Katie looked at me with pained sympathy. “That’s so not a thing, Viv. Unless you’re an escort. Did Grant hire you as an escort?”
I shot her an unamused look. “I just need to know what to wear. That’s why you’re here.”
“Well, what’ll you be doing?”
“No idea. All Grant said was to dress comfortably.”
She shut her eyes as if to pray for patience. “Men are the worst. Comfortable like post-workout Target run? Or comfortable likeoops I didn’t mean to look this sexy?” Her mouth twisted to the side. “We have to do our best and decide what message you want to send.”
She said it like it was so easy. What messagedidI want to send? I wanted to come out of this date thoroughly unimpressed by Grant, but I wantedhimto physically hurt with the realization he couldn’t have me.
I couldn’t admit that to Katie, though.
I couldn’t. I shouldn’t. I wouldn’t.
She’d rake me over the coals for being dumb enough to want him to want me when I was supposed to be focusing on my unassailable professionalism.
“Obviously, you’ve got to make his jaw drop,” Katie said, pausing on a silky button-down, then moving on.
“What?” I asked, uncertain I’d heard her right.
She raised a brow. “Come on, Viv. That’s a given.”
“Right…I just…”
“Thought I’d want you to look like a homeless person?” She rolled her eyes. “Do I think you should’ve said yes to the date? No. But you did, so now your job is to look amazing, act nonchalant, and leave him panting like a dog. Think of it like revenge-dressing, except this time it’s not an ex; it’s a man who thinks he can out-charm your algorithm.”
I stared at her. “I love you.”
She grinned. “I know. And Grant’s going to be in love withyouby the end of the night whileyou”—she pulled out a long, polka dot skirt with a high front slit and smiled at it—“will be examining your nails and thinking about your next board meeting. Pair this with a fitted white shirt, a red lip, a watch-check mid-date, and voilà! Mission accomplished.”
I took the hanger she extended toward me, imagining the picture she’d conjured. She was way too good at this. Whether I could actually pull off her vision was the thing I questioned. I hadn’t exactly nailed the show-up-to-lunch-late thing.
Katie insisted I have my hair down. I refused. Grant had specifiedcomfortable, and nothing was less comfortable than having my hair in my face constantly. It was already a big enough problem with my unintentional curtain bangs.
After twenty minutes of debate, we compromised, and I put my hair half-up. Of course, the unruly side bangs joined the hair that was down.
Once Katie left—she’d begged to hide out in my apartment so she could observe a little of the date—I considered my small collection of perfumes, wondering which one might be Grant’s kryptonite. Did anyone make a maple donut perfume? Maybe that’d just remind him of Jill. I’d kind of thought maple donuts wereourthing, but apparently, I’d been wrong.
There was a knock on the door.
My heart took off like a flock of doves, but I forced myself to take a beat and stare in the mirror. I hardly recognized myself with my makeup more embellished than usual and my hair half-down. “Donotlet him get to you, Vivian Marie West.”
I took a breath, fixed my shirt, then made my way to the front door. Part of me wished Katiecouldcome with us. It might help Grant and me stay on our best behavior.
Grant’s threat to not go easy on me had been playing intermittently in my mind like a wind chime in a light breeze—just enough of an eerie tone to unsettle me. I had no idea what itmeant, but I was determined not to let him have the satisfaction of seeing he’d rattled me at any point tonight.
I opened the door and found Grant with his gaze lowered, like he was staring at the floor.
His head came up, and his lips parted, an arrested look in his eyes as they traveled over my face, then slowly down and down until they finally flicked back up and he cleared his throat.
I love you, Katie. She deserved a raise. Whatever else happened tonight, I’d remember this moment.
“Wow,” Grant said.
A smile tugged at my lips, but it couldn’t decide whether it was satisfied or bashful, so I turned away to reach for my purse. “Ready to go? Do you want to drive? I can.”
His expression grew amused. “You don’t know where we’re going.”
