Page 15 of Matched with Her Fake Fiance

I pause, thinking that over. “Not really crazy, just enough to leave me alone.”

“So, in summary, you’re saying Mother Goose is ready to get you married off and you’re not quite ready for that commitment yet?” Dani asks.

“Um, I’m sorry. Did you just say Mother Goose? As in the nursery rhymes?” I’m having a hard time keeping it together after that.

Dani laughs, and a small amount of relief passes through me. “Yeah, it was the only thing I could think of at the moment.”

I should probably stop teasing, but I love the sound of her laugh and I don’t want her to stop. “So, not Eros?”

She gives me a strange look and says, “I’m surprised you know who that is.”

I tone my smile down a bit, curious as to what she means. “That Eros is the Greek god of love?” When she nods, I say, “Okay, so what’s your first impression of me?”

“What if we walk and talk about this? I need sustenance and some time to gather my thoughts about your sudden proposal. Er—I mean, request.” Dani stands and walks in the direction of the graveyard next to the Common.

As we walk by, I point and say, “These people are dead. I doubt they need much in the way of vitamins and minerals at this point.”

“True, but one of my favorite places is just a short walk from here.” She leads me to Faneuil Hall, where there are several food options inside, almost like a restaurant market. She orders a chocolate strawberry crepe and I get the same before handing over my card to pay quickly, knowing she’ll be bugged.

“You don’t have to do that, you know,” she says, her eyes raised as if I should be scared.

“I want to. I’m the one who invited you out on this excursion.”

She nods and takes a bite of the crepe before we’ve even walked down to the small section of tables. “So delicious. Someday I’ll go to France and eat my weight in crepes.”

My laughter pulls her out of her trance, and I almost feel bad. After taking a bite of my own crepe, I have to say it’s not bad. Although French ones are definitely better.

“Are you making fun of my future plans, sir?” It’s difficult to hold back a laugh at her attempt of a French accent.

I shake my head. “Not making fun of it, just enjoying the fact that you are passionate about things.”

“Food. I’m passionate about food, Miles.” She pauses a moment and a slow smile appears.

I raise my hands in surrender. “I didn’t say it was bad.”

She takes another bite of the crepe, her eyes watching my face without blinking. I wish I knew what she was thinking behind those striking blue eyes.

“Okay, back to your impression of me.” I lean forward, ducking down a bit to catch her eye.

She pats her mouth with a napkin and glances up. I’m able to take in more of her features and while I hadn’t noticed the night at The Riptide, she’s quite beautiful. Hopefully she has no mind reading capabilities.

“Originally, I figured you were a stiff businessman who is tough enough to not even care about his date making out with someone else.”

I nod. “It’s because I ate the food, huh?”

She stretches one hand toward me, most likely for emphasis. “You ate the food. It’s like the ultimate burn for a relationship. I was in awe.”

“In awe? Or just hungry?”

With a nod, she says, “Probably a little of that too. It made me rethink the Big Breakup.”

I raise my eyebrows, surprised by her answer. “What’s the Big Breakup?”

She takes another bite of her crepe and glances around, watching a couple pass us. I’m wondering if she’ll ever get to the point when she looks back at me.

“I had just come back from Christmas break. Clay, my ex-boyfriend, and I had been dating for over five years and I might have…well, my sisters convinced me that he would probably pop the question.”

“Oh,” is all I say. I can see where this is going and wish I could help in anyway. Except she’s single and talking about the past.

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