Page 37 of Flirting with the Scrooge

After the first batch didn’t rise how I liked, I toss them out and start again, meticulously following the directions to ensure the next batch is perfect. When one good batch is done, I bake another, and another. There is something therapeutic when it comes to baking. It helps me clear my head. Plus, flipping through the pages of my nana’s recipe book fills me with a sense of calmness. I know she’s watching over me each and every time I bake one of her recipes.

Once all the cookies are baked, I set them on racks to cool. The water is hot and soothing as I jump into the shower and prepare myself to talk to Connor. When I step out, I wrap a towel around my body and another over my hair. Yanking open my dresser drawer, I pull out a black bra and pause. My mind flits back to the dream I had this morning. A slow smile tugs at my lips and I put it back, grabbing a white lace one instead. I finish getting ready, pile cookies onto a plate, and head across the street.

When I’m standing in front of his door, I inhale a deep breath and knock. While I wait, I rehearse what I’m going to say because I’m not sure if he’s going to be up to this. He wasn’t my first choice. He wasn’t a choice at all. In fact, this entire ordeal wasn’t even a thing until Olivia made it a thing. Now, I just have to go for it and hope he says yes because there is no backup option. It’s all or nothing.

A few seconds later, the door opens and Connor’s broad shoulders fill the doorway. Before he says anything, I spit out, “I need a favor.” All he does is stare at me, forearm resting against the doorjamb. Then I remember about the bribery cookies and shove them at his chest. “And I baked you cookies. There are no raisins this time. I promise. In fact, I removed all the raisins from my house, so there is no way for cross contamination.”

He eyes the cookies, then me. “So, we’re the doing favors for each other kind of friends now?”

I pause, searching for the right words to convince him to say yes. Because what are we? Are we friends? Just neighbors? Two people who’ve slept together one time?

When I don’t say anything, he steals a cookie off the plate and takes a bite. “What kind of favor?” he asks around a mouth full of cookie.

Here goes nothing. “I need you to be my fake boyfriend.” I flash him a wide, nervous grin.

Cookie crumbs fly out of his mouth as he half chokes, half coughs from my words. Then he’s spitting the rest out off to the side of the steps.

“Hey! There’re no raisins. Why’d you spit it out?” I prop my hand on my hip.

He wipes away any residual crumbs from his face and beard. “Say that again? I don’t think I heard you right.”

My shoulders fall and I glare at him. “You heard me just fine. I need you to be my fake boyfriend or just a fake date. There’s a holiday party I’m hosting, and Adam and his new girlfriend will be there, plus my mom is expecting me to show up with a date. If I don’t, she’ll try to set me up with some doctor’s son, or lawyer friend, or someone who I have no interest in.”

“Wow. That’s a lot to unpack.” He swallows another bite of the cookie as he contemplates his answer. Under his beard, his strong jaw clenches as he chews. I can’t help but stare as his Adam’s apple bobs up and down when he swallows.

“Let me get this straight. You want me to make him jealous?”

“Not jealous. But make him realize that he gave up the best thing that ever happened to him, and he’s missing out. And I’ve moved on to bigger and better things.” I rush out all the words so maybe he doesn’t get the real motive behind my ask.

He raises an eyebrow, seeing through my lie.

“Okay jealous.” I huff. “So, can you help me out? Pretty please?”

His beard twitches as he presses his lips together. “What’s in it for me?” He steals another cookie off the plate and shoves it in his mouth.

“I’ll do anything,” I plead.

“Anything?” He wiggles his eyebrows.

“Almost anything. You perv.” I playfully slap his chest.

He raises his hands up in defense. “I didn’t say anything. You’re the one who went there.” He takes a bite out of his cookie and chews. “So, I’m making an ex-boyfriend jealous, and I need to play nice with the parents. This seems like a lot of work. I don’t know…”

“Please. I’m begging you. I’m all out of ideas. I need you.”

“You need me, huh? Could you say that again, maybe softer and more seductive?”

I glare at him.

He releases a hearty laugh. “Okay. Okay. I need to think of something good. How about an IOU?”

“Great!” My lips split into a wide grin. “So, I need you to dress nice. Suit and tie—”

He holds his hands up, palms out. “Whoa! You never mentioned a suit.”

“It’s a very formal, Black tie event.”

He runs a hand over his beard. “Who attends these types of events?”

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