Page 6 of Honey Sunshine

“I do,” I interject almost desperately.

“Then you can tell me all about your ex while we eat before discussing investments.”

I blink once and then twice before my lips pull into a tight frown. “Really?”

Surely this man isn’t working with Judas to gather information about how I’m defaming him... right?

“Yeah. Plus, I get it,” he says as the waitress finally hands us our menus.

“You do?” I ask with brows knitting together.

“Yeah. I have exes that are vile as well.”

I survey him. “I highly doubt anyone you know could be as vile as the spawn of Satan back there.” I jerk my thumb over my shoulder.

That earns me a laugh that makes my skin tingle. “Oh, come on. He couldn’t be that bad if you dated him.”

“The biggest liars wear the prettiest smiles,” I sigh, wishing my past self wasn’t such a fool. I could’ve saved myself a lot of heartbreak and money if I hadn’t gotten involved with him in the first place.

He nods. “Well. We’ve all been there too.”

“It’s enough to make me swear off dating,” I grunt. I’m not sure why I’m spilling the details of my dating life to a stranger, let alone a stranger I’m trying to convince to invest in my business.

“Is it?” he asks. There’s a spark of curiosity in his eyes as they linger on mine. His gaze is sharp and focused, but it’s the subtle shift in his posture—the way he leans forward slightly, suddenlyseeming very interested in me—that makes warmth creep up my neck.

It’s unsettling. I can’t remember the last time I was the subject of someone’s undivided attention like this. It almost feels... intimate, though I can’t quite explain why. “Uh, I mean, I was kind of giving up on the whole finding love thing. Which, trust me, my ex is absolutely enough to make me do.”

Harvey’s eyebrows peak in an adorable expression. “Finding love?”

“Yeah. You know. It would be nice. My... parents would worry less about me,” I say lamely.

I almost told him that I maintain, to this day, a pie-in-the-sky fantasy about finding the love of my life but...

I don’t want him to think I’m an idiot.

Harvey nods. “I get that too.”

“You do?”

“Uh-huh. My parents, extended family, extended family’s friends, their pets,andtheir inanimate objects have all been asking when I’m going to settle down and get married, because I’m the youngest and practically everyone is married at this point.”

It’s my turn to raise my eyebrows. “Including your extended family’s friends, their pets, and inanimate objects?”

He chuckles. “Exactly. You get the picture. Needless to say, I’m not particularly looking forward to family dinner next Saturday, even though it’s my mother’s birthday...” He trails off, letting the silence hang for a moment, a pensive smile playing on his lips. “If only I had my own knight in shining armor...”

I cock my head to the side, eyeing him up and down, taking in his confident posture and the way he effortlessly commands the space around him. “You don’t seem like you need one.”

He purses his lips playfully. “Are you checking me out, Honey?”

Maybe, probably—yes, who am I kidding?

“See? With that confidence, you should be able to snag anyone,” I surmise.

“Maybe, but...” He sighs, and then something flashes in the corner of his eye. He puts down his menu, mirroring my action earlier of placing both elbows on the table and tucking his folded hands under his chin. “I’m going to ask you for a favor, and you’re completely free to say no. Think of it as a way to put us on even ground so I don’t have to smash your head with a bottle of whiskey,” he says. “You can hit me with a bottle if what I’m about to ask sounds... weird.”

“Go on . . .”

He pauses, taking in a deep breath, his eyes holding mine steadily. “Why don’t you pose as my boyfriend for one night at my family’s dinner?”

---