Page 45 of Arranged To Be Mine

He hadn’t tried anything. That was the part that kept circling back. I’d been drunk and vulnerable in a way I never allowed myself to be. He could have taken advantage. Instead, he’d been a perfect gentleman.

It was annoying, actually. Made it harder to dislike him.

I clicked through emails without reading them, my mind wandering back to the balcony. The ocean breeze. The easy conversation. I’d told him things I hadn’t told anyone in years. I talked about my mother. I never talked about her. Ever.

I didn’t know why I had. One minute we were talking about nothing, the ocean and beer and his awkward years, and then somehow she was just there.

I hated that. The way grief could ambush you when your guard was down. I’d spent years learning to keep her memory in a neat little box. Not because I didn’t love her, but because I couldn’t risk that grief popping up and taking me down. I had to be strong.

Beau hadn’t pushed. Didn’t ask follow-up questions or try to psychoanalyze me over a beer. He’d just listened and moved on like it wasn’t a big deal. It wasn’t dismissive. It was like he knew I couldn’t talk about it. That was probably the most unsettling part. The way he could read me.

Despite being an attorney, which I firmly believed were all sharks, Beau seemed like a good guy. He was fun in a way I’d forgotten people could be. The kind of person who could find humor in anything and somehow made you want to laugh along with him. The guy had a way about him. I couldn’t put my finger on it.

Sure, he was a little annoying with his relentless positivity and constant jokes. That optimistic outlook that seemed completely divorced from reality. But maybe I could use a little more of that energy in my life. Maybe he was right about needing to loosen up. Despite the hangover, I did have a good time. And we didn’t even do anything. We just ate cheese and drank beer. And karaoke. But to be fair, that wasn’t the real fun.

If I had to be paired up with someone for a fake relationship, Beau wasn’t the worst choice. He was easy to talk to once you got past the initial urge to strangle him. That whole cocky thing wasn’t off-putting. He knew how to handle himself in social situations. And he was undeniably attractive.

I forced myself to focus on work. I started reviewing numbers, making notes in the margins, and flagging items for follow-up. By noon, I’d made it through half the stack. By lunch, I’d responded to most of my urgent emails.

The headache had faded. The queasiness was gone. I felt almost normal again, which was a relief considering how wrecked I’d been when I woke up. I had actually considered calling in sick. Thank God for Beau’s good coffee and better breakfast.

I was reviewing a contract from our diamond supplier when my office door opened. Dad walked in without knocking and dropped into one of the chairs across from my desk.

“Are you feeling okay?” he asked.

There was no way he knew I got wasted. “I’m fine.”

He nodded. “You look pale.”

“I’ve been indoors for three years.”

He chuckled. “Understood. Do you have plans tomorrow night?”

“No. Why?”

“A couple of the company’s big investors are coming into town. You’ve met them at a few functions. Kelly and Foresman.”

“I remember them.”

“It’s customary for the boss to take them out to dinner,” Dad continued. “Kiss their asses a little, make them feel important. Since you’re going to be the boss soon, I figured you might want to come with me. Get some practice.”

“Yeah.” I sat up straighter. “That sounds great. I’d love to.”

This was exactly the kind of thing I needed to be doing. Building relationships with the people who mattered. Showing them I was ready to take the reins.

Dad nodded. “Make sure to bring Beau.”

I froze. “What? No. Why?”

“Why not?”

“That’s not one of our scheduled social occasions. We agreed to coordinate calendars. Plan things in advance. This is last minute.”

“The only reason I agreed to this fake dating farce was to help solidify your reputation with people like these. So why waste the opportunity to earn points with them?”

“But—”

“This is the job, Darcy.” He stood, straightening his jacket. “Being CEO is a lot of this kind of stuff. Dinners, schmoozing, making people feel good about their investment. If Beau is supposed to be your boyfriend, then he should be there. It makes you look stable. Grounded. Like someone with a personal life that knows a little something about love.”