Chapter 4
Benjamin said one last goodbye to the girls, then slipped out the front door, his Prince Charming suit draped over his arm. He’d almost hated to change out of it. It was stiff and sweltering—but it also seemed to have worked some kind of fairy-tale magic between him and Summer.
He jogged down the driveway toward the street, where Summer stood leaning against her car. She had slipped out of her dress to reveal a white tank top and pink athletic shorts. She’d shed the wig and was unwinding the dark braids coiled around her head.
“I just ran into Mrs. Feldman,” Benjamin announced the moment he reached her.
“Did she say anything?” Summer darted a glance at the house.
“Only that she’s going to be recommending you to everyone she knows,” he said nonchalantly. He didn’t add that Mrs. Feldman had also said the two of them had great chemistry.
“Really?” Summer’s huge smile almost beckoned Benjamin forward to hug her, but then he remembered that they weren’t Cinderella and Prince Charming anymore. They were Summer and Benjamin. Friends.
He wasn’t sure yet if they were friends who hugged.
“Did she say anything else?” Summer asked, combing her fingers through her hair so that it tumbled in wild waves down her back.
Benjamin swallowed, remembering how soft those waves had been. “Uh, no. Not really. Just that, you know, she liked the double act. So you might have more requests for those in the future.”
Summer frowned. “I’ll have to find a new prince then. I can’t be calling you up every time I need one.”
Benjamin shrugged. “I don’t see why not. I had fun.”
She gave him a skeptical look.
“What? I did. And besides, my nails have never looked better.” He held up a hand and waved his pink fingernails. “Plus, it was fun to see you like this.”
Summer lifted surprised eyes to his. “Like what?”
He shrugged, trying to figure out how to put words to it. “Like . . . happy, I guess? Like you’re doing something you really love. You’re really great with those kids, you know. Mrs. Feldman told me she hasn’t seen Lily smile this much since her dad left.”
Summer waved a hand dismissively. “That was mostly you.”
But he wasn’t going to let her duck out of the compliment. “You gave that girl something she has always dreamed of. Do you realize how big that is?”
Summer’s eyes snapped to his and then away—but not before he saw the emotion in them.
“We should go,” she said after a moment. “I’m sure the girls’ parents will be here to pick them up soon, and we don’t want them to see that Cinderella and Prince Charming are only Summer and Benjamin.”
Benjamin shrugged. “I don’t know. I think they might like Summer and Benjamin too.”
He was pretty sure her cheeks grew rosier than her makeup, but she kept her head down and opened an envelope in her hand. She fanned through something inside, then held up three $50 bills. She held them out to him. “Here’s your half.”
Benjamin shook his head, the smile melting off his lips. “I don’t need that.” He wasn’t rich or anything, but he was doing fine. And he certainly hadn’t done this for the money.
“Of course you do. You worked just as hard as I did to earn it.”
“I’m not going to take it.” Benjamin folded his arms in front of him.
She blinked from him to the money and back again. “Benjamin.” She sounded annoyed.
“Summer.” He could sound just as irritated.
“Fine.” She shoved the money back into the envelope with a sigh. “At least let me buy you dinner or something. I mean—” She looked up, her eyes suddenly panicked. “As a thank you.”
Benjamin’s heart jumped—and then crashed back down.
He couldn’t.
“I would love to. But I have a—” Why didn’t he want to tell her he had a date? “Other plans.” For half a second, he considered canceling those plans. But that wouldn’t be fair to Jasmine. And besides, Summer was only asking as a friend. He couldn’t let himself get caught up in thinking of her as more again.
Summer’s smile bobbled but then fixed back into place. “No problem. Have a good night. And thank you again.”
“You’re welcome again.” Benjamin sought desperately for a way to salvage the situation. “You know who to call the next time you need a prince.”
“I guess I do.” Summer’s smile was thin as she got into her car. Benjamin watched her drive away, then made his way to his Gremlin, trying to tug himself out of the fairy tale of the past few hours.