HaileyMandy shrugged a shoulder. “You’re having a very visceral response to him. It sounds like a lot of sexual chemistry, even if you’ve never had it or experienced it. I’m going to say you’re lusting after him. Maybe he feels the same way about you.”I shook my head, not understanding what she was getting at. “And that’s bad?”“Not bad. Most people would kill for that kind of attraction, but I want you to be careful.”“Why?”She looked down at her hands. “Hailey, you’re a beautiful, sexy woman. You know men find you attractive.”I shrugged. “I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Just say what you’re trying to get at.”I was getting frustrated. I didn’t like hints. I wanted things spelled out in plain English. I was a black and white kind of person. Gray areas dirtied things up and left too much room for confusion.“I’m just saying to be careful. Dinner to you might mean something different to him. He might think you are more interested in taking things a step beyond a casual dinner.”I
TerranI felt silly, but I had gone home after work to change for my date with Hailey. I didn’t want to appear too stuffy by wearing the suit I normally wore to work. I knew it shouldn’t have mattered, but it did. Hailey was a special woman, and I wanted to do this right.I took a look in the mirror and laughed. I had traded my blue suit for a black one. It wasn’t exactly a big change, but I thought the black one looked more relaxed than the blue. It was probably all in my head, and I was acting like a nervous boy going on his first date. I grabbed my wallet and keys before heading out of my condo. I was taking the Mercedes tonight, just in case there was a chance she let me drive her home after dinner.I wanted to make a good first impression. There was a lot riding on this date. I wanted her to be the one who agreed to be my fake fiancée. I had a feeling we would get along well. In order to really sell the engagement, I needed someone I clicked with. It was hard to fake being in lov
TerranI smiled. It was definitely not what I expected her to say. “Well, one of these days, we are going to have to get burgers together.”“Only if I can wear jeans and flats,” she said with a wink.“Don’t take this the wrong way, but how do you stay in such good shape?” I asked.A blush rose on her cheeks. “Good genes mostly, and I do a lot of biking and hiking every chance I get.”I nodded my head. “That explains your athletic body and the natural tan. That isn’t something you see very often these days.”“What about you? You have a tan and it looks like you work out.” The words hit me right in the gut. I liked that she had been checking me out. “I like to surf. I do have a treadmill at home, but surfing is what I really enjoy. I like to spend time on my yacht as well. Swimming in the ocean is very cathartic for me.”Her warm smile buoyed me. I found myself smiling back at her.“Do you work a lot?” she asked.I nodded. “I do. Too much. I keep telling myself I need to slow down. You
HaileyThe ride to the Hermosa Beach pier was quiet. I knew we were both kind of nervous, which was a bit of a surprise. I knew of his reputation as a womanizer, so it seemed strange that he was the one acting like a nervous virgin on a first date. I knew why I was nervous. I didn’t usually go out with men like him. I tended to be drawn to the quiet, scholarly types that kept a low profile. Terran was nothing like that. He was the exact opposite of the men I tended to be attracted to. Although I was beginning to believe a lot of his reputation had been hyped up for dramatic effect.He parked his car, paid the fee, and we strolled down the boardwalk.“Have you been down here before?” he asked.“A few times. I honestly tend to avoid the touristy spots.”“Do you get recognized a lot?” he asked. “I wouldn’t say a lot, but there are a few people who notice me. With the recent sportswear campaign, it’s been happening a lot more often. Maybe dressed like this, they won’t recognize me.” I la
HaileyI didn’t press him. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to ask, but if he changed his mind, so be it.“I should get you home,” he murmured.I was disappointed by the abrupt end to what had been a very nice night. I blamed myself. I had touched him intimately. I wasn’t sure what our date was about, but maybe he wasn’t into me. Maybe this had been a business dinner, and I had read it wrong. I suddenly felt like a complete moron. He stood and reached a hand out to help me off the bench. I tossed the remaining bit of my cone in the trash and shrugged off his jacket, handing it back to him.“Are you sure you’re not cold?” he asked.“I’m fine, thank you.”We walked back to the car, weaving around the people on the crowded boardwalk. We never once touched. I had expected him to try and hold my hand or maybe wrap his arm around me, but nothing. It was as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over us. I had thought I felt something happening between us, but I was beginning to think it was o
TerranI wasn’t sure how long to wait before I called Hailey. I wanted to see her again. I didn’t want to appear overeager and call her too soon, but I didn’t want to wait much longer. This was not a game I enjoyed playing. Most of the time, I never called a woman back for a second date, so I never had to worry about the right time to call. I just didn’t.Last night had been amazing. I was still surprised by how much I enjoyed her company. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d truly had fun doing nothing with a woman. There was a moment when I had thought I could broach the subject of the fake engagement, but I couldn’t. Something held me back. I wasn’t sure why, but when she touched me, it changed everything. I didn’t want to break the moment. I didn’t know what I felt for her, but there was something happening. I wasn’t quite ready to blow that up. Not yet. I wanted to see how it played out. Her refusal to let me kiss her was interesting. I didn’t think it was a game with her. There
TeranI rolled my eyes. “No. Good, as in we talked and had a good time together. It was different.”“Good, but no sex?” he asked with complete shock.I nodded. “No sex. I don’t have sex with everyone I go to dinner with,” I pointed out.He looked at me, his eyebrows raised. “Really?”“Really.”He leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. “Wow. That’s different.”“Yes, it is. I like her. You should try it some time. The whole conversation thing is enlightening.”He wrinkled his nose. “I’m more of a man of action.”“I know. Everyone knows.”He ignored the insult. “Did you ask her to be your fake fiancée?”I laughed. “No. I was going to, but then, I don’t know. Something changed. I couldn’t do it.”He sighed. “Do I have to remind you of your situation? You can’t exactly waste a lot of time with this. If you can’t do it, you need to get on Tinder—like now. You do realize how serious this is, right?”“Definitely not getting a dating app. I know my situation very well without you having t
HaileyI was still a little giddy after my date with Terran. I couldn’t wait to tell Mandy all about it. When she called this morning to tell me she had gotten the day off, I immediately decided we were going to have a girls’ day. It had been too long since the last time we had gotten to hang out and do nothing but pamper ourselves.I pulled into the parking lot of the spa where we were going to be spending our day.“Hey!” I said, walking in and finding her already sitting in the lobby.“There you are. I thought you were going to stand me up.”“I’m sorry. I want to have some really good excuse for my tardiness, but we both know it would be a lie. I’m late because that’s the kind of person I am. I’m working on it.”She giggled. “Yes, I know, and it’s okay because I still love you.”I walked up to the receptionist, giving her my name. I had booked the day in my name and had it charged to my credit card. It was my treat. Mandy would put up a fuss, but I wanted to do this for her. She did