Chapter 19
CHAPTER 19
SPENCER
B oth Eve and Louise’s features crinkled at my words as I shifted my weight from foot to foot, not wanting to ruin the special day Louise had planned.
Louise spoke up first. “What? What is it?”
I heaved a sigh, shaking my head as I recalled the news alert flashed across my phone screen, blaring the headline about Louise’s family drama.
My heart sank as I scrolled through the explosive details, the weight of Louise's potential distress pressing heavily on me. I knew this media frenzy could devour her privacy and peace, something she cherished deeply after the tumult with her mother. “The story about your mother leaked to the media. It’s all over the news. I barely made it out of the club without being questioned by half a dozen reporters.”
“Oh, no,” Louise said with a frown. “I guarantee you Mama did this. She’s trying to ruin my life with this nonsense because her plan didn’t work.”
I found my gaze shifting to Eve’s face even as Louise leapt from her seat, pacing the floor.
“Louise, I’m so sorry,” she said.
Louise plopped onto the couch next to Eve and pulled her into her arms. “Oh, darlin’, you don’t need to apologize. It’s perfectly normal for my mama to do this.”
“But it’s so unfair,” she said with a shake of her head. “If there’s any way I can help, I’m happy to do it.”
Eve’s eyes shifted to mine, questioning. In that moment, I wanted to be brilliant. I wanted to come up with a plan to save Louise and showcase my wits to Eve.
But all I could come up with was a weak suggestion. “Maybe you ought to lay low for a bit. I think…I think we need to put the dating on hold.”
Louise’s eyes went wide, her jaw dropping open. “No!”
She leapt from her seat, her fingers curled into fists. “No, not that.”
I hadn’t expected her to take it well, but she was taking it far worse than I expected. What was the big deal if we put off the dates until the media frenzy died down? “Lou, I think–
“No, Spencer,” she growled.
Eve rose, gently placing an arm on Louise’s shoulder. “Maybe he has a point.”
“I said no!” she shouted before her shoulders slumped. “Oh, Eve, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she said quietly.
“Lou, it wouldn’t be long. You know how these things go. The media will be onto another story in no time. It would just be–”
“I said no,” she snapped before her eyes met mine. “Spencer, can I speak with you privately?”
“Sure,” I said, shifting my weight again as my gaze flicked between Louise and Eve.
“Now, don’t you go away, darlin’. Spencer and I will be right back.” Louise clamped a hand onto my arm and dragged me from the room.
We stopped in the hallway outside of the living room. Louise shot a glance over my shoulder before she set her hands on her hips, a scowl on her features.
“I know,” I said with a nod. “This is–”
“Your way of wheedling out of another date, isn’t it? Spencer Whitaker, as I live and breathe, you are a coward.”
My features crinkled, confusion rising in me. “What?”
“You are trying to make sure you get out of the next date with Eve. You’re afraid. Afraid of your feelings, or the kiss you should be giving her, or both.”
“That’s not…Lou, there is a crisis going on. I just think laying low for a while may be the best.”
“Which is code for you to not date Eve, either. You’re postponing my next date, and then you’ll say, ‘Well, since you’re not dating, I’m not dating.’”
“I didn’t…that’s not…no,” I said with a shake of my head. “This isn’t about logistics, it’s about your well-being.”
I wanted to shield her from the prying eyes that couldn’t understand the scars her mother had left.
She arched her eyebrows high. “Really? So, then you’ll set up a date with Eve before she leaves tonight?”
“I could…though I really think me hitting the town with another woman may be a horrible thing right now.”
“Oh my word!” she exclaimed. “You really are using this to get out of dating Eve.”
“I’m not,” I answered, though she’d brought up some pretty good points.
I wasn’t looking forward to the kiss with Eve, and I would inevitably need to orchestrate that in order to keep things moving along in Louise’s eyes.
It wasn’t because I thought it would be unpleasant, quite the opposite. I worried I may connect with her a little more, and my heart couldn’t handle that.
Plus, I worried about pushing things too far with Eve. How much more would this woman take before she decided to call the whole thing off?
“Aren’t you? Because you are dancing all around it. All right, fine. If you don’t want to be seen on the town with her, have a private dinner here. Candlelight, champagne, a walk on the beach, that kiss you’ve been avoiding.”
“Lou,” I growled in a low voice, “that may be a little awkward with my wife wandering around.”
Louise clicked her tongue at me. “First of all, I’m your wife in name only, and Eve knows that. Second, I will leave the house, obviously.”
