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Natalie was having none of it. “Oh no, you’re not changing the subject on us like that.”
“He remembered that you liked that quote?” Zoe looked at Natalie.
“That’s great. Doesn’t change the fact that he’s treated Charlee like shit since he’s come back. And now wants to ‘pretend date’ her for the sole purpose of ‘testing’ her relationship with her father. Are you kidding me?”
“Nat,” I said. “I’m right here by the way.”
“Fine.” She addressed me fully. “Are you kidding me?”
“Can we talk about the fact that he’s kinda right?” Zoe dropped that bombshell on us both. “What?” she said when we stared open-mouthed at her. “I work for your dad, too, and get it. He has a. . . way about him. Gets what he wants. I couldn’t imagine being his daughter.”
“Did you tell Zoe about the VP thing too?” Natalie asked.
I hadn’t had a chance yet, but when I did fill Zoe in about my father’s offer, it didn’t go a long way toward redeeming myself. But maybe I wanted the job, and it wasn’t as much my father trying to manipulate me as it was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
“I don’t know,” I finished. “Maybe I should have told Lucas to pound sand. Or Dad. Or both of them. I’m just trying to take it one step at a time and let my heart guide me.”
“Precisely the problem.” Zoe downed her last wine. “You need to be logical about this.”
Easy for her logical-minded brain.
“You guys think Lucas is a bad idea?”
“Yes.” They both said the word at the same time.
“At least, his stupid plan is a bad idea,” Natalie clarified. “Just tell him you want to either actually date, or even casually reacquaint, or nothing. Easy peasy.”
“I think it’s too late for that,” I admitted. “We sort of struck a deal.”
I told them about our “parameters” and listened to their objections. But at the end of the day, though I valued both women’s opinions, I had to do what I felt was right for me. It might not be how I’d go about the whole thing, but like Zoe said, Lucas wasn’t completely off base. What would my father do when he learned Lucas and I were a “couple” again?
“Anyway, let’s talk about something else. Like that hottie who keeps checking you out, Nat.”
She let me change the subject this time, hopefully because she knew I was serious about staying the course with Lucas. And as for the job? There was no rush to make any decision now. A little while later, when my phone buzzed, and I looked at the number and read the text, my heart raced.
Since we’re dating. . .
And that was it. No follow-up text. Was he trying to kill me?
Unfortunately, I thought I knew the answer to that.
Finally, a second text came through.
What are you up to today?
Oh my god, oh my god.
Brunch with the girls
And then I waited. I was lost in my phone now. Lost in him.
Until?
Probably two or so
“Must be Lucas,” I heard Natalie say. I looked up, nodded, and then went straight back to watching my phone as if the fate of the world depended on it.
Where are you? Did you drive?
