary disclaimer. Not that she actually wanted to be his girlfriend, but for some reason it felt like a slap in the face for him to specify a one-night relationship.
“Why on earth didn’t you pick some other woman to use as your pretend girlfriend?” Her annoyance came through in her tone. “I’m sure most of the other single girls would’ve jumped at a chance like this.”
“I don’t know why I told her it was you. It just came out. Mum kept peppering me with questions, and the next thing I knew I was claiming we were dating.” A knot of lines crisscrossed his forehead. “Anyway, the other women around here might get the wrong idea. With you, I won’t have to worry you’ll want something that lasts longer than a day.”
She stared at her coffee cup, the liquid inside cold, now. Like my heart.
“Just dinner tonight?”
“That’s all.”
At least if she did it, he’d call all the donors and stay on the job. And presumably, he’d be a lot nicer to work with. “Okay, I’ll do it.”
“Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
“But…” She lifted a single finger in the air. “I won’t lie. If she asks me when we started dating, I’ll tell her it’s our first date.”
“Thank you, so much.” He backed toward the door, speaking in a low voice. “I’ll be back later to call all those donors.”
“Good.”
“You won’t regret this. Mum is great once you get used to her bear hugs. And you’ll love my sister.”
“Your sister?”
“Yeah, she came over from Jersey with my mother. Didn’t I mention her?” He pulled the door open, holding a warning finger to his lips. “Bye, sweetheart,” he said, in a sugary tone. “I’ll see you after lunch.”
The door clicked shut behind him.
Laurie put both elbows on her desk and let her face fall into her hands. “What have I done?”
Chapter 6
As the limousine pulled to the curb outside the apartment, Finn spied Laurie standing at the top of the steps, illuminated by a nearby lamppost. Without thinking, he popped the door open and leapt out, rushing up the steps to offer his elbow.
And then it happened… she touched his arm and sent a rush of warmth through his veins. With great effort, he managed not to flinch. She didn’t react, so she must not have felt the same electric charge.
He wanted to tell her how beautiful she looked. To compliment her bold red dress and the way her skin glowed. To say how her hair was fabulous, fastened up with a few enticing curls dangling at her neck. Instead, he commented on her decrepit apartment building.
“This place doesn’t look safe.”
“My apartment?” Her fingers clenched, her nails biting into his arm through his shirtsleeve. “It’s perfectly fine.”
“I don’t like it. You need to move.”
“Well, I like it, and your opinion doesn’t matter. Anyway, it’s what I can afford.”
“I’ll get you a raise.”
“I’ve been working two days, Mr. Anderson. I don’t need a raise.” She released his arm and stopped in her tracks, slamming her hands onto her hips. “And if this is your idea of being nice and kind, I’m going right back upstairs.”
“Wait, I’m sorry.” He was apologizing again. He seemed to be doing that a lot today.
She tapped her foot on the worn concrete step, her full lips stretched in a thin red line.
He scrambled for the right thing to say, something nice that wouldn’t sound like one of his flirtatious lines. “I think you chose the perfect dress for this evening. It’s elegant, without being overstated.” He sounded pretty suave and self-assured, but he could feel the blood rushing into his face.
She glanced down at the form-fitting dress, and he took the opportunity to admire her shapely calves. “I’m glad you like it,” she said. “It’s the only cocktail dress I own.”
Amused at her candor, he offered his elbow again, searching her eyes for forgiveness. When she tucked her fingers into the crook again, the tingle was back, but it felt normal.
“Mum will love this dress. But watch out… she’ll probably ask where you bought it. Hopefully, she won’t be able to buy a matching one, so you won’t ever be… big and small red Twinkies.”
“No chance of that. I bought it from a resale shop.”
“I’m sure it looks better on you than the original owner.”
A chuckle bubbled from her throat. “You’re getting better at this, Finn. There may be hope for you, after all.”
“Good evening.” The driver, who stood by the open limo door as they approached, had eyes only for Laurie. “May I say you look stunning in red?”
“Yes, you certainly may. Thank you.”
She bestowed the most brilliant smile on him, her even white teeth sparkling. He grinned like a schoolboy with a crush, and Finn fought a sudden urge to accidentally plant a sharp elbow in his ribs.
