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I give her a look. “The one you don’t like?”
“I tolerate Nicky. He’s spoiled and impulsive, but we’re getting along at work.”
Nicky is Jordan’s stepbrother and Emma’s coworker. If he weren’t such a jerk, and I wasn’t married, he is the type of guy I would find attractive.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
We walk up the avenue and stop at a small bistro to look at the menu attached to the window. It is chilly out, but pedestrians crowd the street, and we get bumped a few times. Part of me wishes I asked Peters to drive me so I could leave my bags in the limo. Instead, I opted for a cab.
“Let’s go inside before we get trampled,” I say. “Everyone seems to be in such a hurry.”
We step through the glass door and into a small waiting area. An older woman in a black dress greets us, asking if we want a table. When we are seated in the back of the restaurant, and our drink order is taken, we talk some more about relationships.
“How are you adjusting to being married to a rich guy?” Emma asks.
“It’s no different from you.”
“I guess. It took some time to get used to Jordan’s money. You know, not having to worry about overspending.”
“I know what you mean. For the past few months, I’ve been frugal, only using my paycheck for things.”
Emma frowns confusedly. “You mean Foster doesn’t pay for things?”
“He does, but I don’t want to take advantage.”
“Didn’t you two discuss finances before you were married?”
I shrug. “It happened so fast.”
Emma leans forward. “How did it happen? You never told us the full story. One minute you were single, and the next, you were engaged. You never even told me you had an interest in Foster.”
I almost wince. Now I need to weave another lie for one of my best friends. My stomach twists and I sip at my water, trying to come up with something on the fly.
“I… um… he asked me out one day, to lunch.”
“Lunch?” She sounds incredulous and unbelieving.
“He said he’d been watching me.”
Emma narrows her eyes. “That sounds creepy, not romantic.”
“It wasn’t creepy. He took me to lunch, and we had a long conversation for hours.”
“Didn’t it seem weird that the owner of the company zeroed in on you?”
“Foster said he was attracted to me from the first time he saw me. It was flattering.”
“He waited a while to ask you out.”
“I guess he didn’t want to scare me off. I never asked him why.”
I glance at Emma, hoping she is buying what I am selling. It was torture for me to make up a story. I prided myself on being an honest person. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to keep my facts straight, and Emma would learn the truth about my marriage of convenience.
“Seems strange, but it worked out in the end.”
I breathe a sigh of relief when Emma segues off to another subject. I’m not sure how long I can keep up the charade if she continues pressing the matter.
“Can I see what you bought?” Foster asks when I get home. He got home a few minutes after me and almost tripped over the bags I left in the foyer.
