Page 76 of Nothing to Deny
Okay, that was the pot calling the kettle black, but it wasn’t exactly the time to call Holly on specifics.
And, oddly, that hadn’t occurred to her. Her first thought was their ruse being uncovered, she hadn’t considered why her other cousin would’ve set hers up at all.
“He’s not Squires now,” Donoghue explained. “He was Squires. Quit last year. Think he’s gone out on his own?”
Nothing made sense, she hadn’t seen this coming. How could any of them have seen this coming?
“Even if he has, why would Kelly be paying him to do this?”
“It’s possible for a guy like him to fall in love.” Baer’s words felt like they were for her. “Just because you sell sex for a while, doesn’t mean you give up all emotion yourself.”
He was right. Nickson once sold sex, that didn’t mean he would forever or that every partner in his life paid him.
“You think they met and fell in love?” Unable to miss the parallel with her own situation, her desperation morphed into hope that maybe it could be true. If Nickson could do it with Kelly, she could do it with Baer. “If you ask him to stay quiet, will he?”
“Depends.”
Oh, good, that was helpful. “Depends on what?”
“Their relationship,” he said. “Think I’d lie to you if another guy asked me?”
If it was real, Kelly and Nickson would, should, share everything.
“So what do we do?”
And that was the sixty-four-million-dollar question. What did they do? They needed a plan in the thirty seconds it would take the couple to finish crossing the grass and hit the gravel. There were a few other cars parked in the parking lot but no other limos. Kelly knew her just as well as Holly, therefore knew this was her typical ride.
“Shit, shit, shit.” Yep, Holly’s anxiety had become full-blown panic. “This is the worst thing that could possibly happen ever. What are we supposed to do?”
“We could leave,” Baer said. “You two go in, say there was an issue that kept us in the city.”
“Both of you?” Holly snapped. “Wouldn’t we have known that before today? Unless you’re running away together, why would both of our boyfriends miraculously have emergencies crop up at the same time?”
“Maybe they’re family,” she suggested. “Or they’re best friends and they need to be around to support each other.”
“Then why wouldn’t we be there too? If it was such a terrible disaster, why would we abandon the men we’re supposed to love?”
Maybe instead of crapping on everyone else’s suggestions, Holly could come up with some of her own. She wouldn’t say that, not out loud. It would just live in her head.
“We can’t sit in here forever. We’re here now.” A quick glance back at the window confirmed Kelly was indeed heading their way. “You wanted us to bring boyfriends, we brought boyfriends. So we go in and act natural.”
“There’s a good chance your folks don’t know Nickson’s past,” Donoghue offered. “Squires doesn’t come up much when you’re trying to impress the parents of a girl you’re really into.”
More proof that men in their line of work had real lives beyond it. Donoghue could have his own family. Yes, he could be abrasive, and forward, that didn’t mean he couldn’t be a father. Maybe he was playing up those qualities, working off a prep sheet. Maybe in his real life he was quieter and more reserved. She had to stop making assumptions; these men were more than their job.
“You think?” Holly shook her head fast, eyes squeezed shut. When they burst open, her cousin’s tone changed hue. “You’re right! You’re right! There is no way Kelly told Mom about this. No way!”
She didn’t like Holly’s exuberance, like it was so blatantly obvious anyone would be ashamed of such a line of work. Though it wasn’t like she was without sin on that score. Hadn’t she feared Truman finding out for basically the same reason?
“We’re going in?”
“You think you guys could separate Nickson, speak to him before he tells Kelly of your connection?”
“We can,” Baer said. “Won’t stop him telling her the truth… if he’s really into her.”
And if he wasn’t, maybe the guys could find out and put Holly’s mind at ease.
“We can offer him money.” Holly’s optimism bloomed. “Freya has money. Lots of it. We can pay him to keep quiet.”
