“I’ll be a lot calmer when you let go of me and go away,” she assured him.
“Okay, I’ll get my car and follow you home.”
“Don’t bother! I never want to see you again.”
She twisted out of his hold, ran to her car, and, before he knew it, had driven away.
He thought about following her, but he decided it would be better to wait an hour or two until she’d calmed down. Besides, he needed to talk to Bobby.
His brother was sitting at the kitchen table talking to MaryBelle, finishing off his uneaten breakfast, when James arrived home. He snagged the last muffin off the plate just before Bobby’s hand reached it.
“Hey, I was going to eat that!” Bobby complained.
“Tough. As much trouble as you’ve caused me this morning, I should at least get a little breakfast.”
MaryBelle looked surprised. “But I thought you were having breakfast at the coffee shop near the campus.”
“I thought I was, too, but I didn’t even get a sip of coffee.”
“Their service has always been slow,” MaryBelle said, nodding her head in sympathy.
“It wasn’t the service. We had a—a little disagreement.”
“With your new girlfriend?” his housekeeper asked in consternation. “Does that mean you’re going to start growling again?”
“New girlfriend?” Bobby asked at the same time.
James sat down in a chair. “MaryBelle, could you bring me a cup of coffee? I need caffeine.”
“You’re dating again?” Bobby asked, as MaryBelle moved to respond to his request.
“Sort of,” James answered cautiously. If Elise didn’t forgive him for Bobby’s newspaper appearance, he wasn’t sure she’d ever speak to him again.
MaryBelle put a cup of coffee in front of him, and he gratefully took a sip. “Umm, good coffee. Thanks, MaryBelle.”
“Your brother’s been seeing her for almost a week,” she told Bobby.
“Five days,” James corrected.
Bobby raised his eyebrows. “You’re counting the days? Sounds serious.”
“No!” James immediately answered, frowning. It wasn’t serious…just fun. And he hadn’t had fun in a long time. “Look, Bobby, I need you to promise me something.”
“What’s that? Not to flirt with your woman?” his brother teased with a grin.
“No, I want you to promise that you won’t get your picture in the paper for the next two weeks, especially with your arms around another woman.”
“Another woman? You mean someone other than Sandy? That won’t happen. She’s the only lady for me.” Before James could answer, he added, “I’m thinking about asking her to marry me.”
“No! No, don’t do that!” James roared.
“Hey, she’s wonderful. What do you have against her?” Bobby half rose to his feet, anger on his face.
James held up a hand. “Nothing! I’m sure she’s lovely, Bobby, but if you propose, the next thing you know your picture will be back in the paper.”
“What’s this hang-up you’ve got with me getting a little publicity? That’s what actors do,” Bobby said, frowning.
James sighed and took another drink of coffee. “It’s a long story.”
MaryBelle and Bobby looked at each other and then at James. “We’ve got time,” they said together, and waited.
THE PHONE RANG AGAIN.
Elise groaned and hid her head under the sofa cushion. The first two calls had come while she was in the shower after stripping off the stained dress. Her mother and one of her aunts had already heard the news. They couldn’t wait to meet James. Melanie had told them how handsome he was.
When she’d played those messages, she hadn’t known what to do. Before she could decide, the phone rang again. Afraid to answer it until she’d worked out a plan, she listened to one of her sisters gush about the news.
This last one was Sharon, her baby sister, calling to let her know she’d added James to the guest list, of course, and she’d reserve a room for him at the Hilton in Flagstaff, where the wedding would take place.
When the doorbell rang just as her sister hung up on the answering machine, Elise was sure it had to be more relatives—maybe her father, demanding details. But she had to answer the door, because the person kept pounding on it.
“I’m coming,” she called out, hoping her visitor hadn’t drawn her neighbors’ interest. She swung open the door and then tried to close it again.
James Dillon, the source of all her difficulties, wouldn’t let her. “Come on, Elise, let me in so we can talk. You need to hear what I have to say.”
“Why bother? You spoke too much at the coffee shop.”
“Please?” he asked, still holding the door open.
She heard another door open down the hall and she didn’t want an audience for their conversation. “Fine. Come in.”
James entered the apartment and closed the door behind him. “Will you listen to me?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“No. Sandy is an old family friend. I promised several months ago to escort her to the party because—because she and her boyfriend broke up, and she didn’t have anyone to take her. She said it would be humiliating to go without an escort.”
She stared at him, saying nothing.
“It’s the same thing I’m doing for you, only I did it because I’m her friend, not for money.”
“Bully for you,” Elise grumbled.
“Look, I didn’t even know they were taking pictures. Her mother told them who I was. The picture was as much a surprise to me as it was to you.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that it could’ve ruined everything if I’d already told my sisters about you,” she pointed out.
“Why? You call me James. They wouldn’t have connected the two since no one could see my face.”
It irritated her, but he had a point.
“If they ask questions, I’ll tell them Bobby is my younger brother.”
Elise reminded herself what a good actor he was. He sounded so sincere that even she believed him, and she knew he was really Bobby. Oh, yeah, he’d definitely be a success in Hollywood. He was as fake as the town itself.
