“Your sister is terrifying, by the way,” Tom added. “Andy is really into it. He left the house early this morning, hoping to run into her.” He turned back to his chopping.
“He found me instead,” she started.
Tom turned back to her. “I hope he behaved himself,” he said, only half kidding.
“I don’t think Andy is capable of behaving himself,” Sameera said. After a pause, she asked, “Why are you two friends?”
Tom shook his head. “Sometimes I wonder the same thing.” Noticing her serious expression, he sobered. “I know he comes acrossas this ruthless, callous business bro. He can be thoughtless, selfish, single-minded, an egotist—”
“You’re really not selling this,” Sameera said grimly.
“He’s also loyal, caring, and he’s been a true friend. I’ll never forget the way he had my back in undergrad. He’s the reason I launched my business, and he helped me stay afloat during those early years. I owe Andy a lot, and even though we’ve both changed since college, he’s still my brother.”
Sameera winced. Would Tom feel the same about his “brother” after she’d told him what Andy had tried to do? Or would he resent her for revealing the truth—or even believe her? How he reacted was out of her hands, she decided. The important thing was that she said something.
“He was also the one who told me I should come back to visit during the holidays this year, after I told him about meeting you and your family,” Tom added quietly. “If it wasn’t for Andy, none of this would have happened.” He smiled shyly at her.
Damn Andy,she thought.
“I was thinking we could film another video,” he continued. “The apple pie one has been doing excellent numbers. My agent thinks we might even get an offer for the show in January, if this keeps up.”
“That sounds like fun,” she said, her voice faint. She took a deep breath and willed herself to stay strong.
Tom stared down at the cutting board, his hand still, as if working himself up to speak. “I know you’re heading back to Atlanta tomorrow, and I know we agreed to keep fake dating just over the holidays, but I was thinking ...” His ears turned red, and he said in a rush, “Can I take you out for New Year’s, for real?”
They stared at each other, and Sameera tried to tamp down her feeling of panic. Last night, she had told Nadiya that she had real feelings for Tom. This morning, she wasn’t sure if she was ready to leap into a relationship with him, at least not until she had sorted out the rest of her life.
“To a restaurant, or to your kitchen?” she asked, trying for a joke.
“Wherever you like,” he said, and his voice was soft. “I’ll take whatever you can give me, Sameera. I don’t want this to end. Do you?”
Sameera closed her eyes. Before they went any further, before any more promises were made, she needed to tell him about Andy.
“Before we finalize plans, I have to share something first,” she said.
Tom wrinkled his brow. “We don’t have to go out for dinner. I like breakfast and lunch, too.”
“It’s not that.” She led him to the kitchen table and sat down. Better to get this done all at once, she figured. “Yesterday while we were skating, Andy said he was willing to work with my firm.”
A delighted smile suffused Tom’s face, and he reached over to give her a hug, but she held her hand out.
“He had one condition,” she said.
“Don’t tell me he wants you to pretend to be his girlfriend, too,” Tom joked. But his smile faded at her serious expression.
“The condition involved you.” Better to rip off the Band-Aid. “He said he would sign with my firm if I could convince you to sell Cooke Place to him.”
Tom laughed. “It’s not mine to sell.”
“Rob won’t sell until you give up your claim. It’s down to you.”
Tom stood up, shaking his head. “Funny joke.”
“I’m not laughing,” Sameera said, and watched as Tom worked through the implications; it was like watching someone’s heart break in real time. “I didn’t know how to tell you. Tom, I’m so sorry.”
“No,” Tom said, shaking his head again. “I’ve known Andy for almost fifteen years. He’s my brother. He wouldn’t do this. Not when he knows how I feel about ... you.”
Sameera’s breath hitched. They would be able to get past this, surely? “I think that’s why he wanted me to do the asking.”
