Page 43 of Salty, Spiced, and a Little Bit Nice

“Which stage?”Mine is currently at the lusting-over-your-fake-boyfriend stage.

“Introducing her to my colleagues and business partners. It seems too… serious. We’re still getting to know each other. I don’t want her to get the wrong idea.”

“Tell me about her.”Why am I torturing myself?“What’s her name? What does she do? Does she know you’re pretending to be someone else’s boyfriend?”

“Too many questions.” He indicated left, his eyes scanning for a free parking spot. “I can’t choose which one to answer first, so I’m ignoring them all.”

“But I’m intrigued about this woman who voluntarily agreed to date you. Was she under duress? Is her experience with men so limited that she didn’t realize there are plenty of other fish in the sea? Oh, wait. Are you herfirst boyfriend?”

“She’s not my girlfriend yet. Are you always this chatty?” He slid the gear into park and turned off the engine. “I don’t remember you talking this much when we were younger.”

Probably because I had always been too nervous to speak when he was around. And right now, because my chattiness perfectly disguised my disappointment at knowing he was interested in someone else. “Compared to you, Sir Grouchiness, a rock would be considered chatty. And you have answered none of my questions.”

“Maybe one day. When I have ten free hours.”

I rolled my eyes as we got out of his car and started walking toward the row of restaurants along the Waterfront. “If you expected me to spare ten precious hours of my life for you, you’ve got another thing coming.”

“Three at the party, and ninety minutes today. They all add up.”

“Speaking of the party,” I said, suddenly remembering a moment from last night, “what’s the deal with Jacqui and Phil? I thought I picked up some tense vibe between them.”

His eyebrows quirked up. “Did you? Very observant.”

“One of my many talents.” I twirled my hands with a flourish. “It was something Jacqui had said about how marketing a property isn’t her expertise. Phil didn’t look very impressed.”

“Word on the street is, Anderson Real Estate is in some serious financial trouble. They’ve had to close three offices alone in the last year. Rumor is, he’s approaching Jacqui to invest in his company so he can save the business.”

“And she wasn’t interested, judging from what she said last night?”

He shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

We walked in comfortable silence for a while. It was a cool but beautiful sunny day, and the Waterfront was packed with tourists and locals wanting to enjoy a slice of sea and sunshine. Families with kids frolicked on the sand, while couples young and old strolled hand in hand along the gorgeous white-sand beach.

“Can I ask you a question?” I broke the silence.

“If I say no, you’re still going to ask, aren’t you?”

“Why is the Goodwin deal so important to you, anyway?”

“Didn’t you write all this down? Check your notes.”

“I mean, I know it’s a great opportunity,” I said. “But fromwhat Phil mentioned yesterday, you seem to be doing well for yourself. I understand that GPG could open new opportunities for you, but you’re giving up half of the business you’ve worked so hard for.”

“Because they’re the Holy Grail of the construction industry. Imagine if Martha Stewart knocked on your door tomorrow and offered you five million dollars for half the stake in your bakery. I bet you’d jump at the chance.”

“I wouldn’t take anything less than fifty.” I grinned.

But he wasn’t listening. “Jacqui is a savvy businesswoman. People like her do their research, their due diligence, and they don’t just offer to invest in any business unless they’re certain it’ll be profitable. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it will give me a chance to branch out of Port Benedict and expand the business all over the country.”

“You could open an office back home. Be closer to your family.”

His face clouded. “No. Not back home.”

Before I could ask why, he lowered his head. “We’re almost there, and Jacqui and Phil are sitting outside, looking in our direction. I think they’re talking about us.”

I snuck a glance at the restaurant we were heading to. He was right: the two of them were at the outside dining area, chatting as they watched us approach.

“They definitely are.” We were walking too far apart for two people who were supposedly in a loving, committed relationship. “Should we hold hands or something?”

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