Hot SEAL, Heartbreaker - Cat Johnson Page 0,29
man. And it wasn’t couples’ night. I just couldn’t figure out how to say no to dinner without Jen getting suspicious. But that’s it now. I’m telling her Brian’s going on deployment. That way I won’t have to have any more fake dates.”
“You’re a lunatic. You know that?”
“Why?”
“Why don’t you want to see this guy anymore?” Shelly asked.
“Have you not been listening to me? It’s all fake.” She stressed the last word to make sure Shelly understood.
“Is it really though? You’re actually spending time with him. Sharing meals. And having drinks. And meeting family. And having a good time, from what you’ve said. That sounds real enough to me.”
She sighed. “No. It’s more like a business transaction. I could have just as easily hired an actor to play my boyfriend. But instead, we decided to barter services. I pretend for his teammates. He pretends for my sister.”
“A man hiring a prostitute for sex is a business transaction too, but that doesn’t mean the sex isn’t real.”
She cringed at hearing Shelly put her fake relationship with Brian in those terms. “This isn’t like that. And we’re not having sex,” she added, just in case there was any question.
“But I bet you could be. You can’t tell me he’s not interested.”
“He’s not interested. We both agreed to no sex as one of the rules.”
Shelly let out a humph. “We’ll see.”
She hated the smug tone in her friend’s voice. “No we won’t because we have no more fake dates planned.”
“Okay. If you say so.”
Before she could lob yet another defense at her friend, her cell vibrated with a text.
It was probably Jen. Who else could it be? She was already talking to her best, and pretty much only, friend.
Of course, it could also be Brian. Maybe he needed her to show up at McP’s or something.
As her heart picked up speed at that thought, she glanced at the display—and got a punch to the gut.
She stared at the contact name she hadn’t realized was still in her phone.
It must have transferred over automatically with all her other information when she’d gotten her new cell. But there it was, and it still had the power to have her shaking.
She’d momentarily forgotten she was still talking to Shelly.
Feeling weak, she raised the cell to her ear and tried not to vomit. “Shell.”
“Yeah.”
“Greg just texted me.”
“As in Greg, Greg? Your Greg?”
“Yeah.” Even though he was most definitely not her Greg. Not anymore. He hadn’t been for a long while.
“What does he want? Not to get back together. You’re not going to, are you? Would you take him back?” Shelly asked in rapid fire succession.
These were all good questions. One’s she didn’t have answers to.
“I don’t know.” She swallowed and clarified which question she’d been answering with, “I don’t know what he wants. He just said he needs to talk.”
“Oh my God. What are you going to do?”
Again, she said, “I don’t know.”
“Are you okay?” Shelly asked.
“Yeah,” she lied.
“You’re not. I can hear it your voice.”
“You’re right. I’m not.”
“I’m coming over.”
“Don’t. I’m fine. And you said you have an early conference call in the morning.”
“That’s all right. I’ll just be tired. Nothing a little cover-up and coffee won’t solve.”
“No. Really. I’m going to ignore this text—pretend I didn’t see it—and go to bed. Possibly after a pint of ice cream. Or a bottle of wine. Or both.”
“You sure?” Shelly asked.
“Yes. Definitely. I’m just going to avoid that text and him. No worries.”
“All right. But please. If he texts again or calls, call me. Any time. I don’t care.”
“Okay. I will.”
“Love you.”
“Love you too. Good night.” She disconnected the call and stared at the cell in her hand.
Greg’s text lay dormant there, like a sleeping snake she was afraid to awaken.
She was still staring at the instrument of her torture when it vibrated in her hand. She jumped, her heart lurching until she saw Brian’s name appear on the text alert.
BRIAN: Hey. Sorry it’s last minute. But are you available to be my fake dinner date tomorrow night?
Able to breathe again even as her heart pounded, she was so relieved to be back in her nice safe fake dating comfort zone, she happily replied.
ALICIA: Yes!
The exclamation point was probably over the top but she’d already hit send before she could delete it.
BRIAN: LOL Glad you are excited about it.
She read the words and could easily picture the man who’d typed them.
So easy going. Always smiling. Eager to help. To solve any problem she might have. And they weren’t