Page 218 of My Real Love Affair

“I can’t believe you’re bonding over this,” I said.

“I like her,” Cash said to Austin. “She’s got guts. And a good eye for comedy.”

“I like you too,” Cleo said. “You laugh at my jokes. That’s important in a person.”

The way she said it, the slight flush on her cheeks, the way Cash was looking at her with genuine interest—I filed it away to discuss with her later. Much later. When we weren’t dealing with Summer and injunctions and fake breakups.

We stayed in that private room for another hour, laughing and talking and finishing the incredible food Dane kept sending in. The tension from earlier had completely evaporated, replaced by something that felt like family. We had become a team.

Eventually, Cash checked his watch. “We should probably head out. It’s getting late, and we all have early mornings tomorrow.”

“Right,” I said, reality crashing back. “The injunction.”

“Don’t worry,” Cash said. “By the time you wake up, our lawyers will have already filed everything. Summer Auburn’s going to have a very bad morning.”

“She’s probably going to be blowing up my phone as soon as she finds out her little interview is canceled,” I said.

“Ignore her,” Cash said.

“What if she shows up at my house?” I asked. “I mean she brought the envelope to my door. She was all dressed up and ready to drop her little bombshell. She’s not going to be happy.”

“Ignore her,” Austin said. “Don’t talk to her. Don’t have anything to do with her.”

“I won’t,” I said.

We gathered our things and headed back through the kitchen, where Dane was still working despite the late hour. He gave me a bag of leftovers.

“For tomorrow,” he said. “Since these idiots will probably forget to feed you while they’re busy dealing with the fallout.”

“Thank you,” I said, genuinely touched. “And everything was delicious.”

Outside, we had to split up to maintain the illusion of the breakup. Austin would take a separate car back to his place while Cash drove Cleo and me home.

“This is ridiculous,” I muttered as Austin kissed me goodbye in the shadows of the alley. “I hate this.”

“Just a little longer,” he promised. “Forty-eight hours, maybe less. Then we can be together for real.”

“I’m holding you to that.”

He kissed me once more, then reluctantly pulled away and headed for his car.

I climbed into the back of a cab with Cleo and Cash. We dropped Cleo off first at her apartment.

“Thanks for tonight,” she said before getting out. “You’re not as uptight as I thought you’d be.”

“Thanks for the Instagram account,” Cash replied. “It’s brought me genuine joy.”

“Anytime. Well, not anytime. Austin’s being better now, so the content is drying up. But I have a good backlog.”

Then it was just Cash and me for the drive to my townhouse.

“Thank you,” I said. “For everything tonight. For the plan, for helping Austin, and being a good brother to him.”

“He deserves it,” Cash said. “I’m just sorry it took me so long to see that.”

“Better late than never.”

The car pulled up in front of my place. I gathered Dane’s leftovers and my purse.