His eyes go wide at hearing the name of the famous director’s daughter, who is a budding rock star.
“Why?” he asks with a furrowed brow.
“I messaged her last week to pitch Dream Space services. Evie Adelade and Caitlin Mancini are close friends. At a party a while back, I met Evie. She mentioned that Caitlin is newly divorced and looking for someone to help her organize her life. I took a chance that she might still be interested,” I say with a pleased grin I can’t contain. “Caitlin just got back to me.”
“And she wants to hire you?” He sounds tense.
“Well, she didn’t say that. But she’d like to meet to discuss the project. Which is amazing.” I tilt my head. “Do you know her?” I wonder if she is as cool as she seems on social media.
He nods, his expression shuttered. “Sort of. When we were kids. She was on the set ofThe Familya lot. And we’ve been to the same parties here and there throughout the years. When are you meeting her?”
“I’m not sure. She wanted to know if I was attending the house party with you at her father’s Napa estate. It’s this weekend. She’s under the impression, along with the rest of the world, that we’re engaged. I guess there was some confusion about the RSVP. Matt was supposed to remind you about it.”
“She wants to meet with you at the party?” he asks.
“She’s moving into a house that’s on her father’s estate, so she said if I were going, we could talk, and I could see the place. She wants to hire someone right away.”
At his assessing look, I flush, hoping Sebastian doesn’t think I’m angling for an invite with him. “Not that I’m asking to go to Napa with you. I’ll message her and arrange a separate meeting. I’ll fly up for it.”
Sebastian runs a hand over his face. “I hadn’t actually planned on going to the party.”
I tilt my head, my eyes widening in surprise. “Why not? You spent three weeks on Ella Aziz’s yacht to win a role in her movie, and she’s not half the director Dario is. Why wouldn’t you be doing everything you can to land this job?”
His jaw flexes. “Are you reallyflying up to meet with Caitlin?”
“Of course. As soon as I can arrange it, if she’s free, which it sounds like she is.”
“You’re still recovering. You shouldn’t be working. Let alone traveling.”
“I’m all cured. Barely concussed. The old noggin is feeling brand-new.” I roll my eyes at his unbelieving look. “Youmay not care about your chance of a lifetime. But I’m not missing mine. Working for someone as connected as Caitlin Mancini could make my business.”
He sighs. “Fine. If you insist on going, I’m taking you. And don’t even try to tell me no. We’ll fly private. We’ll go to the party together so you can get lots of rest before and after your meeting with Caitlin.”
My mouth opens in surprise. “I thought you weren’t attending.”
“I changed my mind. Maybe you convinced me I should go.”
I bite my lip.
It’s his turn to roll his eyes. “Am I going to have to convince you to fly on a private jet rather than fly coach? I thought you were the smart one, Em.”
I’ve spent the last month trying to extricate myself from Sebastian’s employ, from Sebastian’s life. And now here he is,proposing we take a trip to wine country together. Every time I think I’m walking away from him, something pulls me back in.
Heaven help me, a long weekend in Napa with him sounds like a mistake. But it sounds like afunmistake, just like I wanted.
“I don’t have to get your coffee, do I? Arrange for the plane or the helicopter? The car?” I say, only half teasing.
“I’m trying to get you to work less. And I know you’re not my assistant anymore. You’re invited as my fiancée.”
“No. I can’t go as your fiancée. It was one thing for you to pretend for the nurses, which was ridiculous enough. I didn’t have the energy to stop you. But we can’t lie to the biggest director in the world. Or to his daughter, my potential new client. And all the people at the party. I’ll try to explain everything to Caitlin…” Even as I say it, I wonder how exactly to explain a fake engagement. I could tell her it was all made up by the tabloids. Or a misunderstanding. But there was the gossip from the nurses at the hospital. The photos of Sebastian carrying me out of the premiere. The pics at the club. Charlotte Jones’s article. It was a lot.
“They already think we’re engaged, Em. The entire world does. I never issued a denial about the stories. So even the more legitimate news sources ran with it. At this point, it would be more awkward to show up together and say it’s all a lie.”
“So we pretend? And then break up quietly when we get back?” I ask, thinking the entire awkward situation over. I hate to admit it, but Sebastian makes sense. People wouldn’t believe it if we deny all the rumors and try to explain that we’re showing up as friends, as ex-boss and assistant. Or we could lie and say we’re dating. But at that point, we might as well pretend to be engaged. At least then, we wouldn’t have to explain anything away.
He shrugs, looking unbothered by it all.
“And you’re okay with lying to our host?”
