“Oh, that it does. And yet not in a million years would I have imagined that you’d play Griffin’s fake girlfriend to help him secure a business deal.”
I winced. “Wow. When you put it like that…”
“No, no, no. Don’t let my rambling talk you out of it, okay? Have fun. That’s all that matters.”
“Yep. I’m going to have to hang up now. I need to make myself presentable. Griffin will be here in an hour.”
“Early dinner?”
“No, that’s at seven o’clock. I asked him to come earlier so we could get the story straight and stuff like that.”
“Mm, uh-huh. I see.”
Her voice was a bit off, but I didn’t have time to overthink things right now. I had lots to do.
After hanging up, I took out some accessories, putting them on the dining room table. Then I grabbed my portable steamer and removed all the wrinkles in the dress before jumping into the shower. My hair was my favorite part of me, so I took extra time and care with it. After applying a conditioner and two sets of masks, I started styling it with the curling iron to make very defined curls, then brushed them out to create beach waves.
It was my favorite look, though Marshall had hated it. But now I was free of him, so I could do whatever I wanted.
I was about to start with my makeup when the doorbell rang. I gasped, checking the time.Holy shit! How is it four o’clock already?I could have sworn I just got in the shower. Damn it, being on time was definitely not my forte.
I dashed to the front door, checking the peephole to make sure it was him. Yep, it was Griffin. I swung the door open wide.
“Phoebe—” He stopped talking abruptly, looking straight at me and then down my body.
Then I remembered I was wearing a pretty revealing beach dress.Shit!I’d put on a camisole that reached down just past my ass after the shower, but I’d planned to change before he arrived.
I felt my cheeks heat up.
Well, this is agreatstart.
CHAPTER 7
PHOEBE
Griffin stepped insideand carefully closed the door. Then he inspected the handle as well as the hinges, almost as if he was afraid that it might crumble. For all I knew, it was possible.
He looked around the place slowly before focusing on me, and I instantly became very self-conscious about the house. I’d gotten used to the fact that it was a dump. But this was the first time I was having someone over besides Veronica.
“Where do you want me to wait for you until you finish getting ready?”
I fiddled with my thumbs, biting the inside of my cheek. “We’ll talk while I’m applying my makeup in front of the huge-ass mirror here. You can sit on the couch. If you wait for me to get ready first, we might not have too much time for anything.”
Nodding, he glanced around the room again.
Why was he making a concerted effort to look anywhere but at me? My heart rate accelerated. I didn’t have any makeup on, but I felt fresh-faced and didn’t think I looked that bad.
“I’ll be right back.”
I hurried to the bathroom, grabbing my mascara, eyeshadow, and foundation, then dashed back to the living room, puttingthem on the small round table next to the mirror. Griffin was sitting on the couch. I could see his reflection while I applied my mascara.
“Griffin, can you tell me a bit about tonight so I know what to expect? Maybe a bit about Jude’s business.”
He looked straight at my reflection. Our eye contact through the mirror made me shudder—in a good way. Then my entire body felt hot.
Oh boy.
“Sure. It’s a dating platform,” he answered.
