Page 17 of OMG Christmas Tree
I stopped at my truck. “What was that back there? I mean, thank you, but...why are you helping me?”
She grinned ear to ear. This victory—a victory for me—boosted her into some sort of entrepreneurial master.
“Everyone seems to love your mom. I guess I feel bad she might not get the benefit she deserves. It was a worth a try.”
Worth a try to helpme. “I owe you a huge thanks.” I set the arrangement in the truck bed, tucked in between the tree and a sandbag.
Back in the truck, I put the keys in the ignition. “I’m not sure I get the arm thing. You know, you putting your arm, like, being next to me all close.” I mimed how she’d been touching me.
Her eyes danced with mischief. “Are you afraid I have cooties?”
“No,” I blurted. Full blown idiot status achieved.
“I knew she’d only take me seriously if she thought I was your girlfriend.”
“That’s...”
“Sexist? Small-minded? More like a shortcut. She knew you by sight. It wasn’t going to make sense to tell her the whole meeting-by-accident with the tree story. Besides, I never said we were dating. I implied it and let her fill in what she wanted.” She beamed.
A flash of heat surged through me. I wouldn’t mind having anybody think Megan and I were together. She used social engineering to get us a desired result. In college, I’d studied communications and business. I knew what this was. A means to an end.
I turned the key. “I’ll get you home.”
“What about the other shops?”
“What about them?”
“We only have one donation and some floral supplies. You’re going to need these other shops to fill a whole mansion.”
Heat spread into my fingers. “The mansion, it’s not all that big. We all just call it that because it’s the oldest house left in town and it used to be the largest. I’m only decorating the ballroom. Anyway, I’ll figure it out.”
“Nick. Think about your mom. What will make her happy? This party?”
It would. Taking a back seat in planning devastated her, especially in her final year as mayor. I’d promised her I’d make it special.
Now it seemed Megan cared whether I made it special. “Like I said. I should get you back.” I turned onto the road. “You have better things to do.”
She didn’t say anything until a blinking yellow light met us at a crossroads. “My family is expecting me. You’re right. I guess I got a little excited about the party planning part.”
We pulled into Stu’s long driveway. “Today probably wasn’t what you expected. For me either.”
She looked at me, like she expected me to say more. She tugged at a strand of hair, curling it around one finger. Something about that one move set my bones to jelly. She wasn’t the hard shell she put out there. She saw a bonehead in need (that would be me) and cared to help. Unlike me, who preyed on a woman in the guise of helping. I didn’t deserve her kindness.
Megan deserved to have a nice holiday with her family. Not to worry how I screwed up with mine.
I stared through the windshield, not willing to look back at her. To fully see how I’d tried to scam this obviously nice person. A beautiful, nice person who pretended for fifteen minutes to be my girlfriend.
“I wish you the best with planning. Sorry for all the mix-up about the tree.” She opened the passenger door. “Thanks for the ride, Nick. I’ll see you around.”
If only I could be so lucky.
