Page 35 of Surprisingly Us

“What do you mean?”

“You want to practice dating and I need a girlfriend with a good reputation.”

Her eyes narrow and her nose does that cute scrunching thing it does when she’s thinking hard. “Why do you need a girlfriend?”

“Clean up my image.” I explain the situation to Lettie. How my grandfather is stepping down from president of The Spencer Foundation and how my cousin, Jerrod, could take the role ifI don’t prove to the board that my former playboy image won’t tarnish the foundation’s good name.

She presses her lips together.

“I don’t know.”

I need to sell this better.

“I’m cleaning up my act. I’m Rhys 2.0. No partying, no shenanigans, and no women. Besides you, of course.”

“What’s the difference between partying and shenanigans?” she asks.

“Shenanigans is doing stupid stuff.”

She squints at me. “Like what?”

“Like seeing who can knock down a row of empty beer cans with their pee stream.”

She makes a disgusted face. “That’s what you do in your spare time?”

“Not all the time. I do other stuff.”

She’s quiet, waiting for me to elaborate.What other stuff?

“I like to be outside as much as possible. Listen to music. And I like to make sandwiches. I make a mean Reuben on rye. Oh, and I collect designer loafers.”

Lettie presses her lips together. I can tell she’s trying not to laugh.

I’m positive I could come up with better things but she’s putting me on the spot.

“That’s great and all, but I don’t think we have anything in common.”

Over on the climbing tower Maxine stands to stretch before jumping to the ground and making her way over to us.

“I have a cat.”

Her face softens. “You do?”

Mental note. Get a cat. And like Ramsey advised, some new hobbies. Ones that Lettie would find interesting.

“Yeah, we should get Maxine and…” I wrack my brain for a good cat name, “Mo together sometime.”

“Mo?”

“Short for Maurice.” I’m really committed now.

“That’s cute.”

“He’s a cute cat. Lots of stripes and fur.”

“How did you come up with that name?” she asks.

“Maurice was my grandfather’s name. My mom’s dad. He’s who I was named after, just shortened to Rhys.”

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