Page 53 of Hula Girl

“Well, I got sort of stuck with that,” I admit, “when your ex was there trying to suggest that I was full of shit. Then my dad played along—”

“Yeah, why did he do that?”

“My guess is that he didn’t know if it was true or not. In his mind, it easily could have been since we haven’t spoken in a year. So, rather than appear to be unaware that hisbelovedson was engaged, he just went with it.”

“Wow,” she says. “He really doesn’t know anything about you, does he? And he’d rather pretend he does just for appearances?”

I shrug. It’s nothing new to me. But Ava pegging my relationship with him so quickly is a reminder of just how perceptive she is.

“If your Bryce hadn’t been there trying to provoke the whole thing, this never would have had to happen,” I say, mostly to avoid telling her she’s dead on about my nonexistent connection with my father.

“He’s notmyBryce.”

“Yes, well, I’m just telling you how we got here.”

“Ford, we’re not going to let this go on,” she says. “You’re going to tell him that this isn’t real, right?”

“Uh, yeah,” I say, hesitating. “Yeah, I’ll do that.”

“Whywouldn’tyou want that?”

“I just need to stay on his good side for a little while longer so I can research an idea I have on giving up my shares.”

“And us being ‘engaged’ keeps you on his good side?”

I shrug. “I think it would, especially as long as I don’t make him look like a fool for going along with this. He’s big on appearances. Since he’s already turned his dinner party into an engagement party, it would only piss him off to back out of it right now. If we go along with this—temporarily—he gets to play the gracious host to this event, to look like he’sso proudof me. Then he can pretend to be understanding of me wanting to officially leave the firm. He’ll twist it into this phony thing that it’s me striking out on my own.” I don’t add that this will also keepheron his good side. I still don’t want her worrying about that possibility.

She looks dubious. “You’re presuming a whole lot, aren’t you?”

“I’ve studied him more than I’ve studied any law book. I know him.”

“Okay, I get where you’re coming from,” she says. “I just can’t go along with it.”

My heart sinks. It’s all so ridiculous that I would have even thought to push through with this thing, that I have to admonish myself for being disappointed that she wouldn’t be game for it. Why should she put herself out for me, anyway? It seems like her affection for me has waned with this whole conversation. That fire we had has started to fade with the real world stuff coming to the forefront.

“I have my own career to think of, Ford,” she continues. “The older man who you met, Randall Miller? He’s my boss. But he’s not just my boss, he’s like family to me. He gave me a chance at a top-tier law firm when no one else would. He’s my mentor, my friend. And I won’t lie to him about all this. I also won’t keep this up at the expense of my professional reputation. From what Tyler told me, you coming back has the LA legal world talking. Now, I’m going to be part of that. I’m already at a double-disadvantage with being Latina. I won’t play along with your game and lose respect and credibility among my peers for it. I’ve worked too hard to get where I am to suddenly be dismissed because of my ‘frivolous’ love life.”

Jesus. She’s right. This “sudden engagement” could be interpreted as her being too easily prone to emotion. At least, I know that’s what a lot of her rivals would latch onto. I’m such an asshole. Just as selfish and callous as my father. I thought I’d shed that skin. Turns out it’s way too easy to put it back on.

“I don’t want that,” I tell her. “Really, I don’t want to pull you into something that will drag you down. I … I didn’t realize all the ramifications. I’m sorry.”

She watches me for a long moment before nodding.

“I’ll figure out some way to get out of this. You don’t need to do anything. It’s on me.”

After a moment of hesitation, she opens her mouth to reply but stops when someone approaches our table.

“So, it is true. My, have stranger things ever come to pass?” the man asks.

I recognize him as Manfred Kahn, partner along with Randall at Ava’s firm. He’s always rubbed me the wrong way and I can tell from the way that Ava recoils at his sudden presence and eager eyes that she feels the same way.

“Hi Manny,” she says stiffly. “Whatever do you mean?”

He waves his hand between me and Ava. “I heard the big news just as I was leaving the ABA event that you are engaged to Ford McAvoy’s Boy Wonder,” he says with a self-satisfied grin. “That’s one way to get a leg up, right?”

I’m about to leave my seat and flatten this guy when Ava speaks, “Really, Manny, how many times do you need to be talked to by HR before you realize you can’t say things like that to me?”

I laugh, enjoying the pinched look on his face.

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