Page 39 of The Boyfriend Swap

Not looking up from his phone, my dad said, “I did.”

Perry laughed. “Well?”

Only to prove them both wrong, I said, “Fine. Let’s go.” I was getting tired of working. It was a holiday, after all.

Before I could take a step, my dad put out his arm to trap me in place. “Can you do it later or tomorrow, Sidney? We should finish this.”

“No rest for the weary, eh, Mr. Bellows? Why don’t you take a break and join us?” Perry asked.

With barely a glance at Perry, my dad said, “I’m afraid not.” Of course, the glee with which he expressed the words suggested he couldn’t be happier.

Darting my eyes between an eager Perry and my singularly focused father, I unmasked the true reason Perry had joined us outside. It had nothing to do with a desire to sing with me and everything to do with winning back my dad’s attention. “You heard the man. Work beckons. But you have fun without us,” I said.

“If you say so.” Perry shrugged and walked away.

I smiled at his back. Like I said, I killed it.

“Sidney,” my dad barked. “Focus.”

After all our local relatives went home and the visiting ones retired to their guest rooms, I was finally able to make my exit as well. At my mother’s insistence, my parents and I were always the last ones standing at all events hosted in our residence. If it were up to my father, he’d force me to work through the night, but my mother insisted Santa Claus wouldn’t come in if we were awake, and my dad humored her grudgingly. Anxious to confront Perry in private, I faked patience while he thanked Barbara again for the wonderful gluten-free dishes she’d added to the menu and kissed both of her cheeks goodnight. I didn’t even complain when he grabbed ahold of my elbow and didn’t let go until we reached his room.

Standing in the hallway with his body relaxed against his bedroom door, Perry batted his long eyelashes at me. “Thank you for a wonderful night, Cherry Bomb. I had a great time.” He leaned in and closed his eyes.

I slapped his cheek with enough force to show I wasn’t playing his game, but not hard enough to hurt or be construed as physical abuse toward a fake boyfriend. “Get over yourself.”

Perry opened his eyes. “One of those chicks who doesn’t kiss on a first date. I should have known.” He frowned playfully.

I rolled my eyes and changed the subject. “Did you enjoy yourself tonight?”

Entering the room, Perry said, “I did. After a few martinis, your snobby relatives are a fun bunch. Didyouhave a nice time?” He sat on the edge of the bed and kicked off his shiny black leather shoes.

I followed him in and closed the door. “You put in a good effort, but you’re up against a champion fighter. It’s best you accept your loss and move on.”

Perry scrunched his face in pretend confusion. “What did I lose?” Chuckling, he said, “Besides a few pounds. For a middle-aged broad, your Aunt Eileen can cut a rug.”

Crossing my arms across my chest, I said, “You almost had me going there for a while with your lame attempt to get my father’s attention.”

“Is Will aware of how crazy you are?” He stood up and began unbuttoning his shirt as if I weren’t standing there.

I averted my eyes, but not before I caught a glimpse of chest hair. For some reason, I’d imagined Perry with a smooth, hairless chest. Even though it was against my better judgement, Perry was one of those men all straight women pictured naked whether they wanted to or not. “Don’t bring Will into this. You’re just upset I’m winning.”

“What are you talking about?” Perry asked with wide eyes.

“You refused to voluntarily cool it with my parents, so I took matters into my own hands and cornered my dad with work. If you noticed, neither of them doled out any attention your way all night.” Of course he’d noticed.

Perry’s eyes narrowed, followed by the upturn of his lips, and then his torso began to shake.

“What?” I said as my body temperature rose in confusion.

Ignoring me, Perry continued to chortle, until I pushed him. “What the hell is so funny?”

He stopped laughing and shook his head at me. “I had no idea we were in a battle, but I surrender. Happy now?”

I had gotten what I came for, but it didn’t feel right. He was giving in too easily. “You have nothing else to say?” I asked skeptically.

“Actually, I do.”

I smirked. “Go on.”

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