“When are you moving to Hollywood?” she abruptly asked.
“What are you talking about?”
“Aren’t you moving to Hollywood, to find better roles? That’s what every actor has in mind, isn’t it?” She squared her jaw in stubbornness.
“What does that have to do with our situation?”
“Nothing. I just wondered.” She wondered how she’d remember that he was playacting. She wondered how she would protect her heart. She wondered if she was going crazy.
“Please, Elise, let’s continue the charade until after your sister’s wedding, just like we planned.”
“No, I—”
The phone interrupted her.
She sat on the couch, waiting.
“Aren’t you going to answer it?”
She glared at him just as her mother’s voice came from the answering machine. “Darling, I just happened to think. Why don’t you bring James to dinner on Wednesday night? Your father wants to meet him, and we’ll be so busy at the wedding we won’t have a chance to get to know him. Call me back as soon as you can. I’ll need to know his favorite foods. Bye.”
“Your mother knows?” James asked.
“My family can spread gossip faster than a speeding bullet. Superman has nothing on them,” Elise said, her voice filled with frustration. “That’s Mother’s second call. All six sisters and one aunt have already—”
The phone rang again.
“This has to be Aunt Lilly. I haven’t heard from her yet,” she said with a sigh.
“Darling Elise, this is Aunt Lilly,” the answering machine said as if on cue. “I just heard the news—and I hear he’s absolutely delicious. Leave it to you to only choose the best. I can’t wait to meet him. Give him a kiss for me. Bye.”
“I think I lik
e Aunt Lilly,” James said, and slid closer to her on the sofa.
Elise stiff-armed him. “Don’t get carried away. There’s no one here to convince.” She closed her eyes. “I need time to think!”
When she felt movement, she snapped her eyes open, afraid James was ignoring her warning. Instead, he’d stood as if he was leaving.
“What’s to think about, Elise? Your plan is working. And I promise to keep away from all other women until after the wedding, so there won’t be any more pictures in the paper.”
She closed her eyes again. His words, “until after the wedding,” hurt almost as much as the picture had. She’d studied him with the blonde in his embrace. It was clear that the woman meant something to him. She’d be an idiot to fall for the line that she was just a friend. The look of contentment on the woman’s face alone told of a deeper relationship, whether he knew it or not.
And she believed he did.
Body language was a lot more truthful than words.
But unless she wanted to upset the entire family, she’d take his offer of two weeks of monogamy. Then, when that time period was up, she’d have to walk away—without her heart broken, she hoped.
With an exhausted sigh, she said, “Okay, fine, we’ll keep the agreement, though I don’t know why it matters to you.” She glared at him.
He shrugged. “A job’s a job.”
Of course, the money. At least about that he was honest.
“Of course. Fine. I’ll call you when I have the details about the wedding. Give me your address. My sister Sharon will need it. She’s going to send you a wedding invitation.” She picked up a pen and notepad, and waited.
He opened his mouth and then closed it again.
“What’s the matter? Afraid I’ll stalk you when this is over? Afraid I don’t know the difference between playacting and the real thing? I can assure you, Mr. Dillon, that I—
He pulled her up into his arms and covered her lips with his. When she tried to protest, he deepened the kiss, and Elise melted into his embrace, her arms going around his neck. He lifted his mouth and stared at her. Then, before she could protest—as she assured herself later she had intended to do—he kissed her again.
The man had major talent in the kissing department. She’d thought his acting was good, but his kissing was even better. So good, in fact, she forgot all about their pretense, his lies, the truth about their engagement. All she could think about was him.
When he finally ended the kiss, she stared at him as he picked up the pad and pen and quickly wrote something down. Then he leaned over and kissed her briefly.
“I’ll call you tonight,” he whispered, then walked out the door.
Oh mercy, she was in big trouble.
“DARLING, YOU NEVER called me back,” her mother complained later over the phone.
“Oh, hello, Mother. I’m sorry. James was here and I waited until he left, but then I got busy with some chores and forgot.”
“Well, that’s not very flattering, dear. Can James come to dinner Wednesday night? We’re dying to meet him.”
“Oh, Mother, let’s not. Things are going to be so hectic between now and the wedding. You’ll meet him then. After the wedding, we’ll have time to visit.”
After the wedding, she’d tell her mother he’d gotten a role in Hollywood and had to leave. Her mother wouldn’t want to stand in the way of his career advancement.
“We’ll keep it simple, dear. Just the four of us. You certainly can’t get engaged without introducing him to your father and me. He’ll need to ask your father’s permission, of course. Now, tell me what his favorite foods are. I want him to feel welcome.”
“Mother, I—”
“I insist.”
“Okay, fine. His favorite foods are—” She thought frantically. Then, with a smile, she said, “His favorite foods are cabbage and boiled potatoes.”
“But, dear, none of us like that,” her mother protested.
“I know,” Elise agreed. With any luck, she figured James wouldn’t, either.
Chapter Eight
The three friends sat at their usual table at The Prickly Pear.
“So, what happened with James?” Daisy asked.
Elise hadn’t spoken with her friends since yesterday morning when they’d shown her the picture of James in the paper. “We’re still pretending.”
