Page 17 of Something Blue

“D-Dad—”

“Let’s keep this secret from your mom,” his dad whispered. “A week together will let you know. Stay by her side and act the part. If you fall for her by the end of the week, I’ll give you the position.”

“What if I don’t?”

His dad shrugged. “Well, then you’ll disappoint us both. Don’t think I didn’t see the chemistry between you two.”

Andy stepped back a few steps. “What? Dad, I—”

His mom opened the restaurant door and grinned at them. “Are you two going to chat all night like nosy women?”

“Night, Dad.” He sped up his pace and slipped an arm around Sadie’s waist. “We’ll see you after we get back,” he said, leaving them behind.

“Plan on it,” he heard his dad say as he helped Sadie into the car. There was a warning edge to his voice that Andy knew meant business. There was no way out of their lie now.

8

Sadie

Sadie tapped the car’s leather seat. They hadn’t talked since getting in Andy’s sleek, black Hummer, and there were only ten minutes until they reached her house. He must be more successful than he is letting on.

“Hey.” Andy’s voice made her jump. “Whoops. Didn’t mean to startle you,” he said chuckling. “I wanted to say you did a great job. My parents seemed sold on our relationship.”

She raised an eyebrow. That’s not what she’d gathered from Andy’s whispered conversation with his father. If anything, they’d have to work harder to convince him, but he wasn’t saying anything, and it wasn’t her place to pry.

For the rest of the drive home, Sadie was content to listen to his classic rock and watch as they left the city lights behind. As they entered the quieter city of Henderson where she lived, he spoke again.

“Friday morning, I’ll pick you up at four.”

“That’s too early. I can drive myself and sleep an extra hour.”

He shook his head. “It’s a part of the contract to make sure you’re taken care of.”

Sadie bit her lip and swallowed the lump growing in her throat. Signing the contract had given her less and less freedom, and she hated it. She hadn’t had to rely on another person in years, and yet here she was letting a guy swoop in and take care of everything. “Fine, but I’m paying the parking fee.”

He snorted. “That will be hard since my chauffeur is dropping us off.”

Sadie’s mouth dropped. “Okay, I gotta know. What do you do for work? Your dad said you work at a casino.”

He laughed and glanced over at her as he changed lanes to turn onto her street. “These days, even gas stations have gambling machines. I told you, I work for my dad’s small business. The chauffeur is a friend. I was joking. Do you think if I had a ton of money, we’d be eating at the restaurant we did tonight? There are so many places better suited to the upper class.”

“Not ones that serve amazing food.” She glanced at him sideways and saw the same expression he’d given earlier when he’d been caught in conversation with his dad. A small tilt of his chin. He was lying. The more she got to know him, the more he fell short of the memories she had of him.

When he parked in front of her apartment, he leaned over to check it out. “You live here?”

Sadie’s frown deepened. “My mom had a lot of bills when she died.”

Andy stared up at the car’s ceiling but didn’t say anything.

“I’ve been slowly paying things off each month, but I also tagged on some student loans to finish my master’s.”

The street light above the car hit him square in the face, illuminating his handsome features. Perfect skin, straight teeth, soft eyes. It was maddening!

“What I meant was, I’m sure it’s lovely on the inside. They don’t make buildings like this anymore.”

A backhanded compliment was worse than his criticism of the old brick apartments, which had seen their share of hospital interns and doctors needing a closer location to the hospital. She could walk if she needed to, and that’s exactly what she did most days to save on gas and a yearly membership at a gym.

Sadie gritted her teeth. “I guess you’re used to girls with money.”

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