Page 26 of Minted

“Because. . .” That’s when it hits me. He’s obtuse, so I can lie about the real reason and avoid an awkward interchange. “Because you’re such a player. James knew you, right? While we were married, he saw you with a different woman at every event.”

“I almost never brought women to the parties and dinners.”

“But sometimes you did,” I say.

“I guess it wasn’t ever the same person.” He’s still frowning.

“Knowing you, they’re not going to believe that you’d suddenly start dating someone seriously.” Phew. There it is.

“That may be the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.”

For a moment, I feel a little bad. Am I going to give him a complex because of my own insecurity? But I shake it off. There’s no way someone as confident and put-together as Bentley would lose sleep over people thinking he’s a player.

Guys love that kind of thing.

“Well, we’ll show them tonight that it’s ridiculous,” he says. “I’ll be the most devoted man who ever took his girlfriend to a holiday party.” He’s now racing down the road with a huge smile on his face. He looks even more gorgeous than usual, and I may have created another problem.

Because if he keeps acting like that, I’m going to be screwed.

I’m pretty sure I’m already developing an unrequited crush. How do I keep my brain from running amok? I remind myself that he’s just paying me for my services. I’m basically his employee.

And tomorrow night, he’s taking Lila the Lurid Librarian out to dinner. . .and maybe more.

That’s like a bucket of ice water to the brain.

“Maybe we should talk about tomorrow,” I say.

“What about it?” Bentley’s frowning, his eyes still on the road.

“Where are you going to take the lovely Lila?”

“Is that really what you want to talk about?” He presses a few buttons until “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” floods the car. “There, that’s better.”

“What about that place—”

“Maybe Gabriel Kreuther. I went with Dave and Seren last week, and Seren loved the desserts.” Bentley asks, sounding brusque.

“The new French place?” I whistle. “I hope that’s a joke. You can’t take her to a place like that. If Seren likes the dessert, it’s out.”

“Why?”

“Do you think Mr. Regular would go someplace that costs a hundred dollars a plate?”

He sighs. “I was excited to be dating in earnest at first, but this is getting tedious.”

“Did you think it would be easy?” I ask. “You’re rich and sophisticated and you want a woman who’s smart, funny, gorgeous, and kind, and you don’t want her to know that you’re rich.”

“You make it sounds like I’m perpetrating some hoax,” he says. “I’m just trying to change things up a little so I don’t date the same women I’ve dated unsuccessfully for twenty years.”

“I think that’s smart,” I say. “But you can’t just dial it in. Where’s the best taco place you’ve ever been?”

He doesn’t even hesitate. “Los Taco Number One.”

“Okay, then that’s where you’ll go.”

“They only have tables outside.”

I snatch his phone from the center console. “I’ll tell the librarian to dress warm.”

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