Page 24 of Romance with Mr. Bossy Pants

Today, I’m wearing flats, so it’s much easier.

I serve him his coffee and return to my office. The morning passes by quickly. I finish the research around 12:30 PM, just in time for lunch. I unlock my phone and begin tapping.

Me: I just finished up. Still down for lunch?

Emerson: Let’s do it.

Me: Meet me at Cafe La Viv in 10 minutes.

It’s not fancy, but it’s only three blocks from the office. Plus, I’ve had lunch there before with Alex and I love it. I hurry to the bathroom to adjust my makeup, then head down.

If only I were dressed in something more…me.

“And where are you off to?” Sarah asks.

“It’s lunchtime. Gonna see Mr. Right, remember?”

She chuckles. “Enjoy! But make sure to let the big guy know where you’re headed in case he needs you. I don’t want you getting on his bad side after this morning.”

She has a point.

“He dang near had a panic attack earlier. Imagine finding you out to lunch. He might just croak.”

I laugh. “OMG. Can you imagine? Good thinking.”

I rush back up to his office, but to my surprise, he’s not there. He must have snuck out to the club while my head was buried in work. I pull out my phone and shoot him a quick text message telling him that I’m going out to lunch. Without locking the screen, I slide the phone back into my purse and head out.

Moments later, I arrive Cafe la Viv. It’s the perfect spot for a first meet-up. Looking around, I see that Emerson hasn’t arrived. I settle on one of the tables and place my order—two chocolate croissants, two lattes, and two bagels with cream cheese.

A man enters the cafe and marches in my direction, pulling out the seat across from me.

“Sorry,” I smile. “That seat is taken.”

He laughs. It’s a grating sound. “I’m Emerson,” he introduces, stretching a hand forward. “Nice to meet you, Chloe.”

The heck you are!

I clutch my coffee and squint in horror at the man in front of me.

First, his hair is dirty brown with an oily sheen, his teeth have been stained by smoke and tartar buildup, he has moobs, and smells like engine grease!

Tell me this isn’t happening.

I’ve been catfished.

I can already imagine the looks on Alex’s and Sarah’s faces. They’d be saying, ‘I told you so.’

I exhale to calm my frazzled nerves. “You,” I rack my head for an appropriate word. “Look nothing like your pictures.”

He laughs again, and the urge to stuff a sock in his mouth surges through me.

“If you wanna hook up…” he winks. “You need to use appealing pictures. Ladies like them.”

Gross!

“You’re supposed to use your own darn pictures. This…this is fraud!”

He shrugs and reaches for my bagel. “Not true if you ask me. You do what you gotta do to get what you wanna get.”

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