by Lila Kane
We became fast friends, probably because she reminded me of my sister and at the time, though I wouldn’t admit it, I’d been a little homesick. Law school was draining me mentally, and it was a lot more work than I expected. But then, following in my dad’s footsteps always was.
Stacy grinned when I stood from the table and wrapped my arms around her.
“Fancy,” she said, fingering the lapel of my jacket. “Moving up in the world, aren’t we? Let me guess. Gucci?”
I grinned at her. “Is this why you asked me to lunch? So we can discuss fashion?”
“Nope. But you do clean up well.”
I returned to my seat as she sat. “I’m pretty sure you’ve seen me in a suit before.”
Her lips curved wickedly. “I’ve seen you out of a suit before, also.”
I adjusted my tie casually. It had to be brought up at least once every time we saw each other. That was a given. “To be fair,” I said, “that was the best day of your life. Must have been because you can’t seem to forget it.”
Her laughter made me grin. “If only you were my type.”
If only. We’d discovered right away that we were just cut out to be friends. And that was right before she’d discovered law school wasn’t for her anyway.
But for several months before that, we’d been good friends and even roommates at one point. Until she’d come home one day and found me naked on the bed waiting for my girlfriend.
We could laugh about it even back then. However, back then, I’d also actually believed the world was really a bright, hopeful place.
That was before my father had died. When love had seemed possible.
“So why did you really ask me to lunch?” I asked her.
She scanned her menu. “My lease. I’m almost positive I’m getting screwed, but I wanted your opinion first.”
I grinned at her. “A professional opinion, you mean. I’m sorry, you can’t afford me.” She laughed and rolled her eyes. “Sure, I’ll take a look. But you’re probably right.”
“It’s in there,” she said, pointing to her purse. “But I thought we could eat first, catch up a little.”
Catching up with Stacy was the equivalent of trying to catch up with a toddler who’d had too much sugar. She did everything in fast-forward. Talking, gesturing, even eating. Kind of like me. She was fast on her feet and it made me regret losing touch with her these past few years.
But I know how much her life had changed since we’d last seen each other. She wasn’t after the fast-paced professional life. She liked her job at the coffee shop. And she had a boyfriend she was madly in love with.
That was the personal life I was supposed to be having. I guess I could learn something from Stacy.
Once I had a chance to look at the contract, I could tell right away that her landlord was trying to fuck her over. “Is this the first time he’s done this?” I asked.
“Nope. He did the same thing awhile back, but then Libby moved in and she was helping with rent so I guess it didn’t matter at the time.”
“Libby?”
“She’s my roommate.”
I handed her back the papers. “Well. It looks like you and Libby are getting screwed.”
Stacy shifted in her seat, looking uncomfortable. “It’s more like Libby who’s getting screwed. I want to move out. With Jeremy.”
I took a sip of water. “Then why does it matter? Your landlord is an asshat and you’ll probably be happier living somewhere else. Unless…” I angled my head. “Libby doesn’t know this.”
“No, she doesn’t. And I feel bad. Libby is the best and I love her, but I want to live with Jeremy.”
“Do you think Libby can afford the place by herself?”
She snorted. “Really? Come on, Ben, we’re not all lawyers.”
I didn’t comment. I wasn’t exactly rich, but I didn’t worry about money. “I don’t know what to tell you,” I said. I grabbed the check when the waitress came back over. “I can’t help with the other situation, but Libby doesn’t have to pay more rent if she finishes the lease. She can use that time to find a new place. But in the meantime, the landlord doesn’t have any ground to stand on. We could fight it.”
Stacy watched me sign the check and then sighed. “Libby still can’t do it even if the rent stays the same. She’s saving every single cent she earns as it is.”
I handed the check back to the waitress and gave Stacy a sympathetic smile.
“It sucks being a grown-up,” Stacy said as she stood.
“I hear you. Let me know if your landlord causes any problems about the current lease. I can help with that at least.”
Her dimples appeared. “Thank you. I really appreciate it. And since you’re helping me, is there anything I can do for you?”
I smirked automatically and blurted out the words before I thought them through. “You could find me a fake girlfriend.”
Her mouth dropped open, and then she sat again. “Wait a second. Why didn’t you say this earlier? I need more info.”
“It’s a joke. It’s…” I shook my head and then sat as well, watching out the window as families and couples walked by. “It’s a long story.”
“Then take a long lunch and tell me,” she said.
A long lunch? Wasn’t my style. But on the other hand, the partners wanted proof that I had a life. Things like this were part of that.
And so was having a woman in my life.
I didn’t plan on telling Stacy the backstory, but out of anyone she would understand and even try to help. She’d tried to set me up on a few dates in college and they worked out for the most part. I’d had a few short but fun relationships and a couple one-night stands that I couldn’t complain about.
But more than that, Stacy was the only one I knew who would do this for me without telling anyone else. She’d help me, keep my secret, and not judge me for it.
“This means I get to set you up, right?” she asked.
I rubbed my fingers on my temples. “You really want to hear the long story?”
