Which was good. And could be helpful.
And also made my heart pound with an emotion I didn’t want to examine too closely.
Evan cleared his throat. “Back to what I was saying, hiring starts on January first, but Chester Walton likes to get his contracts ready to go beforehand. So we would need to be together for a few months.”
Now my mouth was dry. A few months? “I don’t think I’m at a point where I’d be okay dating you.” And I was probably the only woman in a thousand-mile radius who felt that way.
His confident smirk made me feel like my thought bubbles had returned and he’d just read my mind. “Don’t think of it as dating. Just hanging out. We used to hang out all the time. And I know it’s a lot to ask. It’s hard for me to even ask for it. I have a hard time trusting people.”
The guilt intensified. I was the worst person ever and the last person he should trust. But as I knew from all the time I’d spent watching and participating in sports, the best defense was a good offense. “I don’t know that I can trust you, either.”
There was a look of pain in his eyes that was quickly gone. “That’s fair. Guess I’ll just have to do my best to prove that you can.”
I was the slime of all humanity. If he was being sincere.
And unfortunately the best way to figure out whether he meant it or it was all an act was to do what Brenda wanted me to do: stay “engaged” to Evan.
He got up and came to sit next to me on the couch. Not too close to make me uncomfortable, but close enough that I could feel his warmth and smell the soap on his skin, and every cell in my body tingled with anticipation of his touch.
“Please give me a dirty look so I know we’re okay.”
What else could I do but smile?
He held up six fingers and mouthed the wordsixto me.
Which made me want to smile again, but I pushed the feeling down. I didn’t know if I could do what he wanted. I was sure Brenda would be ecstatic, but it would be really hard to pretend to be his fiancée. Especially when I had only just started to think about him with something besides hatred. “I don’t know ...”
“It is a lot to ask,” he said. “I get that. And I get that there’s not really anything in it for you. I could come and do an interview at ISEN and give you all the credit for bringing me in.”
That was not what ISEN wanted from him, and the guilt nearly overwhelmed me. “That’s not necessary.”
“Or how about for the home games I could get your family a luxury box?”
Years ago my father had been invited by a client to attend a Jacks game in a luxury box, and he mentioned it practically every time we went to the stadium. He desperately wanted to go back but couldn’t justify the cost.
How could I say no and deny my father that chance?
As if he sensed I was weakening, Evan pressed his case, reaching out his hands as if he intended to grab mine. “The boxes are really nice. I think your family would enjoy them.”
I had to say yes. Even though I didn’t want to. Not just for my career’s sake but to make my dad happy. “Okay.” I swatted at his hands. “I’ll do it. I’ll be your fake fiancée for the next few months.”
“That is so great. Thank you!” He leaned forward, his arms moving toward me like he intended to hug me.
In that moment it would have been too much. I was trying desperately to remember my end goals: to stay professional and not let Evan Dawson in. Being enveloped in his strong, manly arms would not help with any of that.
I quickly stood. “I’m going to need a ring. That’s the first thing women ask about.”
He stood as well. “I’ll take care of that. I’ll have my assistant grab something. Text me your address so I can have it delivered.”
“Sounds good. I should get going.”
“Right. I am kind of bummed that people think I proposed to you in a restaurant. I would never do something so cliché.” He must have caught my disdain, because he immediately started backpedaling. “Uh-oh. Did someone you know get proposed to in a restaurant?”
“My oldest sister. My mother. My paternal grandmother. I could go on.” Clichés were clichés for a reason. We stopped just next to the door.
“Sorry, I have a bit of foot-in-mouth disease when I’m around beautiful women.”
“Ha.” He was either blind or the liar I suspected him to be. “I know how I look right now.”