Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
SPENCER
I hurried downstairs to peer into the living room as Louise’s vivacious voice carried through the house. She was here…and it sounded like she’d brought the woman she wanted me to date. I couldn’t wait to see how awful of a choice she’d made. What socialite had she found that she deemed a good match for me.
My mind vetted the options as I bounced down the stairs as quietly as I could. Thoughts of the disastrous dates Louise might have concocted played like a horror movie in my mind. I imagined a leggy blonde with a penchant for sun-bathing and money. Or maybe a sultry brunette who enjoyed loud dance clubs and high-profile social events–exactly the kind of scene that drained me just by thinking about it. Oh, yeah, and she’d also like money.
Either option made my skin crawl.
I’d seen plenty of these types sauntering around the clubs in too-tight dresses and pounds of make-up in search of their next catch. I was determined not to be one of them.
The memory of my last horrible date, an experience filled with awkward silences and forced conversations, reminded me why I was so resistant to stepping back into the dating scene.
If Louise had picked a dame like that, I’d flat out refuse to date her. I’d have to give in at some point if I wanted her to succumb to my plan, but I wouldn’t do it for anyone who didn’t look at least remotely like a non-gold-digger.
I crept down the hall and peered around the corner, spotting a slight brunette peering out my living room window at the ocean. My forehead creased as I realized she wasn’t at all what I’d expected.
“Wow, what a view,” she said, grinning at Louise over her shoulder. Her smile seemed genuine, and she had a natural beauty that didn’t need much enhancement. Her dress didn’t look pretentious, but simple and sweet.
“Uh-huh,” Louise said with a bob of her head. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll grab the earrings.”
She headed right for me. I glanced around, trying to find a place to hide but came up empty. Instead, I was caught in an instant.
Louise offered me an amused grin, lowering her voice to a whisper. “There you are. Go say hello.”
I wrinkled my nose, shaking my head. Somehow this would have been easier if the woman had been completely uninteresting to me. “No.”
“Spencer, be nice. She’s a sweet girl. Go, go.”
After a swat on my rear, she hurried down the hall. I swallowed hard, peering around the corner again. My stomach twisted into a knot. I wasn’t great in social situations, and I had fully expected some glamorous woman to try to worm her way into my life. I could have easily rejected her, but this woman seemed like exactly what Louise had described.
My knees wobbled a little as I forced myself into the living room, trying my best to feign surprise as she set her brown eyes on me. “Oh, hi. I didn’t realize anyone was in here.”
She smiled at me, a demure, genuine smile that was so difficult to find in my circle. “Hi, sorry. I’m Eve, a friend of Louise’s.”
“Spencer,” I answered.
Before I could go any further, Louise’s voice shouted from somewhere above us. “Oh, I’ve got the earrings right here.”
Eve glanced up to the railing that overlooked our living room before she glanced back to me. “Louise has a pair of earrings she thinks will be a perfect match for a dress I bought…well, she bought. I didn’t buy it…that’s…sorry, sometimes I babble.”
I chuckled at her, not because I found it silly, but because I found it comforting. I didn’t find very many people not adept at schmoozing each other. “It’s okay. I…do the same thing…when I’m not clamming up.”
A flush rose into her cheeks as she giggled.
Louise’s heels pounded back into the living room. “Oh! You two have met. That’s perfect.”
I wondered for a moment if Louise had already told Eve the plan. Maybe that’s why she was nice to me. Maybe my wife had even told her how to play up to me.
I gave Louise a nervous grin, my mind racing with conspiracy theories.
She sauntered closer and passed Eve a set of pink gemstones. “Here you go, darlin’. These should complete your ensemble.”
Eve offered her a shy smile, her eyes going from me to the earrings. “Thank you, Lou. They’re beautiful.”
She seemed to tolerate Louise very well. Many women found her to be too much or a threat. Eve didn’t seem to feel either of those.
Louise grinned, her eyes sliding between the two of us. “Like you two. You look so adorable together.”
Eve’s smile faltered, her forehead creasing.
“Just as I suspected,” Louise said as she leaned back, eyeing us.
“I’m not sure I follow,” Eve answered.
Had Louise not told her the plan? I shifted my weight, suddenly feeling like I was standing on the train tracks with a freight train barreling toward me.
Louise threw her head back with a teasing laugh. “Oh, Eve, don’t be so modest. Seeing you two together just confirms what I knew in my heart. You’re just perfect for each other.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Eve glance at me, but I was busy silently pleading with Louise to stop.
Of course, she ignored me.
“Since you’re both here and getting along so famously, may I suggest something a little bold?”
I waited for her to suggest we go to dinner right now. I wasn’t ready for that—for any of this. Especially with someone who I wasn’t quite able to reject immediately.
“What?” Eve asked.
With a sly grin, Louise leaned closer, lowering her voice to a whisper. “I want you to be with my husband.”
I snapped my gaze to the woman at my side. Her eyes went wide, her jaw falling open as color rose in her cheeks. She shot me another glance, and I spotted the panic rising in her eyes.
After a second, she pressed her lips together and swallowed hard. “Uhh…”
“Now, don’t be shy, sugar.” Louise waved a hand at her, but Eve stumbled back a step.
“I’m…I’m so sorry, I think…I think maybe I misunderstood what was happening here. I’m going to go.”
I realized exactly what Eve assumed was happening. The way Louise had said it sounded much more provocative than she’d meant it.
Louise crinkled her brow as Eve tried to scramble around our side table. “Now, wait, just a minute, darlin’. There’s no need to rush off.”
“I…think there is,” she answered, her knuckles white around her purse.
“Well, in heaven’s name, why?” Louise asked.
Eve licked her lips, leaning closer to her. “I’m really not into this sort of thing. I’m sorry if I gave you another impression.”
