Page 40 of The Bad Boy Prince in Love

“Are you kidding?I learned about this stuff in college.It really works.”

Hallie was warming up to the subject.This was some pretty basic stuff she had learned in her marketing courses, and it was exciting to be able to use it in real life.

“Hallie is right,” Luke said, “Branding is important, no matter the size of the project.”

“So what colors should we use?”Eloise wondered, her fingers playing with the little heart-shaped pendant on her necklace.

“The event is to help seniors, so grey?”Hallie blurted out.

“Like grey hair?”Eloise said, wrinkling her nose.“Isn’t that going to be a turn-off?”

Hallie shrugged.“I’m just throwing out ideas.”

“What about silver?”Luke said excitedly.“An event to support our silver foxes!”

“Yes, I like that!”Eloise said.“Maybe we should go with a ‘silver fox’ theme?”

“And we could have activities like ‘pin the tail on the fox!’”Hallie added.

“Oh!”Eloise exclaimed, “What about auctioning off a date with a silver fox?”

“A date?”Luke asked in confusion.“Isn’t that...illegal?”

“What are you talking about?”Hallie said.“Oh, they probably don’t do this in your country, but it’s just for fun.The person who has the winning bid gets to go out with the eligible bachelor or bachelorette.They don’t have to do anything improper.”

“Only we’ll ask older folks to be auctioned,” Eloise said, “It’ll be so cute.”

For a while, she forgot all about the awkwardness of trying to keep her fake boyfriend in line as they planned the event, everyone contributing ideas in a bubbly and fun atmosphere.It was almost a shame to put a pause on the meeting when Eloise’s parents said it was time for dinner.

***

“YOUR FRIED CHICKENis amazing, Mrs.Onnerly,” Hallie said.She was trying to drag dinner out for as long as possible, just to make sure Luke and Eloise wouldn’t escape her.

They were hinting at going out later, and she couldn’t have that.Even if she tried to tag along, it would be super awkward, and they might be able to escape her.But here, under the Onnerlys’ roof, everybody was safe from making romantic advances.

“Your chicken really is amazing,” Luke agreed.“I don’t suppose you’re willing to share the recipe?”

“Sorry, but it’s a family secret,” Mrs.Onnerly said.

Eloise looked very proud of herself, as if she was already picturing herself marrying Luke and sharing the fried chicken recipe with him.

“I’d love another piece, although I’m getting full,” Hallie said.

“Help yourself, dear!”Mrs.Onnerly said.

“Thanks, maybe just a scoop of potato salad as well.”

“I’d love some of that too,” Luke said.“Maybe staying in Texas is going to increase my waistline, but at this moment, I don’t care.As the French poet Baudelaire said, ‘One should always be drunk.That’s all that matters...But with what?With wine, with poetry, or with virtue.’And to that I might add, with fried chicken.”

“Y’all are too kind.”Eloise’s mother blushed, passing the big bowl of potato salad over to him.

“Don’t get too full now,” Eloise said, sounding less and less sure of herself, “We could still go out for drinks later.”

“I think I’ll have another piece,” Hallie said.Terry may think I look like a bloated Charlize Theron, she thought, but she ain’t seen nothing yet ‘cause I’m about to get a whole lot more bloated.

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AFTER HALLIE MANAGEDto stretch out the dinner to a full two-and-a-half hours, she and Luke finally left the house.They had all agreed that it was too late and everyone was too stuffed to go out for drinks.