My Dad's Boss(2)

He read the "fine print" I'd written: They know how to make it. He gave me a thumbs up, stood, and got in line.

Wow... that meant that in just a few minutes, he'd be coming over here.  What would I say? I hadn't thought much beyond: He's hot. This is fun. I  deserve a little fun. I didn't know what to do when he came to bring me  my drink.         

     



 

I still had a few minutes. He was fourth in line, so I opened my purse  and took out my compact. Quickly, I touched up my eye makeup, put on  some lipstick, and smoothed powder over my cheeks. I didn't wear too  much make-up in the summer, but I always wore some because my eyelashes  were blonde and therefore nearly invisible without mascara. Thank god  for mascara.

When I was done, he was third in line. Nervously, I waited, unsure what  to do with myself. I glanced at Facebook. Checked my e-mail. Closed the  tabs I'd opened for jobs that hadn't shown much promise.

Now he was second in line, and the person in front of him looked almost  done. Since he had his back to me, I could watch him without risk of  getting caught, so I did, waiting to see how he interacted with the  barista. But then a shadow passed over the table and someone was  blocking my view. Two someones.

I looked up and my stomach dropped to my feet. This-I'd never expected  this. I wasn't ready for this. The two people standing in front of me  were the last two people on earth I wanted to encounter. But there they  were. Standing in front of me.

Brad and Stephanie.

My ex-boyfriend and my ex-best friend.

Crap.





Chapter Two





OH. MY. GOD. They were here. Both of them. Together. I hadn't seen Brad  since last Christmas when our families had attended the same holiday  party. And I hadn't seen Stephanie since-since I found out she'd been  sleeping with my boyfriend a year ago. And apparently, she still was.

Looking up at them, I wished I were anywhere but here. Anywhere but in  this coffee shop, in this city, in this state, and on this planet. Where  was a shuttle to Mars when you needed one?

"Hi Cassie," Brad said, his arm around Stephanie. I hated tilting my  neck up to see him, but that, at least, was one thing I could fix. I  popped out of the booth and to my feet, causing them to move back a step  or two.

"Cassie," Stephanie said, moving toward me. Did she really think I'd stood up to hug her? After what she'd done to me.

"Hi," I said, instilling as much coldness and don't-try-to-hug-me vibes as I could into the one syllable.

"We didn't know you'd be here," Brad said, and I almost rolled my eyes.  What, like they thought I'd thought they came to see me? Not likely.

"Yeah, well, it's too hot outside for me."

Brad smiled, no doubt remembering how I used to perform frequent odes to  air conditioning. I almost smiled back before I remembered that he'd  cheated on me. Broken my heart. And now they were here in front of me.  How was I going to get through this?

And now Brad was telling me about his summer, about the internships he  and Stephanie had gotten. Together. So not only did they have each  other, but they also had a far better summer lined up than I did. This  was a nightmare.

"And it's only three days a week, so that gives us lots of time for other things," Brad concluded.

"Like hanging out in coffee shops," Stephanie said with a giggle. "I  mean, not like all day," she said, eyeing the signs in the booth that  I'd been here for quite some time. I wondered if I could use the plate  my scone had been on a few hours ago as a ninja throwing star. The  vision of it knocking her off her feet was a pleasant one.

"Congratulations on your internship," I said lamely. I wanted to think  of a way to end this conversation, but yet I didn't want to gather all  my stuff and pack up while they were standing there.

And then someone nearby cleared his throat and appeared in front of me. "Here's your Thin Mint Frappuccino," a deep voice said.

I looked up and a half dozen emotions flickered through my brain, chief  among them: God, he's even more handsome up close, How on earth am I  going to explain who he is to Brad and Stephanie? Wait, I don't even  know who he is, and who the hell cares what they think? And Dammit  Stephanie, stop looking at him that way. He's my perfect stranger, not  yours.

Both my exes, ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend, seemed a little awed by  Mr. Hottie's presence. I could understand that, I certainly was, but I  also didn't like the skeptical look that was growing on Brad's face.  "You two know each other?" He looked from me to the older man by my side  and back again.

