Page 2 of Pursued By My Grumpy Fiancé
Ifeeloutofplace walking down the San Francisco streets in fancy evening wear alone. I look out for the limo that will be my meal ticket for the night. Of course, my phone died immediately after I accepted the date, leaving me no time to memorize the license plate of the limo I would be getting into. Just my luck. I peek at my watch and note the time. Ugh, I’m going to be late. I panic, searching up and down for the limo that is supposed to pick me up.
I finally spot a limo down the street and sigh in relief. No more waltzing around like a Disney princess on main. I open the door and plop inside, relief flooding through me. I glance at the man beside me as I catch my breath. He’s wearing a sleek black suit that hugs his arms in a way that shows he has muscles. His hair is styled in the ivy league cut that is popular with men of his caliber. His deep blue eyes display a hint of mirth, as if I’m amusing him in some way. The scent of his musky cologne wafts over me, and I take a deep breath in. On his wrist sits a watch that looks as if it could pay an entire semester’s tuition. In all honesty, he doesn’t look like my usual clients. They’re typically lonely, older men. He’s young, in his late thirties at most.
He raises an eyebrow in confusion, probably because I jumped into the limo like a raving lunatic. But since he’s the one who reached out last minute, he will just have to accept that. I sit up straight and look him dead in the eyes to let him know that I mean business.
“I’m just letting you know that since you didn’t book in advance, you’ll be charged what was discussed previously as well as a hundred-dollar short-notice fee. Physical contact is allowed,” I pause and clear my throat, “But only of the appropriate variety. Hand holding, arm around my shoulder sort of thing. Kissing costs extra. Absolutely no sex. This is non-negotiable. If you can’t agree to any of that, let me know right now and I can leave.”
I maintain a calm, yet professional demeanor as I lay out the rules. As I glance into his eyes, I’m faced only with more confusion.
“Also, I need to be back by midnight. No later. I have things to do tomorrow,” I add.
“Why? Does your dress turn back into rags, Cinderella?” he smirks.
I glare at him and prepare to give him a lecture on the importance of politeness when I’m interrupted by the limo door opening.
I scoot over as an older woman steps into the limo. She wears a royal blue gown, accented with a white fur stole. Her gray streaked hair is pulled back in an elegant bun, drawing more attention to the gorgeous drop diamond earrings hanging from her ears. She focuses her deep blue eyes on me, and I immediately feel warmth from her. Despite the wealthy aura radiating off of her, I can tell that she is genuinely kind.
“Well, who is this, Landon?” she asks, smiling at the man seated across from me. He opens his mouth to respond, but I cut him off.
“Hi, I’m Hailey Dunn. It’s wonderful to meet you,” I say, holding my hand out toward her. She puts her hand in mine and gives it a soft shake.
Landon inches toward me, placing a hand on the small of my back. My breath hitches and I stiffen at the contact. He pulls me closer to him and I feel my back press against the side of his chest. The musk of his cologne envelopes me.
“Yes. Mom, this is my girlfriend, Hailey. I decided it was time for her to meet everyone, so I invited her to our gala,” he says, smiling at me and then at her.
I turn my head around so fast that I almost give myself whiplash. My eyes must be bulging out of my head at the complete shock running through my system. I wiggle against him, suddenly uncomfortable when he pinches me. I yelp and glare at him. His eyes are pleading, and I can almost taste the desperation coming off of him.
“Well, that’s just lovely! I’m Eleanor,” his mother says, her confusion morphing into happiness, as a wide smile forms on her face. She looks between the two of us as if she can’t believe what she’s seeing, and honestly, neither can I.
In truth, I like my men nerdy and funny. Brooding, grumpy, and intimidating is so not my type, even if he is hot. He’s the total opposite of what I would go for, if I ever had the time to go for someone. I sneak a peek at Landon and lick my lips. Who am I kidding? I would totally give him a shot.
I’m pulled out of my thoughts as his mother pounces forward and hugs the ever-loving life out of me. She lets me go just as I think that I might pass out from lack of oxygen. Tears run down her face and I’m about to hand her a tissue when Landon beats me to it, offering her an embroidered silk handkerchief. I scoff to myself. Imagine being the type of person who is too good for regular tissues. Hankies are off-putting and unsanitary. There’s a reason why they fell out of favor. I bet even his toilet paper is monogrammed. Jerk.
I conceal my irritation with a bright smile and snuggle closer to Landon. I trace circles on his arms and feel him stiffen and then slowly relax as he grows accustomed to the touch. His mother’s eyes twinkle and I get the sense that she’s already planning an entire wedding in her head.
“This is truly such a blessing. I never thought Landon would bring another girl home. I imagined that he would be alone and have to settle down with his laptop,” she jokes.
She smiles amiably at me and I smile back, finding her overall demeanor infectious.
“Landon, I demand to know where you met this stunning woman. Look, doesn’t she have the loveliest green eyes you’ve ever seen?” his mother coos.
I feel the heat rise to my face at the idea of being fawned over. I look at Landon and see him struggle to come up with a backstory. I put my hand on his bicep and take note of how muscly they are.
“Oh, we met in the cutest little café last December!” I jump in quickly. “Landon spilled his coffee all over me. After that, it was history. It’s been official since January,” I reply.
His shoulders sink with relief.
“But Landon, we were in New Jersey last December. We had to plan the Nutcracker ball,” she says, her brow wrinkling in confusion.
I bite my lip, realizing how blatantly unprepared I was for this conversation.
“Well, remember how I had to leave early for urgent business? It was during that time — I was grabbing coffee for the entire meeting. I know Samantha usually does it, but she wasn’t feeling well, so I offered. And thank goodness she didn’t do it, otherwise I would have missed out on meeting the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.” He squeezes my shoulder and smiles at me with gratitude.
“Since then, we’ve been practically inseparable. He’s just been waiting for the right time to introduce us.” I give what I hope is a convincing grin.
“Oh, this is so exciting! I can’t wait to tell your brothers and sister!” She pats my knee and continues. “Tell me, how did you manage to sway him? He doesn’t give you a lot of trouble, does he? If he ever does, just let me know and I’ll swat him for you!”
Eleanor throws her head back and laughs, and I can’t help but join her.
