Page 2 of Roman & Olivia
He snorted. Then his amusement faded to curiosity. “So… why do you need a fake boyfriend?”
She groaned again. “You remember that guy Mason? The one I have a huge crush on?”
His brows pulled together. “Of course. He’s the mayor’s kid, right?”
She nodded.
And realization dawned on him. “Wait, does he work at the mayor’s office too?”
Another nod.
“Okay… so why…” He tilted his head slightly, and that was all it took for Olivia to spill everything.
“This is so embarrassing. He was over at my desk today talking about this charity event that the city council is hosting. There’s going to be live music, good food, and some other stuff. And we were talking…” Her blush continued to get worse. “I thought he was going to ask me to go with him. It was all so fast. I don’t know what happened.”
He snickered. “I still don’t know why you need me.”
Her groan this time was too… adorable. She leaned against the car beside him and laid her head back against it as she stared up at the sky. “I told him I’d love to. Then he said he already had a date. I don’t know what I was thinking. I said, ‘Oh, of course. I have a date too. I meant I’d love to double.’” Her eyes slid to his, and she gave him an awkward smile. “I said I was dating you.” She bit down on her lower lip. “I said your name and everything. It just came out.”
Roman’s burst of laughter was loud enough that Cameron and Sophia glanced in his direction. Then he shook his head. “I can’t do that, Liv. It would be… too weird.”
“Please? I’m desperate. I should never have told him about you, but that’s where we’re at.”
To say he was stunned didn’t come close to how he felt. What was he supposed to say? He couldn’t pretend to be her boyfriend. He might feel like love wasn’t in the cards for him, but that didn’t mean he didn’t believe in it. Roman still held out hope that he’d find someone who would love him like his parents loved each other. He simply hadn’t found the girl who connected with him on that kind of level yet. What if he met theperfect woman while he was pretending to be in the throes of a relationship with Olivia?
He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. “Liv…” he said. “You know I would do anything for you?—”
She reached for him so swiftly that he sucked in sharply. Her hands held his. “Please. You can’t let me go to that event alone.”
“Maybe you could… not go?”
Olivia shook her head. “I can’t,” she hissed as Cameron and Sophia walked by within earshot. “It’s a double date. I have to go. They’re expecting me there anyway since I’m Mayor Clearfield’s assistant.”
He sighed. All she had to do was lay those puppy dog eyes on him and he knew he was a goner. Olivia Whitten had that uncanny ability to get him to do whatever she wanted. He wasn’t sure when it had started exactly, but there it was.
Her lashes fluttered exaggeratedly, and that was enough to elicit a groan from his own lips. She knew she had him. Why did she have to look at him like that?
“Fine,” he muttered.
“Really?” she all but squealed. “It’s going to be at the Capitol this weekend. I know it’s short notice, but I’d really thought Mason was going to ask me with all the flirting—” She snapped her mouth shut and blushed again. “Anyway, it’s black tie?—”
“Nope. I draw the line at that.”
She stared at him with surprise. “What?”
“I’mnotwearing a tie. No suit either. I’ll only wear one to funerals. Although I’m sure I’ll have to wear one to my wedding—can’t imagine my future wife being okay with jeans and a T-shirt?—”
“I’m certain you’ve worn them to weddings…”
He shook his head. “Slacks. Maybe a nice shirt. But no suits.”
She gave him a pointed look. “They won’t let you in without a suit.”
Roman dragged a hand down his face. “Seriously? Geez, Liv. Can this favor get anymorecomplicated?”
She gave him her sweetest smile—one he recognized from several manipulative times past. “It’s only for one night,” she crooned. “One night in a suit so Mason doesn’t think I’m an idiot.”
He huffed. “You’renotan idiot, Liv. If he can’t see that?—”
