Page 100 of Strictly Pretend

I fell asleep at four. And when I woke up our call was still connected. The man must have noticed the change in my sleep cadence because he murmured my name softly.

“Are you spying on me?” I asked him groggily.

“Yep.”

With anybody else that would be creepy. With him it’s strangely sweet.

But now it’s almost ten o’clock and I’m super late thanks to the stupidly late night. I’ve added a Danish to Granddad’s order to make up for it.

I pass Rita a cup of green chai tea which she holds in one hand while she hugs me with the other. “How was the wedding?” she asks.

“The wedding was…” I can’t help it, I grin.

“Oh my God, you need to tell me everything.” She flips the sign on the door around to closed.

“You can’t just close up like that. What if you get a customer?” I ask her. “And I have to give granddad his coffee before it gets cold.”

“We can do this in three minutes,” she tells me. “You just have to talk fast. You had sex with him, didn’t you?”

I start to laugh. “Um, yeah.”

“I knew it.” She goes to clap her hands together, and then frowns because she’s still holding her cup. So instead she does a little Rita-esque wiggle. “What was it like? Was he good?” Then her eyes drop to my hand. “Oh. My. God.”

Okay so I could have taken it off. Maybe I should have. But Brooks seems weirdly attached to me wearing it. I had to send him a picture of it on my finger last night.

“What does this mean?” she asks, lifting my hand up. “Is it a wedding ring?”

“It’s a borrowed ring. From a cowboy’s mom. A long story that won’t fit into three minutes,” I tell her. “It was a bit of a mess. Still is. I should have taken it off but Brooks wants me to keep it on until…”

“Until?” Rita prompts, her eyes wide.

“I don’t know. He’s asked me to give him a month to prove he’s worthy.”

“Oh!” Her mouth falls open. “So you two are a thing?”

I can’t stop smiling. “We are.” I bite my lip. “I know it’s way too soon but it feels right. He’s perfect.”

She lifts a brow.

“I know you’re sceptical,” I say. “But he has this whole other side to him.” I swallow hard. “I think I’m falling for him.”

Her eyes are as wide as saucers. “You’re right. Three minutes isn’t long enough. What are you doing after work?”

“Going out for a drink with you?”

“Cocktails. Small plates. Girls night,” she informs me. “Stop by here and I’ll choose you something to wear.”

“What’s wrong with this?” I ask, looking down at the outfit I pulled on this morning in a half-daze. A pair of baggy jeans and a white lacey tank.

“Everything. But don’t worry, your fairy godmother Rita will come to the rescue. And then you can tell me all about the size of Prince Charming’s?—”

“Gotta go,” I say quickly. “Talk later.”

She shakes her head but holds the door open for me anyway. I duck under her arm, the cardboard tray of coffees still in my hand. I put one on Mark’s desk in his entrance room – he’s nowhere to be seen so I assume he has a client. And then I use my elbow and ass in a combined move that a gymnast would be proud of to open the door to the bookshop.

“Granddad,” I call out. “I have your coffee.”

“Over here,” he calls out in a thin voice. When I look over I see he’s not alone. Next to him is a tall man, and though I can only see him from behind he’s tall with a broad back covered with a suit jacket.

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