“We should get going,” he said crossly. “Don’t want to keep Mum waiting.”
Inside, on the plush leather seats, Finn was relieved when Laurie scooted away, leaving a generous space between them, allowing him to clear his head. He watched her expressive profile in the soft inner lights of the limousine.
“Thanks again for doing this,” he said. “I don’t expect you to act like you’re in love with me or anything.”
“Good thing,” she replied.
“I need to tell you one more thing before you meet my mum and sister.”
“I think you already told me more than I could possibly retain this afternoon.” She ticked off facts on her fingers. “Your mother is Susan. Your step-dad is Joe. She married him and moved to the States after your dad died in a car accident. You have two older sisters, Sarah and Katie—both married with kids. Neither of them has CF. And I don’t remember the kids’ names.”
“That’s more than I thought you’d remember, but this isn’t another factoid. I just wanted to tell you Katie knows the scoop.”
“You told her the truth?”
“I didn’t have the chance to talk to her alone at lunch, but I called her an hour ago to enlist her help. She knows everything. She’ll help deflect my mum’s questions.”
“That sounds good.”
Laurie’s fingers roamed lazily along her purse strap, and his eyes were mesmerized. He found himself jealous of the strip of leather, caressed by her gentle touch. He tore his eyes away.
“Mum, however, will probably grill you about your entire life’s story.”
“She’ll be bored. I’m not that interesting.”
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you about Mum and my sister… they’re really pushy.” Even as he cautioned her, he felt the need to defend them. “Don’t get me wrong—I love both of them. My mother would give you the shirt off her back, and my sister would probably invite you to live in her house. But they really like to meddle. To be honest, my whole family is like that. Even me. I think it’s genetic.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m warning you they both really want me to get married, and I’m afraid of what they might do.”
“But your sister knows the truth, right?”
“Yes, but I don’t trust her. Even after I told her what really happened—the whole fake girlfriend thing—she was asking all kinds of questions about you, like where you were from and how to spell your name.”
She sat up, bolt-straight
, glaring daggers at him. “Did you tell her?”
“Yes. Why wouldn’t I? Anyone could guess how to spell Laurie Fields.”
“I know that. But you told her where I’m from?”
Finn could see her blood vessel pulsing on the side of her neck. Why was she so upset?
“I didn’t tell her your mother’s address or anything, but I did mention Tampa Bay.”
Her eyes squeezed shut, her hand rising to cover her throat. Her lips moved, but he couldn’t hear what she was saying.
“Laurie, what’s wrong?” The hair stood up on the back of his neck as his fingers balled into tight fists.
She gave her head a shake, a forced smile on her face. “Forget it. I’m being paranoid.”
“About what?”
“It’s nothing… I swear. There’s someone from my past I’d prefer never to run into again.” She crossed her arms, tucking her trembling fingers away. “I’m not in danger. He didn’t abuse me or anything like that.”
As she peered out the window with unfocused eyes, a slew of emotions passed across her face like a slideshow. Finn wondered about the man who’d caused this kind of pain. Was it an ex-boyfriend? She said he hadn’t abused her, but Finn was certain he had. After all, abuse comes in many forms besides physical. He wanted to probe deeper, but he knew he hadn’t earned the right. Nor had he earned her trust.
Something in her called to his soul, stirring up protective feelings, deep inside. Yet he didn’t dare let himself get closer. Maybe, if he was careful, he and Laurie could establish a bond of friendship, as he had with his partners in Phantom Enterprises who’d known each other since they were teens at a computer camp for disabled kids.
Yes, I can do this. We can have a platonic relationship, like good friends or even siblings.
Remembering his joy at Branson and Stephanie’s marriage, he imagined himself watching from a church pew as Laurie walked down the aisle in a white satin wedding dress that complimented her creamy dark skin. When she passed by his pew, on her way to marry her groom, Finn gave her a thumbs-up. But then his knuckles blanched, his hands gripping the pew-back in front of him, somehow certain her unknown groom wouldn’t treat her right. In a panic, he waited for the proper moment to call out his objection, hoping he could prevent this disaster from happening.
