Page 8 of Something Blue

Crap! There was no backing out. She gritted her teeth and tried to imagine her bonus check as free money she hadn’t planned on. “I can pay for another hotel room if it makes you uncomfortable. I can pay for the flight too.” This was becoming more and more expensive.

He held up a hand, gesturing for her to stop talking. “First of all, I have no idea if I can take a week off work. You’re talking about canceling multiple meetings a day, delegating projects to incompetent people, and convincing my dad we’re even together.”

Sadie sat back in her chair and rubbed at her neck. The tension weighed down on her shoulders like a double shift on her feet with no sleep.

“Let’s try a date tomorrow night,” he said. “We’ll see how our chemistry is, and if my dad would agree to a vacation.”

She should be happy with this much progress, but something in the way he looked at her bothered Sadie.

“Fine,” she said finally. She reached her hand across the table to shake his, and as soon as his cool fingers touched hers, a shock struck her from fingertip to shoulder.

His eyes locked with hers. “I feel like we’ve met before. Have we?”

She restrained herself from rolling her eyes. If he didn’t recognize her, she wouldn’t embarrass herself with an introduction. “Nope, I don’t think so. So about tomorrow,” she said, changing the subject, “I’m meeting you somewhere in the evening?”

He shook his head. “Ah, the details for tomorrow. Can you keep your schedule free in the afternoon as well?”

“Afternoon? Why so early?”

He smiled a very expensive row of teeth. “Tanner will contact you with more details. Meeting my parents will take some . . . preparation.”

Sadie frowned as she headed to her car half an hour later. Dinner was rushed after their talk, and he had called for the waiter before she could glance toward the dessert menu.

The stifling heat surrounded her, but her arms and legs were still chilly from the cold air inside the restaurant. After climbing into her car, she rested her head against the worn-out leather-covered steering wheel and closed her eyes. What had she gotten herself into? If he couldn’t take off work, maybe she could ask for the envelope back and fulfill his request. In any case, it was a win-lose situation, and both scenarios would force her to lie.

5

Andy

Showing up to a family dinner with a woman required a little warning. There was a need to “prime the pump,” as Andy liked to call it.

The next morning, he drove over to his parents’ house with a box of blueberry beignets. When he laid the box on the table next to his father’s juice, his dad immediately grabbed for one, took a bite, and asked, “What do you need? You know your mom never buys these since my health scare.”

Andy chuckled and settled into a chair next to him. “Only a smile from my dear old dad.” Dressed in gray sweatpants and a five-dollar Viva Las Vegas shirt, his dad was a different man. His hair stuck up at odd angles, and he already wore a juice mustache. Retirement would look good on him.

A blueberry chunk stared back at him as his dad smiled. “There you go. You didn’t think this would win you your coveted position at the company, did you?”

“Nope, but there’s something I’ve been keeping a secret that might be of interest to you.” Andy grinned as his dad took the bait.

“Unless you’re about to tell me you’ve been dating a girl for a while, I doubt I’d be interested.”

Andy smile widened. “Well, actually…” He paused for dramatic effect.

His dad lifted his head and dropped the beignet. “What perfect timing. You mean to tell me you’ve found a girl overnight who could convince us.”

A warning bell rang in Andy’s head, but he ignored it. “Have I ever talked to you about my love life? I’ve learned from my mistake.”

His dad picked up a newspaper, laying it on the table next to him. “Proof. I need proof that this relationship is the real deal. Anyone can create a fake relationship.”

Andy shrugged. “I can give you proof tonight at dinner. She’s tagging along.”

Ignoring him, his dad continued to scan the newspaper. It was time to bring out the big guns. If his dad didn’t allow his time off, he’d still get a date with Sadie without committing to her vacation. As always, life had played him the right cards.

“I need to take a week off,” he said suddenly.

His dad glanced up at him for half a second. “What for?”

“Sadie is spending a week in Florida and attending a friend’s wedding. She asked me months ago, but I knew it would look suspicious, so I didn’t ask. But now you know . . .”

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