Page 6 of Forever with the CEO

“How about you book her for Saturday evening?”

“Why?” I asked, frowning at my laptop.

“Because I’m taking you out.”

I straightened up on the couch as if electricity ran through me. “Wow. Why?”

“Because you deserve a break.”

I thought hard for a second, guilt hitting me immediately because I was actually considering it. “Let me think, okay? I don’t know if I should... I mean...”

“Just say yes.”

“Why can’t I think about it?”

“Because you’ll guilt yourself into saying no.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. How did he know that was what I was doing? “There is a high risk of that.” I paused a minute and then threw caution to the wind. “You know what? I’ll do it.”

“Hell yes!”

I chuckled. “Nick, thanks. This means a lot to me. I mean, everything you do means a lot—that you drop by with dinner, you ask the twins about their daycare. You actually remember their favorite toys. It makes me feel less lonely.”

“Allison, you’re not alone. I should have helped you more all along.” His tone had softened with a tinge of sadness.

“No, you shouldn’t. This is not your responsibility.”

“Maybe not, but I don’t mind in the least.”

I vaguely wondered why Nick had been as involved as he had been. No one else had shown nearly as much interest. Nora and Jim were social people, and they had a ton of friends. But after the first few weeks, the calls stopped coming. Why was Nick different? “So, what are we doing on Saturday?”

“I’ll think about it and let you know. I promise you’ll have fun.”

“That’s all I need. Actually, you know what? Surprise me. I don’t want to know anything.”

“Now we’re talking.” I could hear the grin in his voice.

I felt more alive right now than I had in months. My entire body was vibrating with excitement. It hadn’t even occurred to me to book Doreen and go out. It had felt completely wrong.

But my thoughts immediately jumped back to where this smoking-hot man was going to take me.

Oh, Allison, take him being hot out of the equation, okay? Just look at Nick as Jim’s best friend. That’s all. The last thingyou need right now is any guy trouble. You’ve got enough on your plate as it is.

“What time are we leaving?” I asked.

“Whenever you want. I’m at your service.”

“Careful, Nick. You don’t know me well enough to make such an open invitation.”

“True, but I’d love to get to know you better. And what better way to start than by spending Saturday together?”

Chapter Three

Nick

On Saturday, I went to my grandparents’ house for brunch. Even though several of us had huge houses where we could host it, my grandparents always preferred we come to their place.

Jeannie and Abe Whitley were both in their nineties but still sharp and agile. Eons ago, my grandmother insisted on preparing elaborate dinners whenever we came over, but since the family had grown over the past few years, we convinced them that brunch was the better option. Everyone could bring something. My contribution today was bacon. I was a lot like my brother Jake that way; we both loved bacon.

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