“You can’t. And then you’re seen alone somewhere? That wouldn’t look very good.”
Louise heaved a sigh before she smacked my arm hard.
“Ow,” I said as I recoiled. “Stop hitting me. I’m trying to protect you.”
“And I’m trying to live my life. No, the dating will not stop. Bring on date number two. I’m ready. Those vultures wouldn’t have the nerve to ask me who I’m out with.”
“I’m not so sure about that–”
“Don’t argue with me, Spencer. We’ve already had enough of a setback with the trip to Savannah. I am not about to risk another.”
I heaved a sigh as I flicked my gaze away from her. “I just think this is a bad time for us to be seen dating other people.”
“And I think you’re avoiding another date with Eve. Did something happen between you two in Savannah?”
“What? No!” I said, my voice incredulous.
She crossed her arms, squinting at me. “Why are you acting like I’m accusing you of cheating on me? I want you to cheat on me, Spencer.”
“I’m not. I’m…nothing happened. Eve and I were completely focused on saving you from the monster-in-law.”
“I appreciate that. But maybe you two bonded a little over that?”
I licked my lips as I searched for words to both confirm and disavow that statement but found none.
A grin crossed her features. “You did, didn’t you? Awww, Spencer! That’s wonderful. See? I knew this would work out. Now, all you need to do is get that pesky little first kiss out of the way. And once you do that, you’ll see exactly how magical this relationship will be for you.”
I shifted on my feet again, my heart pinching at the words. It wasn’t magical, it was contrived. A kiss wouldn’t change that. I had set myself up for failure from the first date. Although, I wasn’t surprised. I wasn’t cut out for this sort of thing.
“Come on, Spence. I know it’s a little scary.” Louise’s features pulled into an excited grin. “But that’s what makes it thrilling, right?”
I offered a weak chuckle.
“Now,” she said with a pat of my hand, “get back in there and make another date with Eve, and then set me up on my next one. Okay?”
My heart sank as I realized I couldn’t argue with her. If I wanted Louise to be happy, I had to keep trying. “All right.”
“Good, now…go ahead in and talk to Eve. Oh, wait, I want to talk to her first. And last.”
“Right,” I said as I motioned for her to precede me. “After you.”
We wandered back into the living room, finding Eve gazing out at the ocean.
“Sorry about that, darlin’,” she said as she grabbed Eve by the hands. “I just…Spencer was nervous about us stepping out given all the press.”
“Oh, I understand. He’s probably right, we should–”
“Keep going with our plan,” Louise said. “Which means I need a second date, and I understand you two have been working on this together. And…you need a fourth date. So, I’m going to haul some of my loot upstairs while you two talk, and then we’re going to finish our girls’ evening.”
Eve opened her mouth, looking like she was about to protest when Louise pinched her cheeks and grinned at her. “Have fun, sugar. I won’t be long, so get to it.”
With a wide smile, she hurried from the room, leaving us alone.
I offered Eve a nervous grin as I rubbed the back of my neck. “Hi.”
“Rough night, huh?” she said with a chuckle.
“Yeah, although it doesn’t seem to have phased Louise.” I glanced after her as shopping bags rustled in the foyer.
“No, not really. I guess she is really hoping to move forward after what happened in Savannah.” Her features suddenly shifted, and she raised her gaze to mine. “Oh, not that she’s wanting to get away from you.”
“It’s fine,” I said with a fleeting smile. “Lou and I are…just friends. And will only ever be that. We’re not suited at all.”
She shifted her weight as her arms wrapped around her midriff. “Well, what I mean is I’m sure she’s not in a hurry to get away from you.”
“Oh, right. Well, probably just in a hurry to get on with her life. As you can see, she’s…a little starved for happiness.”
Eve nodded. “Yes, she…she was very concerned that she’d lose me as a friend. And I couldn’t help but feel like this is all a product of the way her mother treated her.”
I shuffled a little closer, flicking my gaze out over the water. “It is. She…went through it with Constance. This latest stunt is just one in a long string of horrors that Louise has endured at her hands.”
“What a shame. She’s such a wonderful person. She cares so deeply for everyone around her, but her mother treats her so terribly.”
I slid my eyes sideways, my lips curling at the corners. “I’m glad you think so. She’s really attached to you.”
Eve raised a hand in the air, a bracelet dangling from her wrist. “Yes. She gave me the bracelet to prove it.”
My eyebrows raised as I leaned closer to study the charms. “A coffee cup and a heart.”
