Page 35 of Broken Dreams
“Well, you can tell me now.”
I clear my throat. “You really do look beautiful.”
“Thank you. I figured if we were going out again, we should give them something to talk about.” I open the passenger door for her, and she stands there, hand resting on the roof. “Are you sure about this, Grady? We can back out and I’ll just go to the wedding alone.”
While I had been considering the same thing, when she says it, I don’t like the idea at all. “Why do you say that?”
She sighs, looking out the window, and waves. I turn back to see Chloe there, watching us. “Because the people who love us seem to really love the idea of us.”
I think back to when I was leaving and Brynlee giving me a million tips on how not to fuck this up. She couldn’t be more supportive of the idea of me and Addison, no matter how many times I told her this was only our first date.
“They’ll be fine. They’ll love us no matter what. Our friends and family might be pissed, but they’ll come around.”
“You’re right. I can stand to go out with you a few times—I guess.” She slides into her seat, and I close the door with a laugh.
The ride to Summit View takes about thirty minutes. Getting up the mountain is slow thanks to the winding road. She asks about my day, the new client I got who actually wants to be a pilot, and the delivery I had to make two days ago.
“So you literally fly paperwork to New York City instead of someone emailing it?”
“Yeah, it’s always an envelope, so I know it’s not drugs or something, plus I scan everything beforehand.”
She laughs once. “That is probably smart.”
I nod. “They pay me well for it.”
“And it’s legal?”
“There’s nothing illegal about using a courier. Whatever it is, they don’t want it to be sent electronically and this ensures hand-to-hand delivery.”
“Oh. That makes total sense. I’m sure it’s contracts no one wants lost or legal paperwork.”
“Exactly, but out here, it would take someone hours to do what I can in just under an hour. It’s ease and convenience.”
We arrive at the restaurant and are seated at the same table she was at with Phil. Thanks to my generous tip to the host.
I thought it would be equally funny and also sort of sweet. We’re going to have a much nicer date than she had with that douche, and I’m erasing that from this location.
Also, it’s hilarious.
“You did this,” she accuses.
“What?”
Addison’s eyes narrow. “Don’t play innocent with me, Grady Whitlock. You sat us here on purpose.”
“I did.”
The side of her lip quirks up as though she wants to smile but won’t. “Because?”
“Because this date will be nothing like the last, so we might as well pretend that never happened.”
“Well.” She sits back in her seat. “That was unexpected.”
Now it’s my turn to ask. “Because?”
Addison’s smile grows and she shrugs softly. “It was very sweet.”
“And also because I thought it would be fun to irritate you,” I tack on because I don’t want to be sweet. This isn’t real and while we have to sell it to the people we’re fooling, we don’t have to try to fool each other.
