Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 40311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 202(@200wpm)___ 161(@250wpm)___ 134(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 202(@200wpm)___ 161(@250wpm)___ 134(@300wpm)
“Henry, stop that. This isn’t one of your construction guys, this is a lovely lady. Come sit with me, Maggie,” she gestured to the seat beside her. “We’ve been looking forward to meeting you. Tell us a little about yourself.”
But then her son interceded.
“Ma, I think dinner’s ready. Cook will be upset if we don’t eat while it’s piping hot.”
His mother nodded, standing gracefully.
“True, true,” she hummed. And then turning to me, she said in a conspiratorial whisper, “We’ve had Cook with us since Evan was five, and he’s always so good to the help. My son was such a rambunctious little boy, but he’s got a heart of gold, treating everyone here like they’re family.”
I nodded, heart going pitter-patter. That meant a lot because it spoke well of the man I adored. He was good to everyone, even those who were on his payroll. But suddenly, my stomach seized because these were all dreams. I was getting carried away. My name was on that payroll as well because I was nothing more than another employee.
Oh god.
I forgot.
This was all a farce, and we were doing it for business reasons.
After the clock struck twelve, I’d be left with my pumpkin again. There’d be no prince, no castle, no doting in-laws.
Inside, my heart shriveled, but my lips smiled on their own.
Duty calls. A job is still a job.
“Perfect,” was my inane word. “Can’t wait for dinner.”
Mrs. Lincoln spoke again.
“Evan gave Cook a treat when he told her you were coming over. Usually, she just makes meals for the two of us, or four if Evan comes over with his sister. So Cook went overboard, making a little of everything.”
I smiled my plastic smile again, forcing mirth into my eyes.
“I’m sure I’ll love it,” came my slightly wooden words. But that would never do. I had to earn the twenty thousand dollars. So clearing my throat, I smiled a real smile this time.
“Sounds wonderful,” came my words. “I love eating, so I’m sure it’ll be amazing.”
Evelyn laughed, a merry, tinkling sound.
“Oh good,” came her smile. “Come this way, dear.”
And ushering me into the formal dining room caused me to gasp all over again. Of course, the table itself seemed bigger than my whole apartment. It was big enough for twenty people but four place settings were set out at one end, clustered elegantly around the head. Flowers bloomed graciously, the china and silver sparkling under the chandelier.
And as soon as we were seated, servants came in and started presenting dinner. Platter after platter of delicious items appeared, so beautiful that they looked like play food, and not the real thing.
Could turkey really be that rich pinky-white color, browned just so at the edges?
Could mashed potatoes really be so creamy and white, with small flecks of aromatic parsley thrown in?
Could asparagus be so vibrantly green, crispy yet just soft enough to chew?
And with gusto, I dug in. I’ve never been the type of girl to shy away from a square meal, and now was no exception. So I ate morsel after morsel, savoring the experience, letting the food consume my senses.
And the entire time, Evan smiled at me like a real fiancé. In my opinion, the man even went a little overboard. Since when do alpha males tenderly wipe sauce from their fiancée’s mouths? Since when do billionaires carefully keep their female’s water glasses full, jumping up before the steward could do it?
But Evan was solicitous, attending to my every need. His parents noticed for sure.
“Look at this son of mine,” Henry boomed. He turned to his wife. “Finally, he brings a nice girl home that can appreciate the good things.” The man scooped another piece of lasagna into his mouth, devouring it whole.
“Yes, absolutely,” murmured Evelyn, delicately biting into a piece of sole. “Usually Evan doesn’t bring anyone home, so we’re happy to meet you.”
But I wanted to know more about my man.
“So what was Evan like when he was a boy?” I asked curiously, shooting a small smile towards the dark man. “I imagine he must have been trouble.”
Henry chortled heartily.
“More than trouble! Our boy almost got himself thrown out of boarding school.”
Boarding school? One of those fancy elite places with ivy-covered stone buildings? My alma mater was just our local neighborhood high school.
Evelyn nodded.
“Our son was almost kicked out after another student cheated on an exam and said he got the answer key from Evan.”
My head turned sharply to the alpha. Really? Cheating? I never would have guessed. Maybe it was a childhood transgression gone wrong, a bad decision way back when he was young.
But Evelyn continued.
“It turned out that boy had mental issues,” she said. “Evan was never involved, the whole thing was a figment of poor Charlie’s imagination. I feel for him,” she said seriously. “But the most interesting thing is that Evan never gave up on Charlie, isn’t that right? You didn’t say a word in your defense.”