shut the door. “Sorry.”
“Have a seat.”
“I’m sorry Mr. Calloway, but I’m not prepared for a meeting. I don’t have a way to take notes.”
“Everly,” he said, a slight edge to his tone. “Just sit.”
I walked around to the other side of his desk and slowly lowered myself into one of the chairs.
He sat back and pitched his fingers together. “Are you single?”
The question was so unexpected, it took me a full five seconds before I could collect myself enough to answer. “Um… single? Yes, but—”
“Hear me out,” he said, cutting me off. “I find myself in a difficult situation. You met my father on Friday and saw who he was with.”
“Yes…”
“It turns out my father has bigger problems than Svetlana.”
“Worse than that harpy?” I asked, then clicked my mouth shut. Oh my god, why had I said that? I hadn’t even been drinking.
The corner of his mouth twitched. “Yes, worse than… the harpy. He’s been diagnosed with cancer.”
“Oh, Shepherd, I’m so sorry.” I shut my mouth again, realizing I’d just called him Shepherd. What the hell was wrong with me? One evening in a red dress with my boss, and suddenly I’d lost control of my mouth.
He didn’t seem to notice. “His prognosis is good, although he’ll need to undergo radiation therapy.”
“That’s good. I mean, about his prognosis.”
“It is.” He pressed his lips together and leaned forward, putting his elbows on his desk. “What I’m about to tell you doesn’t leave this room.”
“Of course.”
He nodded and there we were with the eye contact again. “My father’s illness isn’t his only issue right now. He’s also suffered a series of financial losses.”
I nodded, not sure what to say.
“My brother and I will do what we can to help him, but it’s important this information doesn’t become public. If his board of directors gets wind of this, they’ll vote him out. He’ll lose the company he’s spent his lifetime building.”
“Okay.” Had he just said brother? Since when did he have a brother?
“He’s liquidated most of his assets, which includes the building he was living in. And given that he’s undergoing cancer treatment, he’s moving in with me.”
“That’s nice of you.”
“Indeed. But I’m sure you can see how my father’s relationship with Svetlana is suddenly a much larger problem than it was seventy-two hours ago.”
“You didn’t tell him?”
His eye twitched, the only sign of emotion I could see. “No. It’s complicated.”
“That’s the understatement of the century. So you’re moving your father in with you and… what, he’s going to bring his new girlfriend over?”
“Yes. And until I can get rid of her without causing more problems for my family, I have to deal with her.”
“Okay, that’s… unfortunate. But why are you telling me all this? And what does it have to do with my relationship status?”
He took a deep breath. “I need a girlfriend.”
“Oh, do you need me to make dinner reservations, or…”
“Not a real girlfriend.” His expression softened, hinting at a bit of the personality I’d thought I’d seen on Friday night. “I’m not interested in dating anyone right now. But I also can’t have Svetlana thinking I’m single.”
“So you need a fake girlfriend.”
“Precisely. I’m glad we’re on the same page. I’ll need you to move in.”
“Wait,” I said, holding up a finger. I felt like I’d blacked out and missed part of our conversation. Move in? What the hell was he talking about? “Not on the same page. I don’t think even we’re reading the same book. Move in? What?”
His nostrils flared. They did that when he was frustrated or impatient. “My father already thinks we’re dating. So the obvious solution is to continue with that ruse.”
“Let me get this straight. You want me to pretend we’re dating?”
“Yes.”
“And move in with you?”
“Yes.”
“Are you insane?” I asked, practically hissing out the last word.
“You did an excellent job on Friday.”
I felt my filter smash to pieces, and I did not care. “Walking around with you at some event in a red dress is not the same as moving in with you and pretending we’re together. I have a life. I can’t just shack up with my fucking boss because he needs someone to pose as his girlfriend.”
“Well, my father put me in this goddamn position, and it’s not like I’m fucking happy about it. I’m going to have the woman from hell sauntering around my house like she owns the place. He brought her over yesterday and it was the longest hour of my fucking life.”
We stared at each other, like we were