“Whatever are you talking about?”
“Louise,” I murmured as I approached them, startling poor Eve again as I hovered near her, “she thinks you’re propositioning her.”
“Proposit–” Louise’s eyes went wide before she doubled over with laughter, slapping her thigh. She reached for Eve, sliding an arm around her shoulders as she guided her to the couch. “Now, darling’, there’s nothing weird going on here.”
I eased into an armchair as Louise and Eve settled on the couch, Eve still looking uncomfortable.
“But you said…” Eve raised a finger in the air, her features still etched with confusion.
“I know what I said. I didn’t mean…well, let me try again. This is my husband, Spencer.” Louise patted my knee. “We’re married in name only. Legal purposes. We’ll be getting a divorce soon, and I just want Spencer to be happy. So, I want you two to date.”
Eve stared at Louise like she had completely lost her mind. “Oh.”
She glanced down at her lap, looking lost, and I clearly wasn’t helping matters. I hadn’t said two words about the situation. I imagined she didn’t want to upset Louise, but she had no idea if I was on board with this plan.
I really hadn’t wanted to date, but in that moment, I didn’t want the poor woman to feel so awkward. I’d been in that position way too many times.
Louise offered me a wide-eyed glance, offering the last bit of encouragement I needed to clear my throat and speak up. “I know this is sort of weird, but…I’d love to have dinner with you…if you’re interested. No pressure.”
Louise offered me an approving smile and a slight nod. Eve still didn’t look so sure. “Oh, uh–”
“Now, come on, darlin’, I promise you, he’s a catch.” She grinned and nodded before her features went blank. “Oh…you’re probably wondering why we’re divorcing, but I promise you it has nothing to do with him. We’re just two different people, that’s all. I love going out, he loves staying in.”
“She says tomato, I say tomah-to,” I said with a nervous chuckle, wondering if the poor woman would run screaming from the house and tell anyone she found that we were stranger than anyone could imagine.
A jittery chuckle escaped her as she shifted on the cushion. “I, uh, don’t know what to say. I’ve never been…on a date with a married man.”
The laugh she offered after was infectious, and we all joined in.
“Well, just try to think of it like any date,” Louise said. “He’s not really married. Only on paper, sugar.”
“Right,” she said with a nod, her eyes falling to the ring on my finger.
I quickly shifted my right hand to cover it. If I had to date, this woman seemed like a good choice. At least I wouldn’t absolutely detest spending time with her. “How is Friday?”
She shifted her gaze from me to Louise who offered her a nod then back to me. “O-okay.”
“Oh, wonderful.” Louise clapped her hands together before she pulled Eve into a hug. “You’re just going to have the best time, I know it. And now, we’re going to have to go shopping again. You need a new dress.”
“I’m sure I can find something.”
“Then, I’ll come over tomorrow and help you pick?”
I cringed a little as Louise pushed herself into the woman’s life. I wouldn’t have to worry about this relationship for long. Louise had a way of pushing friends away with her overbearing tendencies.
“I’d like that,” Eve said with a soft smile. “Thank you.”
Louise grabbed her hands and squeezed, grinning from ear to ear. Eve’s behavior surprised me. She seemed very caring toward Louise. “Perfect. Well, I’ll drive you home, and we’ll set it all up.”
“Okay,” Eve said as we all stood. She glanced at me, offering a shy wave. “Nice meeting you.”
Her eyelashes fluttered as she said it, her features crinkling. I imagined she may be thinking it sounded strange after the experience we’d just had.
“See you Friday,” I said, trying to make it sound less awkward and not succeeding.
Louise guided her from the room, chattering along the way as they left through the front door. It slammed shut, leaving me alone in the quiet house, still reeling from the experience.
I eased back into my seat, blowing out a shaky breath. My mind swirled with a mix of anxiety and intrigue. Louise had selected well. I couldn’t dismiss this woman immediately as someone I wouldn’t get along with.
Yet past experience had taught me that I couldn’t trust this. We wouldn’t connect. I’d end up hurt and reeling. I couldn’t let her get too close.
I slouched in my seat, trying to figure out the best way to handle this. Before I could come up with a suitable solution, the front door banged shut.
Louise sauntered into the room, an amused grin on her features. “Well, darlin’?”
I avoided eye contact. “Well, what?”
“What do you think?” she asked as she plopped onto the couch, kicking off her heels and pulling her legs up under her.
“I think you nearly gave that poor woman a heart attack.”
She rolled her eyes, clicking her tongue. “Oh, please, that was fixed easily with some explaining.”
“Maybe next time you should try explaining first instead of after you ask someone to ‘be with’ your husband.”
Louise puckered her lips and shrugged. “So, my delivery could have used adjustment. But…there won’t be a next time because this woman is your soul mate, I can feel it.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” I answered.
“You’re right. We need to plan that first date. Now, I had several things in mind…”
“Louise…maybe we ought to see if she’s even going to go.”
Louise offered me a shocked glance. “What do you mean? She said yes.”
“Yeah, to escape an awkward situation. I would be surprised if she didn’t cancel tomorrow.” Part of me hoped she would, yet another part of me…well, my feelings were conflicted.
“That’s not going to happen. Now…where are you taking her?”
We spent over an hour talking about venues, finally settling on the club. I got an earful on taking her flowers, showing interest during our dinner conversation, and more dating tips I was certain I’d forget when my mind went completely blank during the social encounter.
As the evening wound on, I found my mind distracted by the upcoming outing. On one hand, I’d found Louise’s choice surprising and maybe even pleasing, but my fear of rejection gnawed at me. It would be awful if this woman rejected me, and it would send me into a downward spiral of staying in my house forever.
I couldn’t help but feel that my date on Friday would be life changing. But would it be positive or negative?