“And get a drink.”
I coughed and laughed at the same time. “It’s not that long. Basically, I lied to the partners. I told them I had a girlfriend.”
She lifted her eyebrows. “Why?”
I didn’t answer right away. I wasn’t entirely sure myself. The truth would have been a whole lot easier. But I wasn’t in the business of easy. I was in the business of telling people what they wanted to hear and using words to get the right result out of a situation.
Besides, for that moment, I had kind of wanted my life to look better than it was. No, I’d wanted it to be better than it was.
I absolutely wanted to be partner, of course. But at the time, I’d also been almost…embarrassed to be single in a room full of men who had wives and families. Who loved those wives and families.
Stacy waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Forget it. I don’t need to know motives and details. Just tell me how I can help.”
So I did. I leaned back in my seat and told her the truth.
And the truth was that I needed a fake girlfriend, and I needed one now.
4
Our boss was in early today, which meant no music with words and nothing from the current century. I didn’t mind Bach and Mozart but variety was the spice of life, wasn’t it?
Not only was classical required, but Mr. Chapman’s presence meant we couldn’t put out The Jar. And definitely no talking with the customers about anything but their orders.
Which blew because the customers were one of the main reasons I kept this job.
That and the hours. Working in the mornings enabled me to work at the community center in the evenings or the Griffin Theatre on the weekends.
And, to make the day worse, our corporate office had just informed us that they were raising prices by a quarter on every item. That meant I got to spend downtime between customers updating the board with our new prices and then explaining to all my regulars why their d
rinks cost more.
I still hadn’t talked to Stacy either. I knew something was going on, I just didn’t know what exactly. She wanted to come in at the end of my shift today and also mentioned she was bringing a friend she wanted me to meet. Which meant she wanted to set me up.
I dropped a number from my perch at the top of the ladder and cursed. I didn’t know if I wanted to be set up by Stacy. All the men she usually tried to set me up with were businessmen who worked in various high-powered jobs. They all wore fancy suits and patterned ties.
Sexy for sure, but not really relationship material. Mostly only good for a short fling. Which I’d already soon after I’d arrived in the city and that had been the biggest mistake of my life.
Even if it had been amazing at the time. I’d needed someone to confide in and to take my mind off all the stress in my life, and then he appeared. Benjamin Davis. He’d strolled right into the party Stacy had taken me to and our gazes had connected. It was one of those magical movie moments—something I’d never experienced before.
He was also movie-star handsome, with just the shadow of stubble on his jaw and hair that waved naturally and kept falling over his forehead every time he laughed. I’d had to force myself not to brush it away every time it happened. Then he’d wrapped his fingers around my elbow and said, “Let’s talk,” in the sexiest voice imaginable and guided me out of the party. We’d walked hand in hand along the city streets and talked for hours.
And after that, we’d spent the weekend together, driving out of the city on a silly whim and discovering a charming B&B along the coast. It was the most romantic weekend of my life. The sexiest, too.
But it had turned into something more. I’d halfway fallen for Ben and let my heart get dangerously close to believing in love at first sight.
Until he’d ditched me at the B&B and my heart had almost shattered.
It was a horrible mistake, and after that, it made sense to steer clear of men in business suits.
Remembering how fully I’d invested myself made it hard for me to want to date again. Besides, I had Cary Grant and Gene Kelly playing through my brain every day. How was the real world supposed to compete with that? How could it live up to the fantasy romances I always imagined in my head?
I didn’t want ties and business suits. I wanted long, romantic weekends and walks in the park and nights by the fire baring our souls. I wanted musicals and movie stars and the world kept trying to give me penthouses and stock options.
Not fair.
The bell at the front door dinged and Mrs. Dennis appeared, walking with her cane. I climbed down from the ladder to meet her.
“Oh, no—be careful!” She squinted one eye but watched me with the other. “Don’t fall. I have something to show you and I won’t be able to if you break yourself on the floor.”
I hopped off the last step with a laugh. “I’m fine. I’m always careful. Don’t have time for a broken leg.”
“Or a broken hip,” Mrs. Dennis said in all seriousness.
“Absolutely.” I glanced to Mr. Chapman’s office to make sure he was still inside. “You said you have something to show me?”
“Yes.” Her eyes lit but her voice lowered. “Is that douchebag boss of yours here?”
My laugh came out choked. “You’re being naughty today, Shirley.”
She snickered. “Okay, I’ll use code anyway.” She resumed the volume of her normal speaking voice. “Coffee is so great! I’ll take my usual small latte. And use it to celebrate my recent purchase.”
Mrs. Dennis stepped back from the counter and lifted one foot slightly off the floor to show me.
“You got the tap shoes,” I said. I watched her give a small spin in sparkly red shoes that looked like they were directly out of The Wizard of Oz. “They’re stunning.”
Her cheeks reddened in pleasure, and then her smile straightened out when her eyes traveled behind the counter. “Like I said, I’ll have my usual.”
Shit. I could feel Mr. Chapman’s eyes on me from his office, so I focused on the register. “Your usual. That’s $4.75.”
