Page 31 of Forever with the CEO

“Coffee?” I asked her.

Even though her head was tilted forward, I saw her lips curl up in a smile. It felt like a personal victory.

“Not a bad idea. I skipped it again at home.”

“When do you have to be at work?”

“I have a bit of time.”

I kept a hand on her back as I led her to the Starbucks down the block.

Even though it was early, it was already warm out. I didn’t know why I bothered with suits in summer. They looked good, but I got too damn hot in them.

I took off my jacket and pushed my sleeves to my elbows. I caught Allison watching me. When she noticed me looking at her, she immediately glanced away. I felt victorious again for no apparent reason.

Starbucks was all but empty, so after we got our drinks, I suggested, “Want to sit in here?”

“Sure, let’s go to one of those. They look cozy,” she said, pointing to the couches.

She sat down on the one farthest from the door, and I lowered myself right next to her. The couch was big, but Iwanted this closeness. In Hugo’s office, I barely resisted the urge to pull my chair right next to hers.

“It was good that we went to see him. That he put you at ease.”

Allison shrugged. “Some things are clearer, but that doesn’t mean I’m more at ease.”

I nodded. “I know what you mean.”

“You do? You seem so blasé about all this. Like you’re not even the slightest bit worried about anything.”

“It’s a gamble. It’s definitely crazy. But is it worth it? I think so. And another one of my rules is if something is worth it, I go ahead with it. No matter how complicated or hard things may be down the road.”

“That’s a fantastic outlook on life. I’m the same, actually, but this is just so... you know, out there that...” She crossed her legs, sipping her coffee. Her skirt rode up a few inches.

I closed my eyes, looking away. The images in my mind had a life of their own.What the hell is going on?I opened my eyes, grabbing my cup from the table in front of us and sipping from it.

When I first met Allison at Jim’s wedding, I thought she was hot. But I also knew she deserved someone who wanted to have a relationship and the whole nine yards.

Fate sure was funny. Who knew that years later, I’d be carrying her over the threshold into a house with a readymade family to be a husband and dad?

Whoa.That thought made me take a deep breath. Fake or not, suddenly things got real.

“What would we tell our parents or our friends?” she asked, drawing me away from my thoughts.

Good question.

“Whatever we’re comfortable with. If we tell them the truth, no one will judge, at least not on my side. Then again, they can’tslip up and expose our ruse or this will all go to hell. I’ll need to think on that. What about your parents?”

“My parents are very kind,” she said with affection in her tone. “These past few months have been extremely hard on them.”

“I can imagine. Losing your child must be awful,” I said, realizing how much her entire family had been through these last months.

Allison winced. “Let’s not talk about that or I’ll become really emotional.”

“Sure. What else is on your mind?”

“He advised us to live together.”

“We’ll do what makes the most sense. I can sleep on the couch for as long as it takes. I don’t care.”

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