“Privacy?” Adam laughed, and Chase narrowed his eyes at him.
“Mind your damn business, Adam.”
There was a sharp undertone to his voice, a hard edge I hadn’t detected before. I looked up but saw nothing reflected in Chase’s face. Adam flashed me a smile and turned away, mumbling something like, “If you need anything…”
“Come on,” Chase murmured in my ear, sending a strange jolt through my stomach. We zigzagged our way through the room to a table on the far side near the tinted windows, and Chase held out my chair, his attention strangely distracted as he sat down in his own chair, his relaxed attitude suddenly replaced by tension.
“You two know each other,” I remarked as a means of starting the conversation.
“Yeah.” He smirked and shifted in his seat, then pointed around him. “Like it?” I knew an attempt to change topics when I saw one, even one as smooth as Chase’s.
I decided to let it pass this time. For one, it wasn’t my business. Besides, it didn’t matter, considering I’d be leaving soon anyway and would never see him again. “It’s—” I fought to find the right word as I scanned the exotic bottles adorning the walls and the peanut shells littering the hardwood floor.
“Interesting,” I said eventually. “Never seen a place like this from the inside. Is this the sort of establishment you usually frequent?”
“You make it sound like it’s a strip bar.” His stunning blue eyes twinkled and his lips twitched with amusement, striking me breathless once again. The Chase from before was back, and hotter, if that was even possible.
“Given that you knew this used to be a strip bar and probably used to frequent it, you can’t judge me for forming such a first impression.”
“Touché.”
We fell silent for a few moments, listening to the song changing in the background—something lighter, more my style. I began to tap my fingers on my thigh, nervous under Chase’s blue gaze.
There we were, and I had no clue how to get it over and done with. I figured being tactful was the way to go.
But how?
“This job,” Chase began slowly, “it’s not something I’ve ever done before. I just thought you should know.”
Not surprising, given the fact that most people I knew either weren’t single or weren’t afraid of admitting it to their family. They sure as hell didn’t need a paid actor to play the doting fiancé part, and they certainly didn’t need to pretend to be in love and ready to walk down the aisle.
“That’s fine. I didn’t expect you to, because I know my situation is bizarre.”
And desperate.
He shook his head and leaned forward, placing his hand on the table so close his fingers almost brushed mine.
“It’s not the most bizarre request I’ve ever had. Trust me on that.” His eyes twinkled, and for a second I wasn’t sure whether he was being serious or teasing me. “Once, I was asked to play a monkey on stage. If I can imitate an orangutan, I’m pretty sure I can play your husband.”
I stared at him. He was trying to be funny. And it worked. Too easily. Only too late did I realize I had been smiling without even wanting to.
“Fiancé,” I corrected.
“Even better. We can play the loved-up couple without all the insults and the hating that comes with being married.”
I laughed. “Not a fan of the so-called wedding bliss?”
“You could say that.” He smirked before a sexy smile lit up his lips again. “What about you?”
I shrugged as I thought back to my old life and began to flick through what I could and couldn’t say. In the end, I decided some things were better left unsaid. “It doesn’t really matter.”
“Why do you need a fake fiancé?” Chase asked, proving to be a guru at changing the subject. “Can’t you just say you’re not into it?” His directness took me again by surprise. “Surely if you don’t live with your parents anymore, which I think you’re not”—he paused, his expression questioning. I nodded and he continued—“ then you don’t own them an explanation.”
I brushed my hair back, hesitating. Explaining my situation without actually explaining anything was the hard part. Jude was the only person who knew my dilemma. She was the only person who knew some of the secrets that surrounded Waterfront Shore.
I needed it to stay that way.
“I can’t deal with it right now,” I said simply. It was the truth, to some extent. “I know I sound like a coward, but there’s enough drama in my life already. All I want is to buy myself a little bit more time.” I gave an uncomfortable shrug.