When she didn’t elaborate, he knew better than to probe any further. Like him, she’d probably experienced her share of heartache. All the more reason his fake-dating scenario was a solid plan. “So…would you be on board with this idea?”
She laughed. “As wild as it sounds, I might be up for it, except for the part where I’d be lying to my family.”
Yet another reason why he admired her. Even if her family irritated her, she didn’t want to hurt them. “I don’t like lying, either, but given how much time we’d be spending together, it would almost be like we’re dating for real. Except without all the angst and expectations.”
“If we do this, you wouldn’t just be coming to my parents’ house for our Sunday dinners. You’d need to attend my family’s big holiday events: my aunt’s party on the sixteenth, our Nochebuena celebration on Christmas Eve, and Three Kings Day on January sixth. It might cut into your time with your own family.”
He gave a curt laugh. “Fine with me.” At her shocked expression, he rushed to explain. “I’m not close to my parents. My sister and I might try to visit them on Christmas Day for a few hours, but that’s all we can handle.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’ve learned to live with it.” Most of the time, he rarely mentioned his parents or his fractured past. Instead, he locked that shit up tight so it couldn’t hurt him anymore. No matter how miserable he’d been, he’d managed to make a good life for himself. “Anyway…you didn’t answer me. Rosie Gonzalez, would you be my pretend girlfriend for the next two months?”
Instead of agreeing immediately, she gnawed on her lip, clearly torn over her decision. Which made him suspect he’d grossly overstepped.
What were you thinking? You finally get a chance to reconnect with Rosie, and then you ask her if she wants to pretend you’re dating. Who does that?
He was tempted to blame the tequila, but he wasn’t even drunk.
“Never mind. It was a goofy idea.” He raised his glass in a salute. “Who knows—maybe you’ll hit it off with the next guy your family invites to dinner.”
“If he’s one of my brother’s colleagues, then he’s a dentist. He could look exactly like Pedro Pascal, and I still wouldn’t be interested. Not if he’s going to nag me about flossing my teeth, which my brother does on the regular.” She gave a full-body shudder. “If we agree to this, then what do we tell people when January seventh rolls around?”
Shit.He’d been so focused on surviving Evelyn’s wedding that he hadn’t considered what he and Rosie would do after the holidays. “How about we say it didn’t work out because our jobs are too demanding? Or make up some other excuse? Would that be okay?”
As he waited for her to respond, he crumpled his napkin into a tiny ball. To his immense relief, her lips quirked up in an affectionate smile.
“All right, I’m in,” she said. “This Sunday at six, you’re joining me at my parents’ house for dinner. Bring your A-game, sweetheart.”
Perfect.Whatever nickname she wanted to give him, he’d answer to it.
Four
52 Days UntilChristmas
A blast of wind buffeted Rosie as she and Charlie walked along the paved path overlooking the ocean. Below them, the stiff breeze whipped the waves into whitecaps. Rosie inhaled the briny scent and wiped the spray from her face. Fishing her knitted gloves from the pocket of her fleece jacket, she put them on and tugged her woolen toque tighter onto her head.
“I can’t believe you wanted to go walking today,” Charlie said. “I was sure you were going to suggest we go for coffee instead.”
“We can go after. My treat. But I was really wound up last night, and I need to burn off some nervous energy.”
An understatement, at best. Rosie had spent most of the night tossing and turning as she considered Drew’s proposition. She needed to talk to someone before she took him to dinner at her parents’ house, and her Saturday morning ritual with Charlie—a brisk stroll along the Dallas Road walkway—was the ideal setting. In the summer and fall months, the oceanfront path was usually crowded with dog walkers, joggers, and families, but today, it was practically empty.
“Are you worried about the next two months at the Duchess?” Charlie asked. “Don’t be. We’re going to crush it. Preston’s gonna be so impressed.”
“Thanks, but that wasn’t what kept me awake.”
“Was it Drew?” Charlie’s voice rose an octave. “Did something happen after we left? I knew I sensed a romantic vibe between the two of you.”
“Is that why you and Selena made up that half-assed excuse? There’s no way she’d buy an Instant Pot. She hates all forms of cooking.”
“I’ll admit it was weak, but I was trying to improvise. You and Drew were bonding, and we wanted to give you some space. Was it the sexy Santa thing that did it for you? Drew would make a seriously hot Santa.”
Rosie sighed. When she’d gone to bed last night, the idea of Drew playing Santa had spurred a delicious set of fantasies. Like the one where she was sitting naked on his lap and asking him what she could do to get on the “nice list.” But her naughty dreams weren’t the cause of her restless slumber. She still couldn’t believe she’d accepted his offer.
Honestly, given everything she was dealing with right now—trying to save her job, protect her team, and keep the hotel afloat—she should have turned him down. Drew had even given her the opportunity when he’d called it a goofy idea. But she hadn’t been able to resist the thought of spending more time with him.
Hoping for Charlie’s support, she told her friend all about it, explaining the no-strings, fake-dating ruse she’d agreed to. Once she finished her confession, she stopped and leaned on the railing overlooking the water. Another blast of spray hit her cheeks, and she wiped it off with her scarf. In the cold light of day, pretending to date someone sounded like the plot of a Hallmark movie.
