She stopped and gave him a sideways glance. “I told you I was a performer.”
He hated to admit it, but he’d dismissed it as being another one of her crazy ideas. He was amazed she actually had talent. “You’re good.”
“Thanks.”
“Have you ever performed anywhere?” Why hadn’t he asked her that before?
“Yes. I had a small part in a Las Vegas show. That’s why I was living there. Unfortunately, it didn’t last, so I was stuck there working at the coffee shop, trying to find something else. It was yet another thing that my father told me wouldn’t work out, and he was right. It didn’t.” She blew her hair out of her face and stared out the window.
“I’m sure your father means well.”
“He does. I just wish I could have succeeded and proven him wrong.”
The look on her face was so downhearted, it stirred a desperate urge in him to cheer her up. “You got a part in a Las Vegas show. I bet not every aspiring performer can say that.”
Her lips lifted in a partial smile. “You’re right.”
“And I’m sure many artists have failures and setbacks before their careers take off.”
“Yes. You’re right again.” She patted his leg. “I just wish my father would understand.”
“What does he want you to do?”
“Something safe. Boring. Like accounting.”
He chuckled. “Well, if your shirt is any indication, you do like math.”
“I like math jokes. Not quite the same thing.” She twisted her hands together. “Plus, I have this other talent, besides singing, I mean. It’s stupid, really, but Dad thinks I should use it in my career.”
Harrison pulled off the freeway and merged into the traffic. “What is it?”
“I can do math in my head.”
“Can’t everyone?”
“No, I mean I can do really complicated math in my head.” She turned away, like she was embarrassed.
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Not really. It intimidates most people, so I try not to bring it up.” She looked down at her hands.
The Chinese restaurant came into view, so he changed lanes and pulled into the parking lot. “Why would you being able to do math in your head intimidate people?”
She shrugged. “It just does.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
She arched an eyebrow, like he’d challenged her so she needed to prove him wrong. “Ask me anything.”
“What’s twelve times twelve?”
She rolled her eyes. “Everyone knows that. You’re not even trying.”
He didn’t want to admit that he wasn’t sure what the answer was, so he laughed. “Okay, okay. What’s one hundred, twenty-three times sixteen?”
She looked up and to the left, like she was calculating it out in her mind. “One thousand, nine-hundred, sixty-eight.”
Since he had no idea if she was right, he pulled out his phone and opened his calculator app. “Nice. Okay, here’s a harder one.” He typed in a random number. “One thousand, seven hundred, sixty-two divided by fifty-one.” He hit the equal button and immediately regretted just making something up. The answer had a decimal point with a long string of numbers.
Again, she looked up, but waited a little longer this time.
“Never mind. That was too hard.”
“Well, it’s thirty-four point five four nine zero one nine, but I’m going to need another second if you want it divided out further.”
His mouth fell open. “Six. That’s the only one left. How did you—?”
“No,” she said, still looking up. “It goes further. Your calculator just rounded. It’s six zero seven eight four three one four.”
Harrison stared at her. “How do you know that?”
Her cheeks turned pink. “Like I said, I can do math in my head.”
He didn’t want to admit it, but she was right. That was intimidating. He forced a laugh. “Well, I know who’s calculating the tip.”
She smiled, her eyes hopeful. “You don’t feel threatened?”
He did, but he shook his head. “Not at all. You’re good at math. I can throw stuff together and make awesome omelets. Everyone has their strengths.”
Her smile widened. “Good. I was afraid I was going to make you feel weird.”
Inadequate, unintelligent, dumb. Those were the words swirling around in his head. But he ignored it. “Nah. Let’s go in and eat.”
Penny followed Harrison into the restaurant with the smell of ginger thick in the air. Two red dragons faced each other in a huge painting on the wall. The noise of people chatting and dishes clinking carried through the establishment. A woman showed them to their seats.
“I suggest the lunch buffet.” Harrison smiled like he was about to share a secret.
“You come here often?”
He nodded. “As often as I can. I haven’t been in a while. Busy at work.” A quick frown crossed his face but in a second it was gone.
After they filled their plates and sat back down, Penny decided to broach the subject she’d been thinking about all morning. “I know you’re busy with work, and this might not be a great time, but I was wondering if we could go to Santa Barbara this evening.”
Harrison slowly finished chewing his food. He lowered his fork. “Did William agree to meet with you?”
She pushed a cashew around on her plate. “No.”
“Then what do you have in mind?”
That was the problem. She didn’t know what she had in mind. Show up on his doorstep? The thought had been shoving its way into her brain. “I don’t know.”
Harrison wiped the corner of his mouth with his napkin. “I don’t think we should surprise him by knocking on his door.”
“What if we were to accidentally run into him? Like at the grocery store?”
“You mean, go sit outside his house and wait for him to leave and then follow him, trying to be discreet, so we can bump into him in a normal public setting?”
She grinned. “Great idea!”
He scowled and leaned back in his chair. “I was being sarcastic. That’s a terrible idea.”
She was afraid of that. “Darn.”
