Chapter Seven #2
“Sounds like a dick. I’ll keep all his calls on hold an extra five minutes and drop at least one a week,” she said dryly.
I laughed. “You’re going to be the best assistant I’ve ever had.”
I dropped her left foot and picked up her right, giving it the same treatment.
She closed her eyes and tipped her head back.
I allowed myself a few moments to let my eyes roam down her body.
She barely had any skin exposed, but I was still appreciating every inch of her.
My eyes trailed back up her legs, over her narrow waist, curvy breasts, and arched neck, landing on her nose ring.
No fucking way is she taking that off for this job, it’s too sexy. She moaned again and my dick thickened.
“That feels so good, Jace,” she said, lifting her head.
My throat went dry. Blood rushed to my groin as I thought of a hundred different scenarios in which I wanted her saying those words to me. I dropped her foot and gently nudged her legs off my lap.
She opened her eyes, and her throat bobbed as she swallowed, watching me apprehensively as I grabbed the wine glass and took a sip.
“Kaylee may have gotten me to agree to take her for ice cream one day after school,” I said, trying to shift the focus to something safer than the sounds she’d just made.
“How did she do that?” Liv asked, giving me a knowing look as she crossed her legs again.
I scratched my beard and smirked at her. “It’s that fucking smile,” I said, shaking my head. “She’s got dimples for days and I’m not even positive she asked for ice cream. I might have just offered it up. I am putty in her hands, Liv.”
She laughed loudly and quickly covered her mouth to stifle the sound.
I knew why she did—Kaylee was sleeping—but I wished she hadn’t.
I loved that sound and my heart skipped a beat.
“I’m sorry, I can’t even take the credit for that one.
She has her dad’s smile. Honestly, it’s almost identical,” she said, her eyes shifting from amused to nostalgic.
She shook it off. “I stand by my decision not to find him, but I’ll never forget his smile.”
Cool. I finished off my wine.
Liv continued, “Once in a while when Kaylee smiles, I think about him and wonder if he would have stuck around if I’d given him the chance.” She shrugged, seemingly shaking it off again. “Doesn’t matter. But if he had, I have to believe he would have liked her smile too.”
“He’d have to be a monster not to like that smile,” I said. “Anyway, I owe her ice cream, so just let me know whatever day works for you that week. I can pick her up from school and take her, then drop her off at the bar or meet you back here.”
“Okay, thanks. It’s so weird not to have you above Harrison’s anymore,” she said. “I’ll probably barely get used to it before I’m finished there.”
“Then you’ll see me plenty.” I gave her a charming smile. “I haven’t gotten that signed offer letter by the way.”
She rolled her eyes. “Are you going to be this much of a hard ass?”
“Are you going to be late with every assignment?” I asked.
She glared at me. “I’ve never quit a job before signing an offer letter before. But I’m pretty close.”
I laughed. “Seriously, send it over tomorrow, please. HR insists.”
“Fine,” she said begrudgingly.
“Hey, you never did share your situation.” She looked at me with confusion. “The one you need my help with?”
“Oh, right,” she said, shifting her feet to the floor and sitting up with her hands in her lap.
“Whatever it is, I’m going to help, Liv,” I said, sensing her hesitation.
She stood up and walked swiftly to the kitchen, grabbing the last two slices of pizza and plating them as she spoke. “So, my mom’s friends are throwing her a Jack and Jill bridal shower in a couple of weeks and I kind of implied that I would bring a date.”
I smirked at her as she walked back to the couch with the pizza, offering me a slice. “You want me to help you find a date for a bridal shower? I can do a lot of things, Liv, but convincing a guy to go to a bridal shower for a first date might be a bit much.”
We each took a slice of pizza off her plate and I bit into mine while she paused with hers midway to her mouth. “I told her I’d bring you.”
“Oh, well that’s cool. Val loves me.”
Olivia took a bite, chewing slowly, before saying. “She does. Which is great. Because I kind of implied you would be coming as my date.”
My eyes widened and my heart rate picked up. “You told your mom we were dating?”
“Yes,” she groaned, dropping her pizza onto the plate on the table and covering her face with her hands. “I have no idea what came over me.”
I stared at her, frozen. This did not feel like the time to tell her we should just go for it, and yet, the fact that she’d told her mom we were more than friends was not lost on me.
Olivia lifted her face and grimaced when she saw me looking at her.
“You know how much she’s been trying to encourage me to date for the last few months.
I wanted it to stop. Even if she means well, I feel pathetic enough without her reminding me.
I said I’d bring you and she assumed that meant we were together, and I didn’t correct her. ”
I set down my pizza and took a deep breath.
“Okay, I maybe also said, some variation of ‘yes, it’s new,’ which is really not just an omission but an outright lie.” She winced and searched my face which was still frozen in shock. She waited a few seconds before the panic on her face intensified. “Can you please say something, Jace?”
“Is this a real date or are we pretending?” I asked, voice strained.
“Pretending, of course,” she said quickly, and my stomach sank.
I ran a hand through my hair.
“You don’t have to do it,” she said.
I reached for her hand and cupped it in my mine. “Liv, I’ll do it. Of course I’ll do it.”
I thought about telling her that this didn’t have to be a lie, but the stress on her face convinced me not to broach that topic right now.
“Thank you,” she said. “I have no idea what to expect but knowing my mom it will be Tarot card readings or something.”
I laughed. “Whatever it is, it’ll be fine.”
She sighed in relief. “I’m sorry. I know it’s awkward.”
I squeezed her hand. “Nothing is awkward with you. We can easily pull this off.”
All I have to do is look at you the way I want to look at you every day.
“But I should get ready to go,” I said, standing up as I realized how close I was to blurting out truths that didn’t feel ready to come out.
Her face dropped slightly, but she nodded and stood up to walk me to the door.
Better to get out of here before I start to think too much about why you told your mom I was your pretend date and how much I like that you did.