“I thought we weren’t telling anyone,” I shot back. “How can you be writing up a contract without tipping someone off?”
“My lawyer doesn’t count,” West said, shrugging. “He gets paid well enough to keep quiet.”
“Fine,” I said, standing abruptly and brushing off the front of my jeans. “Let me go home and tell my dad I’m going to the city with my new boss for the night. I’ll pretend it’s business related, so when I come back, it’s believable that I ‘fell in love along the way.’”
It wasn’t a lie. Not yet, anyway.
I already knew my neighbor would check on Dad in the morning before the nurse came to help him with lunch. Our house may not have been big enough for Dad’s wheelchair to get around, but still living in our small house meant that we knew our neighbors well. They cared about Dad as much as I did and I knew I could count on a couple of them to help me out if needed.
“I’ll follow you,” West said, jerking his chin toward the door.
“You’re not coming in my house,” I warned him, spinning to jab a finger at his chest. He didn’t need to see how I lived. Not that it was bad, but it was sacred. Mine. His presence would contaminate the spaces. Not to mention there was no way in hell I was letting him meet my dad.
Dad loved everyone, and he would fall under the charms of West Brooks immediately. Then when West broke my heart and ended our fake love story, Dad would be distraught. It would be better to let him ease into all of this.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” West said solemnly, dragging his fingers across his chest in some sort of Boy Scout meets heartthrob gesture. “I’ll wait patiently in the car. Marcus can drive us into the city for the night.”
I rolled my eyes, but walked quietly out to my car. My hands were shaking when I got in.
On the drive, the headlights of his fancy SUV lit up my rearview mirror. It was a constant reminder that he was rightbehind me, both literally, and in every choice I was about to make.
I gripped the steering wheel tighter and tried to breathe through the panic fluttering in my chest. My body knew I was making a mistake well before my brain caught up.
“What are you doing, Blue?” I muttered under my breath as I parked and got out. My legs felt like rubber, but I managed to maintain my composure as I gave him a slight wave.
True to his word, he stayed put in the car that was idling along the edge of my front yard. Thankfully it was late, because I could only imagine what my neighbors would think if they saw me sliding into West’s car so late.
Then again, those thoughts were exactly what I wanted them to think. Right?
This was supposed to look like a fairytale, but in reality, it was going to be a full-blown cautionary tale. It spoke volumes for how much I wanted that bar, though. Owning it would be financial freedom for Dad and me. It would mean a bigger house, better care, and without having to rely on tips, I could have a schedule that allowed me to be with him more.
So even though I knew it had the potential to be an epic fail, I still kept going forward, hoping that in the end, it would be worth it.
Chapter Ten
WEST
Blue was quick.She’d grabbed a bag and slid into the backseat of the SUV with me within fifteen minutes of pulling up. It was just before ten when Marcus pulled onto the highway with his direct orders to get us to my penthouse. He looked confused but never questioned.
Blue stayed quiet beside me for the first few minutes, tucked up against the door looking braced for impact. I couldn't blame her. In a matter of a few hours we had both turned our lives upside down, and it was hard to tell which way was up.
“Tell me everything I need to know about you, Blue,” I finally said, keeping my eyes ahead.
She snorted softly, barely audible over the hum of the tires. “What’s there to know?”
“If people are supposed to believe we’re married because we fell in love, then they’ll assume I at least know your last name. Or if ‘Blue’ is even your real name.”
I already knew the answer. I’d accessed the file on her from Fiddlers so I could get my lawyer working on a contract. Her name was Blair Caldwell, which didn’t give me any clue as to why she went by Blue. Then again, I’d have to be blind to not knowsomeone along the way must have looked into her piercing blue eyes and was never able to call her anything else. Maybe I was wrong, but it didn’t feel like a coincidence.
“Isn’t my last name supposed to be Brooks?” She snapped out, sounding more annoyed than I had realized.
“Don’t,” I warned. “Tell me your name.”
“You already know.”
But I wanted to hear her say it. I wanted the space between us to feel real, even if everything else was just an elaborate lie. I needed it to feel real.
“Say it,” I growled, getting impatient.