“It says besties,” she reported. “And the coffee cup is because we met at that bakery coffee shop. It was very thoughtful of her.”
“Well, I suppose we should get down to business. We need another date for Louise. And…I’m told another one for us. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” she said with a dismissive wave. “Let’s hope our next selection for Louise is better than the first. Did she say anything about what happened between them?”
I pulled my phone from my pocket and toggled into my app. “Yes, apparently, he was only looking for…a hookup.”
For some ridiculous reason, heat rose in my cheeks as I mentioned it.
“Oh, gosh. That’s awful. Well, that’s what you get for picking a male model.” She shot me a teasing grin.
“That’s why you’re going to help me pick this one. Here are the matches I’ve found so far.” I passed my phone to Eve who studied the offerings.
I sidled closer, peering over her shoulder, curious to see who she’d pick. She eyed several of them before she clicked to read a few profiles.
My heart thudded harder against my ribs as I held my breath. Would this be indicative of who she may choose for herself?
I felt stupid being this upset over this, but I couldn’t help myself.
After what seemed like an eternity, she finally stopped on a picture and poked a finger at him. “Let’s try him.”
I wrinkled my nose. He wasn’t the most objectively attractive, though he wasn’t bad. “Him?”
“Yep,” she said with a nod as she handed my phone back.
“Why him?”
“He looks real. Genuine, and honest. He says he loves a good time while enjoying the small things and seeking adventure anywhere. That sounds like a good fit for Louise. She loves adventure.”
I bobbed my head. “She sort of does. She finds adventure in simple things, too.”
“Yep. They could find it together. And…he looks like a real person, not a male model.”
I chuckled as I tapped the screen to connect with Justin Hartwell and send a message on Louise’s behalf. “Okay, message sent.”
Eve waved her crossed fingers at me. “I’m hoping this goes better than the first.”
“Me too,” I said with a nod. “And, uh, our second order of business is setting up our next date.”
I raised my gaze tentatively toward her, wondering if she was sick of me yet.
“Right,” she answered. “Uh, what day works for you?”
“I’m okay any day,” I answered with a shrug as my phone chimed. “Looks like Justin Hartwell is available on Thursday, and asked if the White Horse is okay.”
Eve tugged her lips back. “It should be up to Louise’s standards, and it’s private so if the reporters are still hanging around, she can fly under the radar.”
“Good thought. I’ll reply with an affirmative.” I tapped on the screen, confirming the date. “All right, Lou’s all set.”
“Now, for us. There’s probably no way we can monitor their date at that location.”
I shook my head. “No. We’d be caught. Uh, so, do you want to shoot for Thursday, too?”
“Sure, that’s fine,” she said with a nod.
“I’ll pick you up around six?”
“Okay. How should I dress?”
Ideas flitted through my mind as I tried to figure out a nice date for us, but every idea I came up with I thought Eve may hate. “"How about we have our next date at the old lighthouse? It's closed for tours in the evening. Just the sea, the stars, and us."
“Low-key, I like it. We’ll do that.” Eve grinned at me, and for a second, I thought I detected a hint of genuine warmth.
It made my heart skip a beat before I squashed it as Louise walked into the room.
“Everything all set?” she asked.
“Yep,” I said. “You’re going on a date with Justin Hartwell on Thursday.”
“And you two?” Louise asked as I fished my phone out of my pocket to show her our pick.
“Thursday,” Eve said. “At the lighthouse.”
Louise shot me a nod of approval. “Sounds perfect. And he looks much better than the first.”
I creased my brow, glancing back at the man’s photo as I struggled to understand why both Eve and Louise picked a guy I’d say was a weak seven over a few that I thought would be rated higher.
“Now, time for you to go. It’s our night, Spence,” Louise said, dismissing me away with a flick of her wrist.
I wandered from the room after saying good night to them both. As I headed upstairs, I found myself planning the meal I’d order and how I’d like everything to be set up. I hoped she’d enjoy my selections.
I wanted things to be perfect. I envisioned the candlelight dancing in the sea breeze between us, how Eve’s dark eyes would reflect its warm light. Maybe we would take that walk along the beach.
For a moment, I opened my heart up to the possibility until I recalled our first date, and then the moment between us in Louise’s hospital room.
“Fake dating,” Eve said. The words echoed in my mind, rattling around as they taunted me.
“Fake dating,” I repeated to myself. “It’s not real, Spencer. Stop thinking it could be. You’re going to end up alone.”
The words broke my own heart into a million pieces.