Page 78 of The Player + The Pact = I Do

“Miss Boss Lady. Who would have thought it? You were such a funny kid. Always had your head in a book. Your room was always neat as a pin. And so independent.” He grins as he shakes his head.

My stomach starts to curdle. I don’t want to talk about my childhood. About how I was so independent because my mom was working two jobs to put a roof over our heads.

“So are you back in town to stay? Where have you been living?”

He leans back in his chair, stretching out his legs under the table. “Gotta love New York. Place is always changing and never changes at the same time.”

I smile at his description. He’s not wrong.

I wait for him to answer. How long is he back for? If he asked for a job at The Mayfair, he must be planning to stay for a reasonable amount of time.

“Do you live in Manhattan?” he asks.

“Jersey,” I say.

He nods. “Great place. I’d love to see your setup.”

My heart inches higher in my chest at the thought of showing my dad around my apartment. It’s not big, but Sophia and I have made it cozy. “I like to decorate for fall,” I say.

“You do? That’s nice. With the acorns and stuff?”

“Yeah, I like to have a wreath on the door, even though we’re in an apartment building. And inside, on the table, there’s a centerpiece of mini pumpkins and faux leaves.”

“You like interior décor? Doing stuff like that for fun?”

I sigh. “I suppose I do.” I’ve been having some ideas for the hotel lobby that I think will elevate the area. Louis took away the fresh flower arrangements. Iwant to bring them back, but in a modern, creative way that’s more cost effective than having huge numbers of fresh flowers delivered twice a week. I’m thinking I’ll pair planted orchids with fresh flowers on the table, then put air plants on the reception desk in striking glass containers so they’re a talking point for guests. At the moment the lobby looks bleak. I think we can do better.

“Looks like you get on well with your boss,” he says.

I hope the heat in my cheeks doesn’t show. “He’s a good guy.” There’s no point telling him about the engagement. It will make things more awkward for him when he meets Leo next. He needs to see him as a potential boss, not a future son-in-law. “He took a chance, giving me the job managing The Mayfair.”

“Hopefully he’ll do the same for me.”

I smile and I hope it looks genuine. “So where are you staying? With a friend or?—”

“Oh just here and there,” he replies. “For some reason I thought your mom worked at The Mayfair.”

“She did. Are you staying in Manhattan?” I ask again. I’m not sure the change of subject was deliberate, but either way, I want to know where he’s staying.

“Yeah, don’t you worry about me,” he says, patting my hand.

I’m not worried exactly. I just… want to know. So far we’ve talked about me, but I don’t know what my dad’s being doing with his life since he walked out all those years ago. The way he’s dodging my questions is starting to feel deliberate.

“What made you move back here?” I ask. “Did you lose your job?” I don’t even know if he got married again. Maybe he’s had more children.

“Just haven’t seen New York in a while,” he says with asimple shrug. There’s not even a rushed addendum about how he’s missed me—how a reunion was overdue.

I can feel myself begin to deflate. The little bit of hope that had lodged itself in my heart is working free.

Maybe he sees it in my gaze, because the next thing he says is not what I expect.

“I know we’ve got a lot to catch up on,” he says. “And I want to do that. I want to hear all your news. I want to know about every job, boyfriend, dream you ever had. I’m going to listen to it all. I’ve missed out on so much… I’d like to get up to speed if you’ll let me.”

He reaches for my hand and I let him take it across the table. That sliver of hope settles back in my heart. Hedoeswant to know me. I’m rushing everything, but we have time.

The alarm on my phone bleeps.

“We should leave for your meeting with Leo,” I say.

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