Page 46

Roman at Benny’s

Abi

Going to work sucked a lot less when you woke up in a fabulous apartment.

There was just something about the billion-thread-count sheets, the shower that could fit four people, the enormous kitchen stocked with everything I could ever need to make a delicious breakfast; I did not hate starting my days at Declan’s.

But as amazing as those luxurious things were, the fact that it was Declan’s home was what I loved. Even though he was out of town, I could feel him in the details of the place.

The soap that smelled like him in the shower, the orange juice he loved in the refrigerator, the random pair of his glasses that were sitting on the end table.

Lauren texted just as I was putting away the orange juice and cleaning up the kitchen.

Call me—I think I’ve got something on the Roman/Declan business (nothing bad don’t worry).

I deleted the message and put my phone away.

I totally regretted snooping and felt like trash about it, because I definitely didn’t have any doubts about his business dealings anymore.

Whatever she’d found was confirmation that they were on the up-and-up, and I didn’t need to spend an hour texting her about that.

I’d much rather pretend I’d never snooped.

That way I wouldn’t have to feel guilty.

The sun was coming up when I pulled his car (he’d insisted) out of the garage, the city waking up in the way only downtowns came to life, and every cell in my body was infused with happiness.

I hit ninety-five on the freeway while cranking the Cult, so I was buzzing with adrenaline when I got to work. I was in the most ridiculously good mood as I rang up groceries, humming under my breath to the terrible piped-in music that played on repeat in the store.

I wasn’t even annoyed by all the snooty people who didn’t care to say thank you or answer my questions when I asked if they brought a bag or if they wanted to use a box. I spent the entire morning very nearly whistling while I worked, pretty sure nothing could ruin my good mood.

But then something did.

Because after lunch, when I was back at the register, I was met with a man who looked familiar. He was buying supplements, which was normal; a lot of health-conscious people bought their supplements at Benny’s because we had such a big supply.

“Abi!” the guy said, smiling. “I didn’t know you worked here.”

I realized it was Roman, Declan’s friend.

“Hey, how are you?” I said, surprised to see him. I instantly felt wary, seeing someone from Dex’s life at my real job, but I pushed that feeling away as I remembered Roman knew about our scheme.

“I didn’t realize Benny’s was the grocery store where Dex found you,” he said around a grin. “It’s my favorite.”

“Nice,” I said, sliding his electrolyte caps over the scanner.

“Did he tell you that I’m the one who convinced him to bring you to the cocktail party?”

“You were?” I said, grinning as I manually punched in the barcode for the chia energy gels. For some reason, they never rang up right.

“Yes, ma’am. I was the genius behind the Abi plot.”

“?‘The Abi plot,’?” I repeated, not liking the sound of that, but it was what it was. “I guess I’d assumed it was all his idea.”

“God, no,” he said, shaking his head. “Think about it—Dex? Does he really seem like he’d engineer a let’s-just-see-what-happens kind of plan?”

I laughed, because he was so right. “Yeah, no—you’re right. He would never.”

“He was pissed and ready to just get you fired until I suggested he borrow you for the shareholder weekend.”

“Well, then, thank you,” I said, surprised how much I genuinely liked Dex’s friend. The fact that he seemed obsessed with work and making money, calling Dex at all hours of the night, should’ve made me dislike him on sight, but he was impossible not to like.

“I kept my job and got to dress cool for a weekend. I am forever in your debt.”

“Okay, so, remember you just said that,” he said, looking toward the sky with his eyebrows raised like he was thinking through something. “Because I might have a proposition for you.”

“What is it?” I asked as I hit the total button and pointed to the credit card machine.

“I hadn’t thought of this,” he said as he tapped his card, “but as I stand here in your line, I’m realizing you could be the answer to all my problems.”

“Well, I’m sure I am, because that’s just my role in the world, but you might want to explain.”

He grinned and nodded while his receipt started printing.

“Okay, so I have to go to a wedding in Ashland this weekend and I’m dreading it because since my girlfriend and I broke up last month, my mother is convinced I am depressed and dying inside.

She doesn’t know that I’m having the fucking time of my life, because that would only worry her if I told her I’ve been going out a lot.

But if I showed up with a new date, well, that might really ease her mind. ”

A little knot formed in my stomach, even though I wasn’t exactly sure why, but something felt off. I ripped off his receipt and held it out to him.

“It’s my mom’s side of the family, which is all super farmer-type people so it won’t be anybody that Declan knows.

Would you consider being my fake date for the wedding?

I don’t need what you gave Declan—hell, I don’t even have the kind of money to get that sort of a deal,” he said around a laugh.

“I just need somebody to pretend to be my date. We can even say it’s our first date and you know nothing about me.

But I can totally, like, buy you a hotel stay if that’s what it takes. What do you think?”

What did I think?

What did I think ?

I think I want to die right now.

My brain tried to fully process everything he just said.

As if it wasn’t bad enough that Declan’s friend saw me as a business transaction, as a benefit he could also utilize for the small price of lodging, his comment made me wonder if Dex had told him we’d slept together.

Is that what he meant by not needing what I gave Declan and not being able to afford … that ? Did he think Declan paid me all that money for me to throw in sex as part of our deal?

Did Declan think that was part of our deal?

We’d discussed that it wasn’t, but in his head did he think that it was?

My cheeks were burning and I knew they were bright red.

I wanted to throw up. It was hard to swallow around the knot in my throat, because I wanted to cry.

All this physical trauma was happening as this asshole looked at me with a hopeful smile on his face, waiting to see if I could be bought yet again.

“I’m so sorry,” I managed, trying to sound like I was very funny and cool about this. “But I am out of the business now.”

“Oh, come on,” he said, and I could tell he wasn’t a jerk. He was a nice guy, just like Declan.

A nice guy who was rich enough to think I could be bought.

Which obviously I could.

God, I was such a fool.

“You’re sure?” he asked. “There isn’t anything I can give you so you’d help me out here?”

“Nothing in the world could convince me to do that again,” I said.

“Okay, well, let me know if you change your mind,” he said, and I smiled and nodded mechanically as he walked away.

I didn’t realize until he was out of the building that I was shaking.

I don’t know that I’d ever hated myself as much as I did at that moment.