Page 23 of Boss's Baby: A Fake Fiance Romance

“And it never happened.”

“It never happened. But she’s still watching, and you’re going to make it happen.” He sat up and folded his hands on his lap. “You want the company, you need a wife—simple as that.”

“Wait,” I said. “But what about Sam? He’s not married.”

“He doesn’t have your reputation. And I’ve got no doubt in my mind that he’ll find someone as soon as I tell him to. You, on the other hand, need a little more motivation. And here it is.”

“You want me to go out and find a wife? Just like that?”

“Well, shit, don’t go putting a ring on the first pretty girl you see—that’ll get you into trouble too. Find someone with a good heart to go with her good looks. Make sure she’s someone you can spend the rest of your life with. Those women are out there—your mother was one of them.”

I had no idea what to say. I figured Dad might put me through the paces before I took over, but nothing like this.

“Maybe you’ll meet some hometown girl during the holidays—you never know.”

For a brief moment Cassidy popped into my mind. But I pushed her aside—there was a woman who sure as hell didn’t want anything to do with me.

“Now,” said Dad, fixing the pillow under his head. “I need a damn nap. Get out there and think about what I said—your future depends on it in more ways than one.”

Still stunned, I left Dad.

I knew I was going to have to do a lot of thinking, but I was determined.

I needed to find a fiancée, and fast.

Chapter 10

CASSIDY

He was possibly one of the most handsome men I’d ever seen in my life. Tall, with dark hair, bedroom eyes, and a smile that let you know right away he wanted to get up to some trouble, and that you were the exact girl he wanted to do it with. Oh—and he was an architect, which was easily one of the sexiest jobs there was, in my opinion. And he had the muscles to fill out that holiday-appropriate cable-knit sweater. My mouth watered just looking at him.

Of course, there was one small snag—he wasn’t real. Well, he was a real person, being played by a real actor. But instead of being a man on a very romantic date with me in some luxurious Midtown bar, he was the leading man in the Hallmark movie I was currently in the middle of.

Well, the end, to be more precise—the movie was nearly over. I was curled up on my couch in my pajamas, a nearly-finished king-sized bag of crispy M&Ms on the coffee table in front of me. Every now and then I’d pick one up and pop it into my mouth without looking, the TV having my undivided attention.

It’d been a hell of a ride. Jack, the architect, had been back in his hometown for the holidays for the first time in years after spending years in New York making a total success out of himself. Everyone was happy to see him, but of course, he had a secret—he wasn’t only back for fun but to scope out the town square for a new development project.

Of course, he meets up with an old childhood friend—Amy, the girl next door who’d always been a touch on the gawkier side but ended up growing into a real beauty. And, of course, she owns a bookstore that’s slated to be demolished if Jack’s plans go through. Long story short, Jack has a change of heart, moves back to his hometown, and opens up a small firm in the city dedicated to preserving historic old buildings.

An ending straight out of Hallmark, which made sense.

By the time it was done, I felt drained. And then I felt…empty. Why the hell was it so easy for some people to fall in love, while I was totally hopeless at it? Sure, I didn’t need a man to complete me, but I didn’t not wish there was some handsome man in a cozy cable-knit sweater on the couch next to me.

Part of me hated that I felt that way. I’d always been so happy to have my work and my apartment, and that was that. Maybe a cat down the line if I was really feeling the need for some kind of companionship. But something had changed in me, made me watch these silly movies and feel a longing that made me uncomfortable.

And lonely. There was that too.

“OK!” I said, getting up off the couch and speaking to no one in particular. “Time to be around people. Real people.”

Simply going to a bar and taking in a drink and some people-ambiance was usually enough to make me feel better. So, that’s what I decided to do. After throwing on some clothes and grabbing my things, I was soon out on the streets of the Village, the sidewalks bustling with the usual evening crowd.

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