Page 73 of The Floral Arrangement

Olivia stepped on the sidewalk in a black dress that hugged her curves, giving a hint of cleavage and a lot of leg. Her hair was piled on her head in an elegant updo. She smiled at me, raising her hand in greeting, and my stomach fluttered.It’s just nerves about the dinner with Fred.But why did I feel like a high school senior taking the hottest girl in my class to prom?

Perhaps it has something to do with the kiss yesterday?I clenched my jaw. That had been… that had been a mistake. A mistake I couldn’t stop thinking about.

Olivia’s gaze shifted to the front of the truck, her eyes widening. Shit. I slammed on the brakes only seconds before I would have rear-ended Olivia’s car. The truck jerked, throwing me forward, and came to an abrupt stop.

“Hi! That was close.” Olivia jumped into the passenger seat. For the first time in weeks, I wished I had my old car. This battered pickup truck didn’t do Olivia’s outfit justice.

“Hello. You look—” I swallowed. Stunning? Hot? Sexy? No. They were all too much. “Good.”

Her gaze dropped down my suit and back again. “You scrub up pretty well yourself.”

“Thanks.” I started the engine and began the drive down Main Street toward Rivers Edge. The sun had almost disappeared behind the mountains. Pink, purple and gold-tinged clouds stretched across the sky.

“How are you feeling about tonight?” Olivia asked as we passed the pub, two men doubled over laughing on the front steps.

“I’ll be glad when it’s over. But I think we’ve done all we can—hopefully our practice session yesterday will pay off.”

We reached the end of Main Street and I did a quick right and then left turn, pulling into the Rivers Edge parking lot.

Once the engine came to a halt, I turned to look at Olivia. This was it. Our last hurrah as a fake-dating couple. The last hurdle before Fred signed on the dotted line.

Olivia broke into a small smile. “We’ll be okay.” She reached out and squeezed my hand.

I ignored the tingle on my skin from her touch. “I hope so. I guess we’d better not keep Fred waiting.”

Inside, Fred sat at a table next to the floor-to-ceiling windows that provided a stunning view of the sunset that had deepened to dark purple and red. Its reflection rippled on the water.

“Sorry we’re a few minutes late,” I said as we reached him. I rested my hand on the small of Olivia’s back, trying not to let the warmth of her body distract me from Fred.

“No problem.” Fred beamed. “I’ve just been enjoying the view and a glass of champagne.” His smile widened. “It turns out we have two things to celebrate tonight. Our new business arrangement and my new house! I bought one in Sapphire Springs today.” He reached for the bottle of champagne that was sitting in the ice bucket on the table. “Would you each like a glass?”

“Congratulations!” Olivia said as we sat down. “I’d love one, thank you.”

“Roz?” Fred angled the bottle over a glass.

“That would be great, thanks. And congratulations on the house. That’s fantastic news.” As Fred handed me a glass of champagne, my stomach swirled. I knew he was looking, but hadn’t realized he would move so quickly.It’s just a vacation home. He’ll probably hardly ever be there.

I sipped my drink and glanced at Olivia. She was asking Fred something, leaning forward, her eyes bright with interest. She laughed at his response, her eyes crinkling. My insides fizzed.It’s just the champagne.

I took another sip. Perhaps I should rub her thigh, just like we’d practiced. Yes. That was a good idea.

I reached out and placed my hand on her thigh, just below the hem of her dress. Her skin was smooth and deliciously warm. I moved my hand toward her knee and back again. Maybe I’d just leave it there, for a little while. I shifted my chair closer to Olivia so I could rest my hand there comfortably.

“So, when will you get the keys to your new house?” I asked Fred.

“Not for another three months. The sellers wanted a long settlement period.”

“Well, when it’s time, you’re very welcome to borrow one of our trucks or our van to move if that helps.” Three months. Assuming tonight went well, by then I’d well and truly have Fred’s investment and Olivia and I would have officially broken up long ago. I shot a glance at Olivia and my chest tightened. We’d agreed we were friends, so I’d still see her around. Not only that, but I was her key supplier. There just wouldn’t be any reason to massage her thigh like I was doing right now.

“Are you ready to order?” a young woman dressed in black asked.

I looked down at the menu in front of me. “Sorry, we haven’t?—”

“I was thinking we could do the chef’s tasting menu,” Fred chimed in. “If that’s okay with the two of you?”

I scanned the menu and my stomach dropped. An eight-course tasting menu? We’d be here for hours. And the longer we were here, the more opportunity we had to screw things up. I forced my face into a smile. “That sounds great. It takes the pressure off having to decide.”

“Any dietary restrictions?” the woman asked.

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