“Why did you get in the car with a strange man and go meet his grandpa?”
“Oh, I guess I did leave out that part. Nash hired me to pretend to be his fiancée so that he could introduce me to his dying grandfather.”
“Well, when you say it like that, it makes perfect sense.” Charlie snorts.
“I mean…yeah, it does sound ridiculous,” I agree.
Because what was I thinking? I got into the car with a stranger. I went to another stranger’s house…
I just did things that would get me on a true crime podcast…yet how do I explain to the girls that it felt right? That I was going with my gut and ended up meeting the sweetest old man and thinking that he had a pretty special grandson who would do anything to grant his last wish?
“And he paid you?” Charlie asks.
“He did. He almost forgot because he was so sad after seeing his grandpa. But then he had a driver take me back to my car, and he sent me money on Venmo.”
“How much?” Piper asks—always the numbers woman.
“Three times what I made per day at work.”
Piper sits up straighter at that. “Does he have any other dying relatives he needs to introduce you to?”
I wave a hand through the air. “I think I would have done it for free. You should have seen how distraught he was. I think he’s really close with his grandpa.”
“And that’s it? What are you going to do now?” Charlie wonders out loud.
“Probably try to find some kind of employment.”
“Do you think your boss will take you back once she sees she has the right paperwork?” Piper’s concern is valid. We’re so close to qualifying for a business loan—but we both need steady income for that.
“Honestly, I’m not sure I want to go back to work for her. It’s not like the pay was great, and she was a horrible boss.” I shrug. “If I find something with higher pay, that would look even better on paper.”
I took the job because, for one, I needed to be able to pay my rent and save money to open my dream distillery, but for two, it was a restaurant and bar supply company, and I learned a lot about how to run an efficient restaurant.
But now I need something that’s going to pay a little more if I want to have enough investment capital to start my business.
It’s not like rich fiancés are raining from the sky.
CHAPTER 9
Magnolia
I laid awake last night,wondering how Alexander was doing. It hurt, knowing that he was probably gone. I didn’t have any right to the sadness I felt, but I liked him.
Poor Nash.
He’s probably in pieces today, mourning the loss of a loved one. Obviously, he was close with his grandfather. He wanted his final hours to be peaceful, and that shows a lot about someone’s relationship. He cared enough to bring a fake fiancée along, just to help Alexander rest easy.
I want to send flowers, but it seems pointless with Alexander probably gone. Maybe I can leave flowers at our work building for Nash. Although I’m sure he plans to take time to grieve. Maybe a nice heartfelt card would be the thing to do.
Knock, knock, knock.
I look at the clock.
It’s six a.m. Way too early for any deliveries.
Definitely too early for a visitor.
I swear, if another building is on fire, I’m going to begin thinking I’m the problem.
