Page 25 of The Floral Arrangement

Roz stepped forward. “You have to.”

My jaw tensed. “I’m sorry, but I don’thaveto do anything.”

“You pretended to be my girlfriend, told my mother and Fred you’d be there, and for some reason, they are both looking forward to seeing you.” Roz gritted her teeth.

I bit my lip. Roz’s mom and Fred both seemed delightful. It was unfortunate that Roz was not. I would have to disappoint them. “I don’t think that’s my problem.”

“Well, it’ll be your problem when I lease the flowers for cattle fodder, and you lose your supplier.” Roz quirked a brow.

My chest tightened. She’d clearly put two and two together and worked out what I’d been up to. “But…”

“It’s obvious what your agenda was this morning. And while it may have worked temporarily—I didn’t put forward my proposal to Fred to lease the flower fields because you made it too difficult—if Fred’s investment falls through, the flowers are gone.”

I stared at Roz. “But Jim told me they were profitable!”

“They are, but I’ll make more money leasing the fields to my neighbor. And if Fred doesn’t invest, I’ll need every cent I can get to keep the rest of the farm going.”

My heart dropped. She was serious.

Roz’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Investing the amount of money I’ve asked for requires a big leap of faith on Fred’s part. He needs to be able to trust me, or the whole deal will fall through. While I don’t like it either, you’ve backed us into a corner. You need to play my charming girlfriend, or we’ll both lose. If you play along and he invests, then I’ll keep the flowers.” She wrinkled her nose. Why did she hate flowers so much?

I twirled the twine with my fingers. While it had been fun watching Roz squirm for an hour, keeping the act up was another story.

“I’ll also need you to continue this dating charade while Fred is deciding whether to go ahead with the investment,” Roz said. “Oh, and be available as necessary.”

My eyes widened. “Available?”

“In case Fred asks for you. Or if we’re doing something that a partner would usually attend, like dinner.”

I picked up a pink petal on the counter and dropped it into the compost bin. “For how long?”

“Fred said he might come back again for some more visits before he makes up his mind, so it could be a couple of weeks.”

My stomach twisted. “I don’t want to lie to my friends or family about this.” I also didn’t want them learning I was interested in women just yet. I chewed on my lip. I was meant to be focusing on finding a partner to have kids with, not embarking on fake flings. I’d loudly announced on my thirtieth birthday that rocky relationships and failed businesses were a thing of the past. I didn’t want my first “relationship” post that speech to be a short-lived fake relationship with Roz that everyone thought was real. But until Sapphire Blooms was safe, I’d have no bandwidth to focus on dating anyway.

Roz snorted. “Shame you only discovered your moral code after this morning’s tour.”

I held up a hand. “I know, I know. But it’s one thing to get, um, a bit carried away and briefly pretend to be your girlfriend. It’s another to continue the deception and expand it to include other people.”

Roz shifted on her feet. “I don’t like it either, but Fred is my only chance for funding, and without it, the farm’s future is in peril—and this place as well.” Roz looked around Sapphire Blooms, as if seeing it for the first time. The tiered round rustic wooden table in the middle, overflowing with colorful blooms. The wooden shelves featuring my homemade candles and greeting cards. The displays of hyacinths, crocuses and tulips in the front window. Her features hardened. “A fake relationship was not part of my business plan this morning, but you’ve given me no other choice.”

I almost felt bad for Roz.Almost.

I sighed. It seemed like the best option was to fake date Roz but tell my friends and family the truth. At least that way, I could buy myself some more time to sort out my sexuality and avoid them thinking I’d entered yet another disastrous relationship with my eyes closed. Although they would almost certainly judge me for getting myself into this fake-dating pickle. I inhaled deeply through my nose. All things considered, it still seemed like the better option.

“I won’t lie to my friends and family. They won’t tell anyone. I promise.” I fixed her with a stare. “It’s non-negotiable.”

Roz held my gaze for a moment. God, she had incredible eyes. The blue reminded me of the Virginia bluebells that were currently in bloom across the Hudson Valley.

“Fine,” she said.

“Okay,” I said. “I’m in.” Maddie usually worked Saturdays with me. I could still work in the morning, and she should be able to manage without me for the rest of the day.

“Okay, then.” Roz pulled her phone out of her suit pants pocket. “We’d better get each other’s numbers so we can communicate. Do you still have mine?”

“What?” Why did she think I had her number? “No, I don’t have your number.”

She stabbed the screen of her phone a few times with an elegant finger then handed it to me.

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