Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 145731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
First, a little more honesty. A little vulnerability. “I meant it when I said you didn’t fail. I’m honestly not sure you stood a chance of succeeding with me.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means…I’m difficult.”
Her mouth parts in feigned shock. “You? Difficult?”
But I keep going, practicing more honesty since she gives it and she deserves it. “And it means I’ve been a pain in the ass.”
“Noooo.”
“And it means I’ve tried to sabotage all your efforts.”
“I had no idea.”
“And some of that is because I meant it when I said I’ve been fighting this for more than a year.”
She freezes, her cup halfway to her mouth, maybe digesting that bit. “Really? That wasn’t just—”
“A line?”
“Well, yeah.”
I lean closer, catching a hint of her cherry scent that electrifies me. “Trust me, snow angel, I’ve tried to ignore this…crush. You’re my agent’s sister. He’s my best friend and he knows I’m damaged goods, but he also wants me to find romance again,” I say, shuddering at the thought of all the hope my buddy has for me in the love department. “But I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t want me to be…testing that out with his sister. He knows you’ve been hurt too.”
Isla nods, a sad smile coasting across her lips. “You’re right. He wants you to find someone again, but he also knows it might take time. Trying and failing. Meeting someone and then…it not working out. But trying again.”
I don’t want to hurt her either. I’d have to beat myself up if I so much as ever made her shed a tear.
But where there’s a will there’s a way. Or really, when there’s an opening on the ice, you take it. You just fucking take it.
Like I’m gearing up to protect the net, I steal the puck, then fly down the ice. “That’s why I need to fire you.”
31
HOW TO OVERDELIVER
ISLA
“You’re…firing me?”
His nod is decisive. “Yep. From everything. I’m not a matchmaking client or even a coaching client anymore.”
The hair on my arms stands on end. “That’s…everything. But I thought I was doing a good job coaching you?”
Coaching doesn’t involve finger banging and you know it.
“You are. You were. You’re amazing. But this is the only way to do this,” he says with the kind of confidence he carries on the ice. He reaches for my hand again, holding it tight like he needs to reassure me. “We need to fake-date. No more of this practice-date stuff. We go all in with fake-dating—and I’ll take you to the gala on Christmas Eve.”
“R-Rowan,” I sputter. Because that’s nuts. Right? “We can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
That’s a good question. “Because,” I begin, but I’m spinning my wheels. Because…why can’t we?
He jumps on the chance to make his case. “Look, it just makes sense. My teammates started this back at the Nutcracker Auction. They wanted me to have a date for the gala. You said you can’t date me if I’m a client. You also said, and I quote, ‘Listen to your date. Pay attention to what they say. Don’t fake it.’”
“And yet you’re suggesting we fake-date?” I ask, incredulous.
“But you said don’t fake paying attention. You never said don’t fake-date, and since I paid attention and listened, if I’m not your client anymore in any fashion, then I can be your date for the gala.”
My head spins. But the logic is vexingly good. Still, this is uncharted territory for me. “How the hell did we go from practice-dating to fake-dating?”
“This was always about the gala. If you’re with me that night, my teammates will be happy. My goal. And since I fired you, you no longer need to worry about a conflict of interest. Your goal,” he says.
It’s like a game of ping-pong in my brain. One being played way too fast for me to follow. “Right, but it sounds complicated.”
He runs a thumb over my hand, making me shiver unfairly. “It’s easy, sweetheart. It’s a trope. I learned about it from Tinsel Takes.”
“I literally just told you about that earlier tonight.”
“I’m a quick study. The idea was already taking shape, and while I was waiting for the hot cocoa, I googled it. Do you know how many holiday movies are about fake-dating?”
“Um, most of them?”
“Exactly. It’s like a breakaway shot. Honestly, I’m a little mad I didn’t think of it sooner. But now that I have, it’s what I want for Christmas, Isla.”
My lips part, but I don’t know what to say. Especially after what he shared about his heartbreak. His hurt. And his daughter’s. How can I deny the former Christmas hater his Christmas wish?
A voice in my head answers immediately. You don’t want to deny him. You want this for Christmas too.
I want to shut up that voice for knowing me too well.
Still…fake-dating my brother’s best friend during Christmastime? Am I really going to say yes?