“I’m sure she assumed no one would see it,” I lied smoothly.
Dakota, I’m coming for you.
“How did she manage to trap you in a … was that a bunny car?”
“Kitty,” I corrected, taking a steadying sip of water.
“A kitty car,” Frank repeated, like he was testing the words. “I didn’t even know such things existed.”
“They’re probably for special occasions. Bachelorette parties, tourists.”Why am I defending the world’s most ridiculous business model?
“But how’d she get you to actually drive it?”
I set down my water before I crushed the glass. “It’s a long story.” I placed the napkin on my lap. And folded my hands in front of me so I wouldn’t punch the table. “We like to prank each other.”
“Prank wars?” Carl leaned forward, intrigued.
I shrugged. “Keeps things interesting. Though I’ll admit, this one wasn’t my favorite.”
The two men exchanged a look and burst into laughter. The kind of genuine, belly-deep laughter that should have made me feel relieved they believed my story.
Instead, my ego clawed up my throat like a rabid animal.
“Well, this sounds like a woman I’d like to meet,” Frank declared.
“Indeed,” Carl added, wiping his eyes.
Great. My business meeting had officially become the Dakota Fan Club meeting. I had a few choice words about that woman. None of which were appropriate for polite company.
“Of course,” I said carefully. But when they exchanged another meaningful look, unease prickled down my spine. “Someday.”
“I have to say, I’ve really enjoyed watching you two together online,” Frank admitted. “It’s refreshing to see young love in action.”
I managed another sip of water, hoping my smile looked genuine. Part of it was real, the relief that our charade was working, that we were controlling the narrative. But the lying about who we were in public versus private? That part made my stomach churn.
“Truthfully,” Carl said, steepling his fingers like a judge about to deliver a verdict, “after that incident with the photo of you and that political wife, we had some serious reservations.” He paused, letting that land. “But seeing you with Dakota … well, who hasn’t had a heated lovers’ quarrel—am I right?”
“Exactly.” I forced the word out, my eyes drifting again to that mysterious fourth chair.
“So, you two are the real deal?” Frank’s tone went flat, all business.
What a loaded question. “Of course.”
“Good.” Frank’s chuckle held zero humor. “Because my PR team raised an interesting possibility: that you two might be staging this whole thing to clean up your mess.”
Anxiety slammed into my chest like a freight train. “Really?” I kept my voice shocked, innocent, as if to say,Who in the world would do such a thing?
Me, apparently. I’m exactly the kind of hypocrite who would do such a thing.
The irony wasn’t lost on me. Here I was, pretending to be something I wasn’t, just like my parents had done all those years. I opened my mouth, tempted to come clean. To tell them that my personal life had no bearing on my business skills, that I had a track record worth their investment, that we were all human beings capable of mistakes.
But I couldn’t. Not with everyone else in the cross fire.
So, I smiled and cleared my throat. “That’s … quite an imagination they have.”
“We like what Dakota’s done for your image,” Carl continued. “And by extension, your business’s image. Stability is important to us.”
“Naturally, we’d like to meet her,” Frank added. “See you two together with our own eyes.”
