Page 33 of The Confidentiality Clause
I clear my throat. “You said you needed this date. What does that mean?”
Asking this question after Ariel was all over me makes no sense, but it’s either change the subject or run away. I can’t have Ariel thinking any of that affected me, so conversation it is.
“It’s nothing.” She reaches for her glass of wine and takes a long drink. Water drips down her tan arm. I avert my gaze.
“That usually means it’s something,” I say.
She lets out a long sigh. “There’s this guy at my work. He’s terrible. He steals my clients and patronizes me.”
I stop her from continuing. “Steals your clients? He can do that?”
A look of distaste twists her features. It rivals the ones she usually gives me.
“He’s not supposed to, but the new boss encourages friendly competition. There’s nothing friendly about that man. He’s a viper in an Armani suit.”
“What does he have to do with your boy toy?” I gesture to her phone.
“He’s not a boy toy, he’s a potential date to an event next month that I may or may not have told Houston I’d have a date to.”
I cringe. “Yikes. Dug yourself a hole there, huh?”
She presses the side of her wine glass to her face. “Yeah. The worst part is I didn’t just say date, I saidboyfriend.”
I stretch my arms out on the side of the tub. “So you need a fake boyfriend?”
Her brows scrunch together. “That’s what your sister said too, but I still have a couple of weeks. That’s plenty of time to find a boyfriend. Cohen”–she points at her phone–“is sweet. Maybe he’s the one.”
“Yeah, but is Dr. Dog Sweaters going to lie for you?”
“What do you mean? He’d be my boyfriend, no lying required.”
“He’d have to at least lie about when you started dating. If you say you started talking tonight, that’s after your conversation with Houston.”
She groans and tips her head back. “I didn’t think about that. I can’t ask Cohen to lie for me. He’s adoctor. I’ll look immature and stupid.”
“Well he puts clothes on his dogs so…” I trail off and she laughs.
“Is it really so weird that he does that? They’re such cute dogs.”
“It’s a little odd, but hey, if you think it’s cute, then that’s what counts.”
“Whether he’s weird or not, I don’t know that I can ask him to lie for me.” She swirls the remaining wine in her glass. “But I can’t show up without a date. I’ll never hear the end of it.”
“I can do it,” I blurt out.
Her eyebrows shoot up. Why did I say that? The last thing I need to do is offer to be her boyfriend. This trip has already brought us too close for comfort. If Ariel got the wrong idea about us and I hurt her, Sutton would kill me. She wouldn’t even need Shaw to help. Her rage alone would fuel her.
“You would be my fake boyfriend?” she asks in an uncertain tone.
“If your doctor won’t do it, then sure.” I shrug as if it’s no big deal. “What’s one night? That way, you can date without being stressed that you need to make thingsofficialbefore the event.”
She visibly relaxes. “That would be amazing. Thank you, Brock. I can’t even come up with an insult. I’m really grateful.”
The smile that blooms across her face shows that her words are genuine. I smile back at her, though I’m freaking out inside. I’ve turned down dates for months now. Now, all of the sudden, I’m voluntarily signing up to be a pretend boyfriend for the woman that’s been playing ping pong with my last nerve since high school. I think the lack of sleep has finally caught up to me. I wouldn’t be surprised if I passed out soon.
“You’re welcome.” I scratch the back of my neck. “I think I’m going to head back inside. I’ve got a few things to finish up for work.”
Her smile shrinks. “Okay, try not to work too late.”
