Page 13 of The Boss's Triplet Surprise

Leah made a slight face. “Do you mind if we talk about something else? I’ve been focused so much on Forenal that I’d be excited about any other conversation. Plus, we should be getting to know each other, right?”

“That’s a good point.” Dan hesitated. He needed to know as much about Leah as he could, and vice versa, if they were going to pull off their ruse. Yet he also didn’t want to dive into anything too personal. In that moment, he realized that he really had grown further and further from the dating scene — and from personal relationships outside of work. He settled for the rather awkward, “Tell me something about yourself.”

Leah chuckled. “This isn’t a job interview, Dan. We’re going to be pretending to be dating. We’re going to have a child together, if all goes according to plan. I think we should try to be a little more personal.”

Dan grumbled. “Maybe you should ask the questions, then.”

“Okay. I’m happy to. Do you have any siblings?”

“Yes, one. A sister. Her name is Jenny and she’s five years younger than me. She lives in California with her husband now, so we don’t see each other much. Do you have siblings?”

“No, I’m an only child. Did you like having a sister?”

They reached Dan’s car, so he took his time answering as he opened the door for her. She thanked him, and Dan circled to his own seat.

“You know, I suppose I do. I’ve never really thought about it, though. It’s just always how things were. Did you like being an only child?”

“Hmm. In a way.”

Leah’s answer was vague, and Dan considered pressing, but decided to leave it be. If Leah wanted to tell him more, she would. He focused on steering the car out of the parking lot.

“What are your hobbies?” she asked.

Dan chuckled. “You’re asking all the hard questions, aren’t you? Honestly, I don’t have many hobbies right now. Most of my life is taken up with work. I try to run or go to the gym when I have free time, but that’s rare, to be honest.”

“That sounds sad.” Leah fixed him with her intense gaze. Dan was glad he had the road to look at.

“It isn’t. I like my life. I like being able to give everything to work without worrying about anything else. And who are you to talk? I’ve seen you in the lab late at night.”

“Sure, I stay late sometimes. But only when I want to. I make sure to set aside time for things I like to do — like time with my friends, running, reading, and traveling.”

“Where have you traveled?” Dan asked.

“Let’s see. I like to take at least one week of my vacation time every year to go someplace I’ve never been before. Last year I went to Hawaii, which was just fantastic. The year before I went to Japan.”

“I was in Japan a few years ago, too.”

“Really?” Leah looked interested. “Why?”

Dan didn’t want to answer. “Well… it was a business trip. We were looking at a partnership with a Japanese pharmaceutical company. But I also took an extra day to explore Tokyo.”

“Wow, a whole day?” Leah giggled, a sound that Dan found strangely appealing. “You must have been panicked that you’d miss something at work.”

“I was not.” Dan gave her an offended glance. “I had my phone with me so that I could check on messages.”

“So, it wasn’t really a day off, then, was it?”

“I suppose not. But as CEO, it’s my sole responsibility to make sure that the trains run on time, as it were.”

“Hmm.” Once again, Dan sensed that Leah was leaving something unsaid, but this time he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer.

“It’s true.” Dan sighed. “I know it might look like I’m a workaholic, but it’s only because I have to be.”

“I believe you.” Leah held up her hands in surrender, and Dan realized that he’d gotten a little forceful with his reply.

“I know. Sorry. I’m just tired of hearing from my dad that I’m not ready to take over the company just because I’m too dedicated to it.”

“I get that. Parents can be hard.”

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