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Evie frowns and Kenzie looks like she’s just as invested in the story. Didn’t she forget I told her this was all fake?

“So the tabloids jumped the gun?” Evie uses her finger to scroll up the page and stops for a moment. “Wait, you’ve been dating for all of how long?”

Oh boy.

Think fast, Dani.

“Not very long. But there are couples out there who know they’re going to marry each other after one date.” I glance to Kenzie for help, but she avoids my stare and checks her phone.

“Dang, I’ve got to run to pick up that job application. I’ll bring back donuts.” She sprints to the door four steps away and leaves me with Evie’s glare boring into my soul. I don’t have anything nearby to throw at her either.

Evie leans forward and squeezes my hand in hers. “I know it’s hard, Dani, but you don’t have to marry the first guy who proposes to you. You were in a long relationship. I’m not saying you have to wait another five years with a guy before getting married, but surely ten days isn’t quite enough time to figure it all out either.”

The disbelief on her face is enough to pull a laugh from me, but I do my best to muffle it as a throat clearing moment.

And this is an interesting turn of events. “Do you have experience in this? Being proposed to?”

The thought of seeing Miles down on one knee asking me to be his wife might be too much. In what world could that happen, first of all, and secondly, if he went all out to create a story for us to tell, it would be a lot harder to think of it as fake.

Evie nodded. “I’ve had a few guys propose. Mostly drunk guys on a Friday night, but there was one who I considered.”

I’m blinking rapidly, riveted on the story I’m hoping she’ll continue. “And what happened?”

Of all the roommates, Evie is the only one who hasn’t had a gentleman caller, as she would say, since I moved in.

“It didn’t work out. He was a great guy, but I just didn’t feel that spark, you know?”

A spark. Is that what I’ve been experiencing every time I’m around Miles? Or is that just a rush of hormones and the fact that a handsome guy is paying attention to me?

How has he turned my life upside down in such a short time?

“Be careful,” Evie says. “I know things were hard when Clay broke up with you, but make sure to be honest with yourself. No amount of money can change your attitude to true happiness.”

I nod, pushing back that shred of worry. “Thank you, Evie. I’ll be fine. I’m sure we’ll have to correct a few things about us being engaged and we’ll be good to keep on like before. I mean, this happens to celebrities all the time, right?” Why do I feel like a deflated balloon when I say that? “He’s coming to the mixer to help next weekend and then Sharon will finally be off my back, which will help us have more time to figure all this out.”

Evie raises an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that? I mean, the woman has been on you from day one. She wasn’t even excited when you told her one of the multi-billionaire alumni had accepted your request to attend the mixer.”

“She was a little excited,” I say. Why am I defending her?

“Not enough to stop you from calling others.” Evie sits back, leaning on her hands. “Maybe Miles can help you with that.”

“With what?”

“With getting people to your mixer. He knows a ton of people and he might be able to pull some guys out of the woodwork for you.”

I nod, tapping my pointer finger to my lips. “That’s a great idea. I’ll have to see what I can do.”

My mind wonders if his group of friends were some he’d gone to college with. And what was the rule about inviting people who weren’t alumni to the mixer?

I’d have to figure that out once I got going this morning.

“Okay, I’m awake. Anyone start the coffee?” I slip out of my bed and head toward the door.

“Millie did before she headed out for work.”

I raise an eyebrow. “I swear her employers never let her have a weekend free.”

Evie shakes her head. “I’m usually anti-confrontation, but I wonder if she can break her contract. There have to be a bunch of families here who need nannies. And she’s a good one.”