He needed to ask.Just ask her already.
He turned right when they should’ve gone straight. This was not the direction of home. This was the direction of dessert.
Was it a bribe? Some might call it that.
“Do you want a big ‘to-do’ from me? A whole scene?” Em asked. “Or are we good to just be done and move on?”
Ethan gripped the steering wheel. He had to say it. Put it out there. Stop mollycoddling himself.
“Here’s the deal.” Ethan gulped down a huge lump in his throat. “There’s a wedding up in Estes in a couple of weeks. I need us to stay together until that’s over. They think we’re a couple, and it’d be awkward to go alone. Reckon you could stick it out ‘til then?”
She stared at him like he’d announced he’d decided to turn the restaurants into a croc rescue. That wasn’t hopeful. He didn’t like that.
But she didn’t say anything straight away. That part held promise. So he waited.
“You’re serious?” she asked, finally.
No doubt he was.
“Not like I can find another pretend girlfriend in that time. At least one who isn’t really looking to be a missus.” That was the honest truth. “It’s just one more time, then we’re done. Promise.”
“Tonight is theonetime. That’s what we agreed.” She was still pursing her lips.
Yes, that was the initial deal. Now he needed to chuck in a bit of a tweak.
“Is this leading it on for the girls?” Em asked. “We’ll get their hopes up.”
Bloody hell, he hadn’t given much thought to that. But they’d already been playing pretend, what was a bit longer in the grand scheme?
“Children have built-in bulldust radar,” he said. “They’ll know it’s not a true relationship just as we’ve told them from the start.”
He waited. Waited for her to say something else. But neither of them said anything for about a block. The silence stretched between them.
If he could get back in the good graces of the Nosh family, he’d be sitting pretty.
“I could really do with a hand,” he said, hoping she’d understand how much this meant to him.
“And I could really do to get laid,” she countered under her breath, totally serious. “Looks like we both have issues.”
“Sorry?” He’d misheard her. He was certain. “Did you say?”
“Ethan.” She pursed her lips. “Fine. Okay. Wedding. Let’s do it.”
“I knew I could count on you, Em.” He gave her a cheeky smile. “Now, what’s this about getting lucky?”
“See? Why couldn’t I say it like that? It sounds much better when you say it. Yours sounds so reasonable. Mine just sounds dirty.”
“You didn’t answer the question, love.”
“I just figured when we ended things I could finally…post-divorce…you know?” She tilted her head from side to side. “Not only by myself.”
He did know, but for some reason he couldn’t put his finger on, he didn’t like the idea of Em with another bloke.
“Okay. I’ll do it.” Ethan took a left into the King Soopers’ parking lot.
“You’ll do it?” Em asked. “I didn’t ask you to.”
“Right, but I’m a good friend. You’re doing something for me. I’ll do something for you.”