“$4.75?” Mrs. Dennis’s eyes lifted to meet mine. “But I thought…”
“Dammit,” I mumbled under my breath. “I’m sorry. Corporate rose the prices.”
She opened her palm to examine the change she had there, which only came to $4.50 because that was what she was used to paying and Mrs. Dennis was on a budget.
I slid my hand into my pocket and pulled out a spare quarter. “No problem. I’ve got it.”
She shook her head. “No, Libby. You don’t—”
“Like I said, no problem. You’d do the same thing for me. I’ll grab your coffee.”
I made her drink and smiled when she walked outside with it. She paused to smile at the sky and the sun shining down on her face. That was one thing I’d learned from Mrs. Dennis. You had to appreciate each and every day because you never knew if it might be your last.
Last year, her husband had a stroke and he passed away. I’d known her for a few months at the time, but then she’d started coming to our Saturday night classic movie nights and that seemed to help her through the worst of it. It also bonded us more than I’d ever expected. Mrs. Dennis could be my grandmother, but she felt a lot like the mother I’d lost just before I moved to the city.
When I was ready to climb the ladder again, Mr. Chapman appeared with a frown. “I need to speak to you for a moment.”
“Sure.” I checked to make sure there weren’t any customers before I followed him to the small office.
He barely waited for me to step inside before he gestured to the registers. “What was that?”
My mind drew a blank. “What was…what?”
“That old lady out there. The one you helped right before I walked up.”
“Oh. Mrs. Dennis? She comes in here every week.” And he’d know that too if he cared more about the customers than the bottom line. “She wanted to show me her new shoes. She likes to talk—”
“That’s not what I meant, although you should keep your personal comments to a minimum. We’re running a business and we’ve got to keep the customers moving.” He sighed like he was at the end of his rope with his patience. “I mean what happened at the end. You reached into your pocket when the register was open.”
My stomach lurched when I realized what he was implying. “No, no. That wasn’t—I wasn’t taking anything. I was putting something in.” He frowned and I winced. “It’s because of the price change. She was short a quarter and I offered to help her out. She usually only brings exact change and—”
I broke off when his eyebrows pinched together.
Asshole. But I kept that comment to myself and instead said, “You can check my register. It’s not going to be short.”
More than that, I wasn’t a thief. I’d never steal from my employer and it hurt that he’d even consider that after how long I’d been here and how much I helped out. My regulars loved me and they kept coming because we had a good rapport.
“I’ll be sure to do that,” Mr. Chapman said. “But you’re already skating on thin ice. I don’t want to see something like that to happen ever again. Follow the rules.”
I forced a nod. “I will.”
I turned and gritted my teeth. Thin ice? Why the hell was that? I even came in early today to pick up a shift for another employee who quit. What was wrong with him?
“Libby!”
Stacy was standing on the other side of the counter with a wide grin. She leaned in, looking for Mr. Chapman before lowering her voice. “Your shift is almost over, right? Do you have time to make me an iced latte? You can deliver it to the table in the back.” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder with a wide smile. “He’s here.”
I glanced automatically to the table, and then the man. And I saw the business suit right away. Just like I thought.
The man was looking at something on his phone, with his head titled down so I couldn’t see most of his face.
; Stacy whispered, “I have to go to the bathroom. But when I’m done, I’m going to play matchmaker.”
I couldn’t catch her before she dashed off, evil laughter following her all the way to the bathroom. So I ducked quickly behind the espresso machine. Fuck. This was not the best time to be meeting someone new. Not after my talk with Mr. Chapman.
I just wanted to finish my shift and go home, eat Chinese food, and pretend I was my own boss.
After a quick glance around the machine, I squirted caramel into a paper cup. Well, he did look kind of cute. At least from what I could see. Nice build, dark hair, fancy suit.
Dammit. I couldn’t think of any way out of this now. And Stacy was way too persistent for her own good.
Besides, I needed to look at the bright side. This was a distraction, and right now I desperately needed a distraction.
Might as well make a good impression, too. So I took off my apron and smoothed my hair before picking up the latte and walking around the corner. I curled my lips into a charming smile, the one that showed my dimples and had won me a few dates in the past.
The closer I got, the more of him I saw, and it was clear he really did have a nice body under that suit. I could see it across his shoulders and the strength in his biceps.
Then he looked up.
The world went into slow motion when he met my eyes.
It hit us both at the same time. The recognition.
It was Benjamin.
As in, Benjamin Davis who had captured my heart shortly after I’d arrived in the city. Ben who’d taken me on a whirlwind trip out of the city, stolen my heart, and then crushed it—and I was too embarrassed to tell anyone.
He was the one who’d made me hate business suits.
He couldn’t be Stacy’s friend. There was no way.
His lips parted, words hovering on his tongue, but nothing came out.
I didn’t care if he’d been trying to apologize or simply say hi. I’d nearly lost my heart to him. They were crazy, out-of-character feelings at the time, but I’d felt them regardless.