“You should really talk to him more before going all the way out there to meet with him, anyway.”
“What does that mean?”
He wouldn’t look her in the eye. “Just that you should ask him what he’s not telling you.”
Anger built up in her like a pressure cooker about to blow. “What did you do?”
Guilt showed on his face as plain as the pool of soy sauce on her plate. “Nothing.”
“You did! You checked him out online!”
As soon as she said it, his face confirmed it.
“I can’t believe you.” She folded her arms across her chest and hunched into the back of her chair. He was way out of line. What business of his was it, anyway? And who cares what he thinks he found out. It wasn’t important. She glared at the floor.
William told her everything. Whatever Harrison found out, she probably already knew. Didn’t she? There couldn’t be anything William was hiding. They had an open and honest relationship. Even if they hadn’t met in person yet.
She chanced a glance at Harrison. He looked like one of those dog shaming photos she’d seen on Facebook. It almost made her feel guilty for yelling at him.
He was just trying to help, anyway. She shouldn’t be so hard on him. And he must have learned something or he wouldn’t have been urging her to talk to William.
Curiosity wormed its way into her. What had he found out? Was there something William was keeping from her? She didn’t want to ask, but the words flew out of her mouth anyway. “What did you find out?”
He shook his head. “Oh, no. I’m not getting in the middle of whatever it is you guys have going on. I’m keeping my mouth shut.”
And of course, that made her want to know even more. “Just tell me.”
“No.”
&
nbsp; She huffed. “Fine. I’ll just get on your computer and look.”
Harrison blanched, then squirmed in his seat. “He’s married.”
Chapter 11
The restaurant melted around her, like someone had poured hot water on a wax painting. Her throat constricted and breathing became difficult.
“Penny? Are you okay?”
She knew it was Harrison’s voice, but everything seemed muffled, and her head spun.
“Penny. Breathe.” Harrison squeezed her shoulders and she realized he was behind her. “It’s okay. You’re going to be fine.”
The room grew impossibly hot. She needed air. Had to get out of there. She stumbled out of her chair and sprinted toward the door. December in L.A. wasn’t cold like back home in Iowa, but the 70 degree breeze felt cool on her skin and she leaned up against the building and gulped in the fresh air.
The door opened and Harrison rushed to her side, concern etching a frown on his face. “You okay?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
His arms wrapped around her and the musky smell of his cologne enveloped her. She buried her head in his shoulder as sobs wracked her body.
Harrison didn’t say “I told you so,” or “You stupid girl,” like she was sure he was thinking. Instead, he simply held her while the traffic sped by and her heart shattered into tiny pieces. He rubbed small circles on her back.
When she’d gathered her composure, she pulled away. “How could I have been so stupid?”
“Hush, now. You’re far from stupid.” He kissed her forehead, and her heart sped up. “You are the most loving, kind, and generous person I know. He tried to take advantage of you.”
“But, I should have seen. Should have known.”
“How? Did he ever give you any indication he was married?”
She stared at the concrete. “No.”
Harrison lifted her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. Two deep pools of blue met her gaze, and her knees grew weak. He had the most amazing eyes. Why hadn’t she noticed before? His thumb grazed her jawline, which added to the weak knee thing. “You are trusting. And loyal. It wasn’t your fault.”
Conflicting emotions surged. Anger, hurt, and betrayal for what William had done. And something else she couldn’t name, but it emerged as she looked into Harrison’s blue eyes. She turned away. “I was naïve.”
“Yes.” He moved his hands to her shoulders. “That’s one of the many appealing things about you.”
Frustration welled inside her and she blew out a breath. “Ugh. How could I have forgiven him for leaving me at the altar? Why did I listen to him?”
“Because you care. And you’ve given him your heart. It’s hard to walk away from a relationship, even an online one, when you’ve put your heart into it.” He paused, and his gaze landed on her lips. The moment suddenly turned more personal, and her breath caught.
Was he about to kiss her? She searched his eyes.
He blinked and took a step back. “Maybe we should go to Santa Barbara tonight. In fact, I can take the rest of the day off. We’ll go to a coffee shop and you can text him. Since he’s married, he won’t appreciate you showing up on his doorstep. Maybe he’ll meet you somewhere public. I think you need to talk.”
Being on the emotional roller coaster left her drained. Harrison was right. She had to break it off with William, face to face. Confront him about his wife. Let him know things were over. Maybe get rid of her cell phone so he couldn’t text her anymore. She was overdue on the bill anyway. “Okay.”
He put his arm around her shoulders and led her back through the restaurant. After he paid the bill, they left.
She sat in the car, numb. How long had William been married? Did he meet his wife during her relationship with him? Or had he been married for quite some time? She had to know. “What date was on the marriage license?”
Harrison’s jaw clenched and he stared out the windshield. “I don’t think you want to go there, Penny.”
Did she? The question festered in her mind. “Tell me. I need to know.”
Harrison sighed. “If I refuse to tell you, you’ll just go look it up anyway, won’t you?”
“Yes.”
He was silent for a minute, and it was obvious he didn’t want to say it. “He got married fifteen years ago.”