His presumption in asking made me mad. "No, he just goes around bringing everyone a Thin Mint Frappuccino."

"I figured if I asked enough people, someone was bound to like it," Mr.  Hottie said, and I looked up at him and smiled, finally taking the cup  from him. Up close his hazel eyes were even more mesmerizing. They were  distracting-the kind of eyes I could get lost in.         

     



 

"So …  are you two, like, seeing each other?" Stephanie said, still  staring at him, disbelief in her eyes. "Your mom told my mom you weren't  seeing anyone." Thanks, Mom.

"We just-" he said, and I jumped in.

"We just started dating," I blurted out. Anything to wipe that look of  condescension off her face. Of course, it would be replaced by an even  worse expression once she figured out I was a liar. All three of us  looked up at the older man though I'm pretty sure I was the only one  holding my breath.

There was a really long moment as he looked down at me. His stunning  eyes seemed to drill into me, telling me that I shouldn't have lied.  Which I knew. But please, please let him play along. If he didn't, I  really would have to move to Mars.

"It feels like we've known each other for longer, though, doesn't it?"  he said lightly. And then he put his arm around my shoulder. Thank god.  He was helping me. Lying for me. And wow, it felt good to press against  his long, firm body. Involuntarily, I slumped against him with relief,  and his fingers closed around my shoulder.

Brad stared at me in shock, which was gratifying. I wanted to say, "See,  I can get a hot guy even though you dumped me," even if it wasn't true.  But then a new thought occurred to me. If he were really my boyfriend,  this would be the point where I'd introduce him. Which generally  required knowing his name.

The silence wore on, and both Brad and Steph were looking at me  expectantly. Maybe there was a way I could do this. I looked up at the  handsome man next to me. "Hon, this is my ex-boyfriend, Brad. And his  current girlfriend, Stephanie."

His eyes twinkled briefly at me, perhaps admiring the way I'd refrained  from saying his name. "I'm Nick," he said, thrusting out his hand to  Brad, who shook it, his eyes still jumping from me to Nick and back  again. Nick. It was a nice name.

My rescuer shook hands with Stephanie, too. She had a strange look on  her face, and she glanced down at the cup I held. "So, Nick, how long  have you known Carlie?"

Oh shit. She was trying to trap him. I felt him take a breath, I could  feel his chest moving against my side, and I knew he was about to  answer. So I cut him off.

"He knows my name is Cassie, Steph."

"Then why does your cup say, ‘Cute Girl' on it?" I glanced at the cup, and that's what it really did say.

"Because she is," Nick said, pulling me in closer and leaning down to  kiss my temple. Holy crap! So far, he was a really awesome fake  boyfriend.

Brad was staring at me now, perhaps shocked to see another man kiss me,  no matter how chastely. Served him right after what he did to me. But  then Brad seemed to recover his usual swagger as he switched the  subject. "So, what about you, Cassie? Any internships or exciting jobs  this summer?"

Bastard. He probably knew I didn't have anything lined up. Our parents  talked all the time. "Not yet," I said. "I'm still looking."

Nick chuckled, a low, intimate sound. "That's partly my fault. I've been  keeping her pretty busy." He winked at me and then slid his hand down  my back and gave my ass a squeeze.

Oh. My. God. I didn't know whether to say "in your face" to Brad or melt  into a little puddle of lust. Shit, Nick was sexy. I wished so much  that this could be real and not just a little show we were putting on.

Brad and Stephanie both had their mouths open. Brad with shock, it  looked like, but Stephanie seemed mesmerized by Nick. It was really  gratifying to see her lust after my fake boyfriend when she'd taken my  real one.

"Well …  I guess we should get going," Brad said at long last. "It was  nice to meet you, Sir." He immediately reddened, and I had to choke back  a laugh. Brad must have been really flustered to address Nick that way.

"But babe, I thought we were going to get drinks," Stephanie said, speaking to Brad but still looking at Nick.

"I forgot, I still have some coffee left from earlier. See you guys,"  Brad said, and he led Stephanie away. She looked back twice before he  ushered her out the door.