Page 48 of The Love Hoax

I note the twinkle in his eyes. “You’re incorrigible.”

“And irresistible.” He grins.

“And desperate.”

“Yes, definitely desperate.” He feigns puppy dog eyes. “So, is that a yes?”

“I don’t know . . .”

Adam asks, “Did you like your job?”

“Sometimes.”

“Your boss?”

“Definitely not.”

“Well, I’m offering you an alternative. And I’ll up whatever you were making by ten percent.”

I’m flabbergasted. “Why are you doing this, Adam? It can’t simply be to save face with your family.”

I don't add what I'm really thinking. While Anna is a woman with a big personality, she seems kind and fun and most of all, she’s Adam’s mother. Why is he so set on lying to her?

As if reading my mind, he says, “I know how this makes me look but you saw how happy it made my mother to meet you. The whole family is ecstatic that I'm finally settling down. It's what they've been wishing for since I graduated college.” He looks at me pleadingly. “Please, Evie.”

I’m certain there’s more to the story. I have so many questions. But I decide to let it go for now. I can hear the ruckus coming from the kitchen. “What if I don’t like working for you?” I say, jokingly but Adam appears to take the question seriously.

“If you're not happy, you can leave at any time. I’ll even help you find another position in New York. How does that sound?”

There’s no way I’ll make it to the airport in time. And anyhow, I know the odds of getting my job back from Bill the Bull are slim. Adam is throwing me a lifeline. I’d be a fool to reject his offer. It’s manna from heaven.

“We have a deal.”

In an instant, Adam’s face brightens. “That’s great!” He pulls me in for a hug. Clearly, this is a family of huggers. I could get used to that.

“Adam!”

Seriously?

I step back, calmer than I’ve felt since receiving the call from Bill. “What now?”

“Now we put all those hours of practice to good use with my mother . . . before she finds the vodka.”

“I guess that means I’m Ronna, your adoring fiancée.”

Adam nods, unsuccessfully hiding a devilish smirk. “Ready?”

I open the bedroom door. “Let’s do this. It’s showtime!”

Chapter Thirty-Five

Adam

“S

he’s stunning,” Mom says, before draining her martini and biting the green olive off the toothpick, swallowing it blissfully.

“She is, isn’t she,” I grin.