Phoebe leaned forward. “One of the chapters in that book says you should avoid lies.”
Though still unnerved by the events of yesterday, Elise raised her eyebrows and looked Phoebe directly in the eye. “Then it’s a good thing I’m not looking for a husband, isn’t it?”
Phoebe grinned. “I guess so.”
“Are you okay?” Daisy asked.
“Sure,” Elise said. “In fact, I’m better than okay. I even managed to find another candidate for the Daddy job.”
Daisy looked wary, but Phoebe was pleased.
“All right! Way to go, Elise.”
“Not James, right?” Daisy asked. “It’s someone else?”
“Of course, not James! He—he’s too popular.” She thought of Sandy, the woman in the picture. Definitely too popular.
“Hey, I thought you and James were going to the movies tonight. Isn’t that what you told me?” Phoebe suddenly asked.
“I canceled.” She didn’t add any details. Even to her friends she couldn’t confess how close she’d come to losing all objectivity about James. There would be no more “research” evenings.
Except, of course, for Wednesday night when she had to take him to dinner at her parents’.
“Okay, so tell us about the new candidate,” Phoebe ordered after a slight pause. “Is he handsome?”
“Not like James,” she said without thinking. Then she hurriedly added, “I mean, he’s not dark, he’s a blonde.”
“Blonde? Surfer type?” Daisy asked.
“No, not at all. He’s a professor in the History Department. I thought about how I found James and I decided to check out the other departments. Not only is Dave one of the most popular history professors, but he’s writing a book,” Elise said, looking at Daisy, hoping for a positive reaction.
“Really?” Daisy asked, her eyes lighting up. “So, he’s not all muscle.”
Phoebe gave Elise an encouraging smile before saying to Daisy, “And you can’t complain he puts his hands in people’s mouths.”
“True. And college professors don’t have as demanding schedules as businessmen. He’d have more time for family,” Daisy speculated. “When do I meet him?”
“Tonight. He promised to drop by. I thought it might be easier to meet him that way instead of on a blind date.”
“That’s great,” Daisy agreed. “I hate blind dates.”
“Oh, look, there’s Frannie—” Phoebe pointed before waving at the red-haired figure in a clashing red sweater and black clam-diggers.
Frannie beamed at them and hurried over. “Hi! I was hoping I’d run into the three of you. I was feeling a little lonesome tonight, after our fun weekend.”
“Join us, Frannie,” Elise offered, pulling out the fourth chair.
“Have you ordered yet?” Frannie asked, sitting down and picking up a menu at the same time.
“Not yet. George went to get our drinks, but he’ll be back in a minute.” Elise, sitting facing the door, kept watching for Dave, the history professor.
That’s why she immediately saw the two men who entered. She knew both of them. James Dillon and Bill White. By the way they stood at the door, their gazes sweeping the room, she knew they were looking for someone in particular. She didn’t wave.
They found her, anyway, and headed across the room.
Frannie, looking up from the menu, noticed Bill at once. “Look who’s here,” she whispered fiercely. She half rose in her chair. “Yoo-hoo, Bill. Hello!”
Bill’s cheeks turned bright red and he gave a half wave. James didn’t even smile, his gaze fixed on Elise.
“James is with Bill
,” Daisy said. “Did you know he was coming?”
Elise shook her head.
“Evening, ladies,” James said, having reached the table. “Mind if Bill and I join you?”
“Of course not,” Phoebe said, standing. “We’ll just need to pull over that empty table and put it with this one. Frannie, why don’t you move down here with me, and they can add a table.”
Elise almost smiled at Frannie’s eager response. Her move would put her next to one of the men. Elise would be pleased if it was James, but probably Frannie would make sure it was Bill.
James helped move the other table over. Then he pulled up a chair next to Elise.
“What are you doing here?” she whispered fiercely. She’d told him last night there would be no more “research” evenings.
“I stopped by to talk to Bill, and he suggested we eat here,” he said, smiling slightly, daring her to accuse him of lying.
She glared at him. “And why did you stop by to talk to Bill?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, Elise, but I read a police report about thefts in the neighborhood, and I thought I should let Bill know, so he could be on the alert.”
Frannie had been listening. “Thefts? Oh, no. I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”
Bill, having sat down beside Frannie, shook his head. “I don’t think we’re in any danger. The lighting helps deter crime.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” Phoebe agreed.
“And it helps that all the men in our units are big and strong,” Frannie said with fluttering lashes and a sideways look at Bill.
“Elise?”
Elise whirled around, embarrassed to discover Dave Haskell standing beside her. She’d gotten so distracted by James’s arrival, she’d forgotten to watch for Daisy’s potential date.
“Oh, Dave, I’m glad you found us. Please join us,” she said at once, smiling as she stood and welcomed him.
James stood beside her, frowning. “Hello, I’m James Dillon, Elise’s fiancé.” He stuck out his hand.
Dave looked at Elise in surprise, but shook James’s hand. “Dave Haskell.”
Elise quickly introduced the rest of the table, saving Daisy until last. Dave’s smile widened slightly as he shook her hand. Then he scooted his chair right next to her.
Rent a Millionaire Groom Page 8
