Page 46 of The Mistletoe Makeover

“I don’t know,” she says, glancing around the room like she’s looking for an escape route. “You have better instincts than me. I talk too much when I’m nervous.”

“She still thinks we’re dating.” I glance back at Ava and Benedict who are now making their way across the room.

“What’s wrong?” Mia asks, turning toward Ava.

“Don’t look, but they’re coming this way,” I mutter under my breath.

Mia grabs my hand from under the table and pulls it up so that it’s clearly visible. Our linked hands are blatantly on display for the entire room to see.

“What are you doing?” I whisper under clenched teeth.

“We’re going with my plan. Pretend to be crazy about me.”

Then she turns and waves to Ava and Benedict, like they’re good friends.

Ava’s eyes skirt over our hands before she pastes on a fake smile. “I hope you don’t mind, but we took your advice. And wow, this place is gorgeous!” Her gaze drifts over the ornate woodwork and the grandiose chandelier.

“Jace would only choose the best for me,” Mia coos, squeezing my hand and giving me a wink. “He’s always spoiling me with dates and gifts.” She rubs her thumb over my hand. Even though I know it’s an act, my body tenses.

Ava’s mouth tightens for a second before she glances at Benedict, who hasn’t bothered to acknowledge us.

Our waitress returns with our food, giving us an immediate out.

“We should probably go, but enjoy your meal!” Ava smiles again and grabs Benedict’s arm.

Relief floods through me as they return to their table.

I pull my hand away from Mia’s. “You could’ve warned me first,” I whisper. “I jumped when you grabbed my hand.” I take my knife and slice a piece of filet.

Mia stares at me. “I had exactly two seconds to figure out what to do. I almost hopped onto your lap, but I thought that might be too extreme.”

“Thank you.”

She glances to where Ava is sitting. “What now?”

“It’s not like we need to touch all the time. But we should keep up the charade.”

“How do we do that?” Mia asks with a puzzled look. “I haven’t exactly dated a lot.”

“But you’ve been in relationships, right?”

She pauses. “None of them have lasted long. A few days.”

I stop eating and stare at her. “You haven’t been in a relationship for more than a few days?”

“I’mverypicky,” she says. “Plus, it’s not cool when you’re smarter than your date, and they break up with you because of it.”

I frown. “Why would they do that?”

“It makes them feel dumb.” She takes a bite of her salmon. “No guy wants to feel like that.”

I shake my head. “Finding a smart woman is like gold. It doesn’t take away from a guy’s worth. It makes him even better.”

“Tell that to all the bums I’ve dated. Not that there have been many.”

“But you’ve held a guy’s hand before, right?”

She frowns like she’s trying to remember. “It was a long time ago.”

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