Page 34 of The Boyfriend Swap

I clenched my jaw. “Stop it with the nicknames, Perry. I’m not in the mood.”

He snorted. “Are you ever? For Will’s sake, I sure hope so. Unless he’s into the frigid type,” he muttered.

Slamming my laptop shut, I said, “I’ll have you know I rock Will’s world. Frigidity isnota problem.”

Perry smirked. “I see I’ve hit a nerve.”

Suddenly too exhausted to argue, I rested my head in my hands and mumbled, “This whole boyfriend swap is not going as I planned.”

“And clearly you blame me. Why?”

I raised my head as my annoyance got a second wind. “Why do you think?”

“I haven’t a clue.” Appearing bored, he glanced around the cafe.

I followed his eyes, noting how many of the female patrons were gawking at him. “Is it necessary to suck all the energy out of every room you’re in?”

He whipped his head back toward me. “What are you talking about?”

“All of your stupid stories. First last night and now this morning. My mom is acting like a schoolgirl in puppy love and my dad has made you his pet project. The whole idea of the swap was to avoid my parents taking any interest in you whatsoever.”

Perry scratched at his thick hair. “I thought you didn’t want to bring Will because you were afraid your dad would either insult or recruit him. Aside from name dropping all of his famous clients over the years, your dad’s so fascinated by me, he’s barely mentioned work.” He paused. “You’re welcome.”

Perry was correct. As far as he was concerned, the plan was working. I pressed my fingers to my temple. I had no desire to make Perry my confidante, but maybe if he understood, he’d stop being such an infuriating pain in the ass. If Snow White liked him, he must be a decent guy. “I wasn’t completely honest with you guys about my motivations for the swap.”

Leaning forward with interest, Perry said, “Secrets. I like ’em.”

I rolled my eyes but went on to explain why it was so important to me to keep my parents out of my personal business. “Every moment of my working life is documented within one sixth of the hour, and all my father needs to do is review my billable hours to be privy to every move I make during the day. I like being a lawyer, and having my last name in gilded lettering on the frosted entryway to the firm adds to my ambition and desire to be brilliant at it.Workingwith my dad I can live with. But if I give my parents any leeway into my personal life, it’s over. They’ll suffocate me. That’s the real reason I didn’t want to bring Will home with me. He’s the only thing I have that’s all mine and if they meet him, it will all be ruined.” I choked back a tear. “Do you understand?”

Perry’s eyebrows squished together. “Not even a little bit. Will isn’t here. I am. Mission accomplished. You can keep Will as your dirty little secret.”

Shaking my head, I argued, “My dad doesn’t know it’s not real and wasted no time putting his mark onmyterritory. He was supposed to be bored by you, not impressed.” I smirked. “And don’t even pretend you’re not loving every second of it.”

Perry snickered. “In what universe would an actor turn down a generous offer for an introduction to an agent?”

“You don’t get it. My parents love you, which means they’ll wonder why I never mention you again after this weekend. They’ll ask how things are progressing between us, and do you want to join us on a family holiday to the Berkshires? And when I tell them we’ve broken up, they won’t let it go. It took them years to recover from losing Jake. You’re the first boyfriend I’ve brought home since him. I thought they’d ignore you.”

“Impossible,” Perry said, looking smug, but then his facial expression softened. “I get it, and I’m sorry, but it’s too little too late. What do you expect me to do now?”

I frowned. “Stop being so…”

Perry licked his lower lip. “Irresistible? Charming?”

“Maddening is more like it.” I sighed with exaggeration. “Can you just not be so friendly with my parents? They’re not your future in-laws.”

“I wasn’t expecting to be added to the will.” He rubbed his hands together. “Although, the things I could do with some of the Bellows money…”

I glared at him.

He chuckled. “Sorry, Cherry, but I’m not going to hide in a corner all weekend to avoid your family liking me, especially if it means missing out on a career opportunity. Maybe you should have been honest from the start about the role you wanted me to play, but the truth is, I never would have agreed to come along if I knew you expected me to shy away from the spotlight. It’s not who I am.”

“Not the spotlight. Just my parents.” I held my breath.

He stood up. “Text me when you’re ready to go.” Then he turned his back, completely oblivious to the fact that every woman in the room, including me, was watching him as he walked out of the coffee shop.

Except I was pretty sure the rest of them were staring at his ass while I was already planning my next move. I’d tried to reason with him—I’d practically begged—and he refused to play nice. As far as I was concerned, Perry had declared war.

Robyn

---