Page 17 of The Expiration Date

I’m speechless. Wow. Okay, is that how you want to play it?

She takes a drink of her cocktail and then something must click in her train of thought because she says, “Wait, you said was his assistant. What does that mean? Did you get a new position or something?”

“I was his assistant, but not any longer. Because we are dating now.”

Natasha chokes on her drink and some of it spills on her dress. Serves her right for saying that about Aidan. If anything, the only reason Aidan was “desperate” was because of her. After she broke his heart, he acted in ways I’ve never seen from him before. I never pegged him for a womanizer, but that’s the path he went down. All because of her. I was right to call her a siren. She lures men to their undoing.

Natasha slaps her hand to her mouth. She’s laughing. “There is no way that Aidan would ever go out with his assistant. He strictly dates A-list actresses. I should know.”

Okay, now I am pissed. What the hell is wrong with this woman? Her uncouth behavior has no bounds and it doesn’t seem there is a genuine bone in her body. This is dangerous territory. Natasha has a lot of pull with the tabloids and media companies. If the past six months has taught me anything, it is that the media loves Natasha. If she expresses doubts that Aidan and I are really dating, they will eat it up. You need to do something, Haley. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

I know what I have to do. And I also know that I need liquid courage. I down the rest of my cocktail and place the empty glass on the small table in front of me. “Well, on that note, it was a real treat talking to you, Natasha.”

I bee-line toward Aidan. When he sees me, his eyes light up and he flashes his perfect smile. I graze my hand across his back and hold tight to the other side of his torso. My god, it’s just pure muscle. Natasha is one crazy girl to leave this man.

He looks down at me, “There you are, babe.” Still not getting used to that, no matter how many times we practiced this past week. “This is the director Peter Hastings. Peter, this is my girlfriend, Haley.”

“Girlfriend, huh. Isn’t she your…?”

“Assistant. Yeah, but we had to keep that under wraps for a little while. She isn’t my assistant anymore. It’s going to be a bitch to find a replacement as amazing as her. But we couldn’t hold off any longer. I wanted the world to know that she is mine.”

It is confirmed. There is a rollercoaster operating at warp speed in my stomach. I wanted the world to know that she is mine. He says it with such conviction that I almost believe him.

Peter’s hand reaches out for mine. “It’s a pleasure to formally meet you, Haley. I always saw you around the set, just never got a chance to meet you.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too.” Even though Aidan apparently wants the whole world to know that I am his, there is still one crucial person that needs to be convinced that he is mine. “Um, Peter, can you excuse us for just one second?”

“Of course. I’ll see you around, Aidan. I’ll call you about that script, okay? I think you’ll be perfect for the role.”

“Thanks. See you, Peter.”

We step away, and Aidan finally turns his attention completely to me. He knows something is wrong immediately. “I saw you talking to Natasha. Is everything okay?” He glances quickly in her direction, as do I. She is already talking to the media and people are taking so many pictures of her. It looks like a fricken lightning storm.

Instinctively, I place my hand firmly against Aidan’s cheek and turn his attention back to me. “I think she’s onto us.” I search his face and I can see his worry crease take up residence between his eyebrows. He starts to turn his gaze toward his ex once more, but again, I turn his face back to mine.

Am I really going to do this?

It’s out of necessity, right?

“Do you trust me?” He gives a small nod. I slowly move my hand from his cheek to the back of his head and before I fully comprehend what I’m doing, I pull his head down toward mine and bring my lips to his.

I expect to give him a quick peck, just long enough for the cameras to catch us in our public display of affection.

That’s what is expected.

Maybe it’s the liquid courage. But deep down, I know that in order for this to be believable, I have to go all in. Just like he did in the diner when he signed the contract without hesitation. So I linger against his lips for much longer than I originally intended. Exploring his mouth slightly with my tongue. My body starts to vibrate all over, and not just because I am kissing my boss. But also because I have never felt a kiss like this–ever. Heat radiates through every single inch of me and ignites a spark I never intended to light in a million years. I press my free hand against his chest, where I feel his heart racing. Through his button-down, his warm skin feels so comforting against my cold hands. He isn’t letting up–at all.

My nerves get the best of me. I start to break free, but am unsuccessful because his hand presses firmly against the small of my back and his other hand cups my own jaw. He is really kissing me back, exploring my mouth in turn and pressing his body harder against my delicate fingers. His massive, calloused (probably due to the insane amount of hours he puts in at the gym) hand migrates from my jaw to the back of my head, gently pulling me closer to him while also tugging my hair a little. He is really selling it. He’s gotten quite good at kissing women and making it seem real. I was hoping he would be a bad kisser, to make this whole situation easier on myself.

Spoiler alert: he is not. At all.

“Look at that, Hollywood’s Newest Hottest Couple!” someone from the crowd shouts, causing us to finally break from our kiss. I look up at Aidan, expecting him to smirk due to the fact that maybe I am a little rusty. In my defense, I haven’t kissed anyone in three years. Give a girl a break. Or I expect him to look completely disgusted. Or anything other than what I actually see. He looks almost excited that I kissed him. The only thing that breaks our eye lock is the light of a camera flashing.

After I blink from the flash, I lean in close to him and whisper, “Necessity.”

I expect him to be relieved, or amused. But for some reason, the look of excitement dims from his face. He repeats through a tight jaw, “Necessity.”

10

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