Page 7 of Reluctantly Married

“Do you like Italian?”

“Yes. Italian is good.” He seemed to relax a little. “We can drive into Omaha. Which restaurant?”

“Why don’t you decide? Just tell me what to wear.”

A smile lifted his lips. “Dress nice. Leon wants it up on the website as soon as possible. How about I pick you up tomorrow? Six o’clock?”

“That works.”

They exited the building, and he placed his hand on the small of her back. She liked the touch. It wasn’t overly intimate, yet it reinforced the feeling that Adam cared about her.

“How’s the car? Any more trouble?”

She shook her head, gratitude building in her. “No. It’s been great.”

His smile widened. “I’m glad.”

They stood by her car, staring at each other for what seemed to be a long time before Adam broke eye contact. “Okay. Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Her cheeks grew hot as he walked away, and she realized she was admiring his physique from behind. She hopped in her car, not sure what she was feeling. Was she excited to go out with Adam? She needed to get a grip.

Adam pocketed his keys and pressed the button to ring Megan’s apartment, Dale trailing behind him with his camera on his shoulder. Yeah, this wasn’t going to be awkward at all. He rolled his eyes. Megan buzzed him through. As he jaunted up the apartment steps, Leon’s words echoed through his head.Be a perfect gentleman. You need to woo Megan. If she suspects anything, it will ruin the show. You must act like you’re enjoying the date.

Why did Leon assume he wouldn’t enjoy going out with Megan? He liked her. Sure, maybe she was a bit uptight, but she was usually nice to be around. And not too shabby to look at, either.

He came to apartment 3B and knocked on the door. Megan let him in and motioned to the couch. “I’ll be just a second. Have a seat.” Her eyes flicked to Dale, and she flashed the camera a nervous smile.

She wore a little black dress that hugged her figure, her blonde hair falling softly to her shoulders. He tried not to ogle her. She walked barefoot into the other room. The apartment was tastefully decorated in a post-modern style. An oblong wood and glass coffee table sat in front of a suede couch that looked like it had been built from large, brown pebbles. Not a speck of dust could be seen anywhere, and nothing was out of place. A definite neat freak.

When Megan came back, she was wearing black heels that made her legs look fantastic. “Okay. I’m ready.”

“Nice place. I love the furniture.”

A smile lit up her face. “Thanks. I saved for months to buy this set.” She looked around and frowned. “My mother hates it.”

Why would her mother tell her that? It really bothered Megan by the look on her face.

“She must not have good taste.”

Megan didn’t seem to hear him for a second, frowning and staring at her furniture. Then she looked up and smiled. “You’re probably right. Let’s go.”

The drive to Omaha was comfortable, although quiet. Dale sat in the back filming them, even though there wasn’t much conversation. As a fresh-out-of-college boy, Dale worshiped the ground Leon walked on. The fuzz on his lip was probably an attempt to grow a similar mustache.

Adam didn’t know what Leon’s end game was, and he didn’t like lying to Megan. It wasn’t fair to her. But if he told her what was going on, Leon would fire him. Megan was the real star of the show. She was the reason the ratings were skyrocketing. He was disposable, which put him in an awkward position. He had to go along with Leon for now. Hopefully, the gag would be up soon.

They entered Bucatini, the smell of tomato and basil making his mouth water. A short peppy girl in her early twenties gave them leather menus and showed them to their table. It was a white tablecloth and crystal sconce type of place. Dale hovered over them with the camera, blocking the aisle. Several people glared at them.

A man in a tux with a receding hairline and a round belly bustled up to them, his gaze nervously ping-ponging from Adam to the camera and back again. “I’m sorry, sir. We cannot allow this in our restaurant.”

Adam cleared his throat and put on a diplomatic smile. “Our producer spoke to the owner. He assured us we could film here.”

The man squared his shoulders and frowned. “I have heard nothing from him. I’m afraid I have to ask you to put the camera away.”

Megan stood. “I’m sure we can come up with a compromise. I would hate for your lovely restaurant to miss out on this opportunity for publicity. Maybe you have a more private table?” She smiled, and the man’s face softened.

“Let me see what we can do.” He rushed off. Adam was impressed with the way Megan handled the situation. Diplomatic, and yet persuasive enough to get them what they wanted. A few minutes later, they were relocated to a table in another room.

After they were seated again, Megan opened her menu, and her eyes widened. He knew the place was pricey, but taking her to a burger joint would have been stupid. He wanted her to know he had more class than that.

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