“Fifteen years?” She tried not to shout, but it didn’t work. “I was ten. How old is he?”
From the pained expression on Harrison’s face, Penny knew it wasn’t good news. When he didn’t say anything, she repeated herself. “How old, Harrison?”
“Forty.”
Penny felt another panic attack come on. “Are you kidding me? He’s forty?”
His pained expression didn’t go away. If anything, it got worse.
Penny gaped. “What else is there? You’re not telling me everything.”
“Remember the photo he sent?”
No. This wasn’t happening. Everything she knew about him was a lie. “Was that someone else’s photo?”
“Not exactly.”
She pulled out her phone and flipped to the photo. “What about it?”
“He’s not the blurry one.”
A lump formed in her throat. “You mean he’s the short bald guy in back?”
Harrison sent her an apologetic look. “Sorry. You almost married Danny Devito.”
Harrison stretched out in the corner booth of All Ground Up. He’d agreed to keep his distance and let them talk alone. Penny seemed nervous, wringing her hands and looking out the front window, sitting at a table waiting for him to arrive. She’d ordered a lemonade, which she occasionally sipped. The coffee she’d ordered for William sat, untouched. Lively Christmas piano music played over the speakers.
When she’d first texted William, he hadn’t wanted to meet. Harrison clenched his teeth. The jerk apparently wanted to string her along forever. But once he found out Penny was already in town, less than three miles from his house, he’d changed his mind. She hadn’t told him Harrison had come as well.
He picked up his bagel and took a bite. Not bad. The walnut cream cheese spread was pretty good. He chased it down with a swig of his coffee.
This booth was perfect because it offered Penny a little privacy – he couldn’t hear their conversation. But it gave him a good view in case William got upset about the breakup. Not knowing his temperament, Harrison didn’t want to be too far. He could get to Penny in two seconds.
The bell jingled and his gaze traveled to the door. William. He was taller than he looked in his photo, but just as bald. He immediately spotted Penny and turned on what he probably thought was a charming smile. Harrison scowled.
Penny stood and gave him a hug, which surprised Harrison. Wasn’t she there to tell him off? Give it a final break? Kick him in the tuckus and send him packing? The whole reason he’d suggested the meeting was so she could have closure and move on.
William pulled out the chair for Penny and Harrison groaned. Was he trying to be a gentleman, after all he’d done? Was there no end to this guy’s delusion?
As they sat and talked, Penny grew emotional. She dabbed at her eyes with her napkin. William reached across the table and took her hands in his. What was he saying? Penny nodded, blinked again, and wiped another tear. What Harrison wouldn’t give to be able to read lips.
Penny drew in a breath and tried to remain calm. She knew this man, even if some of the details had been wrong. His heart was the same. But he needed to answer some hard questions. “Why didn’t you tell me you were married?”
William’s face fell, and he stared down at the table. “I’m sorry. It ended almost three years ago. She just won’t sign the divorce papers.”
That was possible. Penny narrowed her eyes. “Ended…as in how?”
He shrugged. “She left me. Just packed up her stuff and ran off with the dog groomer. We’ve been separated ever since.”
Wow. She wasn’t expecting such a good answer. It was almost believable
. In fact, she found herself wanting to believe him. She didn’t want to think the last two years had been a total lie. “Why won’t she sign the papers?”
He exhaled and his shoulders slumped, the perfect impression of a beaten man. “I don’t know. Because I want them signed? I think she’s trying to punish me.”
The sadness in his eyes stabbed at her heart. Sure, he wasn’t a hunk like Harrison. But she knew he had a beautiful soul. It wasn’t fair for his estranged wife to do that to him. “Can’t you do something about it?”
“I was hoping she would sign the papers on her own.” He picked up his coffee and took a sip. “I guess that’s not going to work.”
Penny traced the lid on her lemonade. If what he was saying was true, and it did make sense, then why didn’t he just tell her? The fact that he had hidden his marriage hurt more than anything. “I can’t believe you kept something like that from me.” Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks again, so she blinked them back.
His gaze met hers, the pain in his eyes clear. “I’m so sorry. I was hoping to take care of it and not have to bother you with it. Your suggestion to get married threw me off.”
What? Penny gaped at William. “My suggestion? That was your bright idea.”
“It was?” His brow wrinkled. “Well, I don’t remember the details. I just know I wanted to.” He took her hands in his. “I fell in love with you, even though we’d never met. I know it sounds ridiculous, but that’s what happened.”
“It happened to me, too.”
William smiled and sat back in his chair, like that solved everything, which annoyed her. He wasn’t getting off that easy. Penny frowned. “I know we connected on a personal level in our conversations, but you were lying to me. You didn’t even tell me your real age.”
His smile faded and he ran his hand over his bald head. “I’m sorry. When I sent you that photo you thought I was Blake. I was going to say something, but you went on and on about how handsome I was, and how we’d make a great couple, and I couldn’t correct you. I wasn’t sure we’d ever meet in real life anyway.”
A Fake Marriage Romance Collection Page 40
