Page 56 of Surprise! I'm Engaged To My Boss
She looked up from her book, looking at me over the top of the pages.
“Are you going to spend your birthday with the stud? Will the Earth lose its axis again?”
“Funny. It's nothing like that. Actually, his little girl's birthday is on the same day. I'm going to the party with him. Because of our agreement.”
“Right. A children's party isn't the most exciting thing to do, but... You can always have a great night.”
“No one is going to make up for anything at night, Evy. Our engagement is just for show. All I need to do is accompany him to these events and nothing more.”
“Sure. But it can't be that annoying, right? At first you always complained, you spoke angrily about him. But lately, your tone of voice has changed completely.”
“Well, of course. It's good that we get along, isn't it? That will help make these three months more bearable.”
“Two, actually. One is practically over, isn't it?”
I thought about it, realizing that I hadn't even realized it. It was strange to realize that instead of thinking it was great that we now had almost a month less, I actually felt unexpectedly discouraged knowing that we now only had a little over two months left.
Well, what would be the problem with that? We had nothing more than an agreement.
Once his deadline was up, my life would go back to the way it was—except now I’d have a new position at the company, a better salary, more recognition for my work, and my grandmother would have her new bookstore with a café and an event space.
Everything would get better.
And I wouldn’t have to keep lying or putting up with Michael Turner’s presence anymore.
Except... that last part wasn’t sounding so bad to me anymore.
“You met the girl, didn’t you?” Evelyn spoke again, focusing on the book again. “You didn’t tell me much about her. What’s she like?”
Without realizing it, I smiled as I was overcome by memories of that beautiful little thing.
“She's so cute. She looks like a little doll.”
“If she takes after her father, she must be really beautiful.”
“Yes, she looks a lot like him. Her smile is so similar. And you have to see how she smiles. Her eyes lit up so much when she saw her father. He's crazy about her, and it seems to be mutual.”
"Wow, not only are you 'tolerating' more that fine-looking father, but you're also charmed by his kid?I'm seeing some real potential here. You've already won over his mother, his sister-in-law, and one of his brothers... now you just need to get over your fear of the dog."
Normally, I would’ve snapped back at Evelyn’s teasing with a scolding. But suddenly, an unexpected wave of sadness washed over me.
"I know you’re just joking, girl. But you really shouldn’t encourage this kind of thinking. Michael is a drop-dead gorgeous millionaire who could have any woman he wants with the snap of his fingers. And he’s told me more than once that he has no interest in serious relationships. Our agreement ends in two months, and after that, we’ll each go our separate ways."
She turned the page of the book, as if I hadn't just said anything out of the ordinary.
“And do you think that having someone joke about it might give you some hope that something might happen between you?”
It was a trick question. I knew my friend well, and she was pinning me down, trying to get some kind of confession that wasn't going to happen.
As if to save me, the bookstore door opened, and my grandmother walked in.
“I'm back, girls. Any sales while I was away?”
I would’ve loved to say yes, but the truth was that not a single living soul had entered over that last hour.
Evy, however, raised the book she was holding and announced, “I'll take this one, Ms. Jenna. I don't have any money here, but I'll transfer it to your account as soon as I get home, okay?”
“Oh, dear, you don't even need to do that today. Don't be in any rush, you're family.”
