Reign A Romance Anthology - Nina Levine Page 0,300

the screen. Videos and even a Wikipedia bio has popped up.

“He’s, like, a big-time supercross legend. You hooked yourself a bad boy, Dylan. Oh, yeah!” she cheers.

I’m speechless, not knowing what to say but saying the first thing that pops into my mind. “Perhaps I should cancel tonight.”

“No, you’re not allowed,” Charlie yells. “You’re going to head out and purchase a new outfit and then come back here to get ready. Chop, chop. Oh, and your cell has constantly been ringing.”

“That’s got to be Scarlett.” I hightail it back to my office and scoop my cell off my desk.

Four missed calls and a heap of messages.

Scarlett: Tell me more!

Scarlett: I know you’re in an appointment, but ring me asap.

Scarlett: I NEED details! NOW!

I hit her name, and it starts calling immediately.

“Give me all the details.” The words hit my ears before I can even sense she has answered the phone. Quickly, I fill her in on the entire conversation and how he’s now coming with me to my mother’s house for dinner.

“Charlie’s told me to go buy some new clothes.” Glancing at my watch, it’s another hour and a half before Cole’s supposed to return. “Shouldn’t what I’m wearing be okay? I mean, it’s only one date, which I basically forced him into.”

“Go buy something. Get going right now and send me pictures. Oh, and I want a phone call or text message letting me know how things are going or how they went. I’m living vicariously through you right now. I’m a homebody these days.” She ends the call, and I’m left staring at the screen when a message comes through.

Unknown: Hey, it’s Cole. I suggest you change out of that sexy little skirt because I’m bringing my bike.

What.

The.

Hell.

I’ve never been on the back of a bike.

What if I fall off?

Or die, even.

Staring down at my cell, I start the walk back to Charlie. “Well, looks like I’ve got to at least buy some jeans and a jacket because, apparently, I’m going on the back of a motorbike.”

Charlie squeals. “Let’s go now. When we come back, I’ll finish up the end-of-day paperwork.” She reaches under her desk and produces a handbag.

I don’t move.

“What the hell are you waiting for? Go. Get your bag. Hurry up.”

Her hands touch my back, pushing me along. Meanwhile, my insides feel like there is an electrical storm coursing through my very being.

“I’m not sure, Charlie. I’ve got his number now, so I can easily cancel.”

“No!” she shouts. Then, clearing her throat, she says, “Do you want your mother on your back for the rest of your life? Take him to maybe one or two dinners, and then tell her it ended. At least then she’ll know you’re trying to date.”

“I have been dating, but none of them have been worth my time or effort to take back and meet my mother. She would eat them for breakfast. Or they would run screaming before she gets through her first round of twenty questions,” I joke.

Though, knowing my mother, she’s going to peel back every layer of this man.

What he likes.

What he hates.

She’ll, of course, want to know about his ex-girlfriends.

If I am being honest, I’m a little scared for him.

5

Cole

On the street, I pull my cell from my pocket and call Deacon. He answers, laughing. “Dude, that wasn’t cool,” I say.

“I wish I could have seen your face when she asked you to get your pants off.” He chokes on his words.

“Luckily, we didn’t get that far. But because of you, I now have to go on a date with this woman. Oh, and you’ll be getting the bill.”

Deacon becomes silent. Yeah, not so happy now, sucker.

“How did that happen?” he finally asks as I head back to my bike.

“Oh, she classified it as payback. It was an ultimatum, which meant we both got billed for wasting her time, and I didn’t want to pay for something I had nothing to do with. How hard could going to a single dinner be anyway? Oh, and by the way, she’s hot.”

“I had heard that. One of my friends went on a date with her about a month ago and nearly died when he heard what she did for a living. I thought it was a good payback for that girl you told I was secretly in love with her…because that didn’t end well.”

I chuckle. “At least she took it like a grown-up. I have to come back here and take this woman to dinner at her