Page 26 of Silver Fake

But in that moment, I catch a glimpse of something in Lisa's eyes. Is that...disappointment? No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than the expression is gone, replaced once again with her usual determined gaze.

My phone buzzes on the table, drawing both our attention.

"It's my mom," I tell Lisa, showing her the text. "She wants us to meet her and my dad for dinner tonight. Are you okay with that?"

Lisa's eyes light up at my question, her lips curling into a bright smile. "Sure, I'd love to see your parents again," she says, her voice filled with genuine enthusiasm.

Grinning, I stand up, extending my hand to Lisa. "Shall we?" I ask, the light catch in my eyes unmistakable.

She holds my hand the whole way back to the car.

CHAPTER9

Lisa

This entire situationis so surreal.

I'm supposed to be in Barton Beach on vacation. But yet here I am, in an elevator with my grumpy boss, on my way to meet his parents for dinner because they think I'm his girlfriend.

The elevator ride seems to go on forever, the tension making it unbearable. I am struggling to keep a calm façade, but my emotions are all over the place.

A part of me wants to tell John that this is ridiculous, that we can't fake our way through this. But all I can do is stand beside him quietly, hoping that he will understand how I feel.

As the doors open and we step out into the lobby, I try to tell myself this will all be fine. John's parents are waiting for us at a nearby restaurant, and I decide to put on a brave face for the night.

It's going to be a challenge, smiling and pretending to be the doting girlfriend, but I'll do it. For John, I'll try to make this work.

When we arrive to the restaurant, John leads me through a back entrance to a room I hadn't noticed the day before. This room is clearly meant for VIP guests.

There is an oval table in the center of the room covered with a black silk tablecloth, and the plates look like expensive china, and pure crystal glasses are set up at each setting. Currently, there are four places set across from each other, but they could fit more if needed. A bottle of wine is already chilling on ice in the center of the table.

A waiter is awaiting our arrival, standing to the side in the corner of the room, and he nods in greeting as we enter. Nancy and Bill walk in right behind us, and Nancy immediately puts her arms around John's neck, kissing his cheek. Then she's putting her arms around me, and I look up at John. To my surprise, he smiles at me as I hug her back.

"We're so happy you're here," Nancy says warmly.

She smiles at John and then at me.

"It's truly wonderful seeing our John with you. He's finally found his person." Then she leans in and whispers in my ear. "I can tell by the way he looks at you. He's never looked at anyone like that."

She kisses my cheek and then sits down in the chair Bill is pulling out for her, completely oblivious to the fact she just made my heart pause.

"If it's alright," Nancy says, "I've asked them to prepare something special for us."

"You know I'll like whatever you picked, Mom," John says. He puts his arm around my shoulders. "That okay with you, baby?"

I smile at Nancy.

"Yes, of course. I'm not a picky eater, and from what I've been told, you can't go wrong with any of the food here."

"That's wonderful to hear, dear," Nancy replies, her eyes twinkling with satisfaction. "We certainly hope you'll enjoy it. After all, good food and good company make for a perfect evening, don't they?"

"Absolutely," I agree, giving her a gentle smile. "There's no better pairing than tasty food and delightful company. "

A moment later, another waiter comes in with a cart and serves all of us a bowl of clam chowder that smells amazing, and as I take my first bite, I practically moan around the spoon because it tastes even better than it smells.

Bill laughs. "This is just the appetizer. Wait until you try the main course."

"I'm looking forward to it," I say.

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