Page 16 of Head Over Heels

She bites her lip. "Not really. Don't make your staff go out of their way for me."

My staff?

"I don't have a staff, Josie—not at home. I have a PA. Well, and a housekeeper that comes twice a week," I admit. "I'm not sure who you think I am, but I'm not all that."

Her eyes light up with amusement. "Then why do you act like it?" She pulls the pile of papers toward her and pats the chair next to her.

"Sit down, Florence. If we're going to do this, we go into it as equals."

I can't remember the last time someone talked to me that casually.

I nod. "Okay."

I turn away from her, pulling my phone out to send Marin a text to grab whisky and dessert when she picks up our dinner. I take a slow deep breath before turning back and sitting down next to her.

She pulls the top document off the pile.

"English? What am I signing here?" Her eyes skim the document.

"That just says that you won't discuss our conversation tonight with anyone. To protect me if you change your mind or if we can't come to an agreement on all points. My lawyer told me not to discuss particulars until you'd signed."

She nods thoughtfully, focused on the single page in front of her. After a minute, she holds out her hand. "Pen?"

I want to be offended by her flippant expectation, but a quick glance around the table tells me Marin and Hettie dropped the ball.

I grab one from my office and bring it to her.

She signs with a flourish, then pushes the paper toward me. "So how does this work? I've never done anything like this."

I glance down to double-check that it's signed and dated. The title in front of her name stops me.

"Wait. You're a doctor?" My stomach sinks.This could negate everything.

"Relax, Florence. I teach at the university. I'm not under you." The corner of her mouth quirks. "Not in the professional sense, at any rate."

I close my eyes and force myself to take a breath. She's flirting with me.

"Marin will be delivering dinner in half an hour. I asked her to get some whisky to pair with dessert."

Her eyes light up at that.

"Hettie left me a list of things we should cover for the contract," I add.

She bites the inside of her cheek. "For not telling anyone about this, that's a lot of people who know. If you really want this quiet, you realize fewer people should know, right?"

I wave her concern aside. "It's Marin and Hettie. Probably the two people I trust most in the world." Well, I don't trust Hettie with everything, but as far as legal issues go, she's a gold mine to help me understand what I can and can't do, and what I can get away with. Attorney-client privilege has its perks.

"What's the first thing on your list?" she asks curiously.

"Duration. How long do we plan to keep this up? I think a year would be enough, but if you think you'll be over your friend sooner and want to date, we can agree on nine months. We'll add a clause about early termination to be safe."

"That's fine," she says. "What else?

"Public appearances." I meet her eyes. This is the most important part. "We have the charity gala in three weeks, and there are typically events every month or two. We should be seen in public together once or twice a month to make it look convincing."

"Who do you normally take to these events?"

"I normally go by myself," I say defensively. "I don't need anyone to complete me—or any of that shit."

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