Page 8 of Billionaire in Disguise

For now he would observe, ask questions and discover what he could from Adrianna. He would have to be careful. Because if they discovered the truth, the world would descend.

* * *

“You made it.”

“Did you think I wouldn’t come?”

Most assuredly.“Not at all.” Smiling widely, Adrianna gestured Nick inside the brightly lit space. “Ready?”

“After you.” He held the door open, then followed her into the cozy pizzeria with red-checked tables, stained glass lamps and a miniature jukebox on each table. The aroma of fresh sauce and cheese wafted from a display of specialties, a heady accompaniment to the murmur of light conversation and laughter. It was welcoming and warm, a mom and pop with a quirky charm the chain stores could never quite emulate.

Adrianna chose a table in the corner, away from prying eyes. She murmured a thank you as Nick held out one of the vinyl-cushioned seats, as if they were on a real date. A pretty waitress handed them two menus, her eyes lingering on Nick just a tad longer than appropriate.

Adrianna frowned at the ridiculous urge to tell her to find her own fake boyfriend.

Nick smiled a lopsided grin that unsettled her stomach. She cleared her throat, straightened. This was the perfect opportunity to launch her speech, tell him why she’d really invited a perfect stranger to dinner. She’d be earnest and frank, explain her plan with logic and reason.

Instead, she picked up the large, laminated menu and buried her face in it.

Subtle.

She needed a few minutes to convince herself this was not completely crazy. Somewhat crazy, yes, mostly, perhaps. All right, completely crazy, yet she was determined. But first she was going to read the menu she already knew by heart, then read it again and again. And then again. After all, procrastination was an art form.

“Are you still deciding?” A disembodied voice came from beyond her makeshift shield, tinged with a dash of amusement and a heaping of confusion. She slammed the menu down, eliciting a startled look.

“Sorry.” She half-chuckled, half-choked. The waitress returned with their waters, and Adrianna grasped her glass, gulping so much shedidchoke. Nick gazed at her in concern, handing her a napkin as she blinked away tears.

This was not going well.

The waitress didn’t even look her way as she batted her eyelashes at Nick like a hummingbird’s wings. “Do you know what you want? Today’s special is lasagna.”

Nick turned slightly green. “I think I’ll stick with pizza.” He paused. “Adrianna, do you want to split a pie?”

“Perfect.” She wouldn’t prolong this by a minute. She handed the menu to the waitress, and added one last fortification. “And some of your delicious garlic rolls.”

The waitress gave Nick a saucy wink. “Coming right up.”

Adrianna plastered a smile on her face.Breathe.She needed to stay calm, cool and collected to accomplish her goals. The first step: learning all about Nick Walters, subtlety of course. “Tell me everything about you.”

Well, that was as subtle as a rhinoceros.

His eyes narrowed, and she just managed not to slink under the table. Now he probably thought she was unhingedanda stalker. “Actually don’t tell me everything. Just the relevant parts.”

Relevant parts:

1. Did he possess fake boyfriend experience?

2. What made him uniquely qualified for the position?

3. Did he take Fake Boyfriend 101 in college?

She should have typed up an application.

He traced the glass, as if trying to decide what to tell her.Strange.“There’s not much to tell. I love the beach and warm weather and have always worked in computers. I needed an escape from my life and figured an internship would be perfect.”

“Your life?” She tilted her head. “You’re not really a criminal, are you?”

“I thought we’d already established I was.”

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