SIX

Bait and Switch

As I trip over a completely flat piece of floor on my way into Verdi’s, I curse my sister for forcing me to wear these impossible shoes with this dress. I’m sure that high heels were invented as an ancient torture device, and women have been brainwashed into believing they’re fashion. I’ve only been wearing these gold, strappy abominations for twenty minutes, and already my feet are screaming in protest.

The restaurant hostess smiles at me as I approach, and I’m not sure if she’s being genuinely friendly or taking pleasure in my newborn-foal awkwardness.

“Good evening, and welcome to Verdi’s. How can I help you?”

I grip the counter in front of her as one of my ankles decides to freestyle. “Ah, yes. Hi. I have a booking under the name Tate.”

She checks her list and smiles again. “Excellent, Miss Tate. I have a table for two all set up. Follow me, please.”

She moves through the restaurant with the grace of an elegant swan, and I follow, trying to emulate her technique. Unfortunately, my ankles don’t seem to bend the same way hers do, and I end up looking like a Clydesdale trying to scrape gum off its hooves.

“Here we are,” she says as we arrive at a secluded table near the back. She pulls out the chair just in time for me to clumsily sink into it. “May I get you a drink to start?”

I blow a stray lock of freshly styled hair out of my eye. “Yes, please. Gin and tonic. Heavy on the gin. Lots of lime.”

“Of course. I’ll send it right over.”

As she leaves, I adjust the low-cut neckline of my dress and look around. Verdi’s is a beautiful restaurant, but I don’t have any idea why Asha wanted to come here. When she and I get together it usually involves drinking, talking loudly, and laughing. This is a more of a whisper-into-your-lover’s-ear kind of place.

I check the time on my phone. 8.12pm. It’s weird Asha isn’t here yet. She’s usually the punctual sister.

I’m about to call to find out if she’s okay, when I spot a familiar face at the front of the restaurant.

Oh, come on. What are the chances?

Waiting patiently while the hostess deals with a middle-aged couple in front of him is Kieran, looking like every woman’s wet dream come true in a slim-fitting grey suit that hugs him in all the right places.

When he glances in my direction, I snap my head around so he can’t see my face.

“Shit, shit, shit.” I sneak out of my seat and take cover behind a crystal art piece as I dial Asha’s number.

She answers almost immediately. “Hey.”

“Hi. Where are you?”

“Oh, well, I don’t think I can make it.”

“What? I’m here, Ash. Dressed up and everything. I even did my hair and makeup as requested. Why the hell didn’t you call earlier, so I could have stayed at home in my PJs and watched TV?”

“Because you needed to get out for once.”

“I get out all the time.”

“To somewhere other than the Tar Bar to pick up skanky men.”

“So, you made me dress up to have dinner by myself? That’s not very sociable. And to make matters worse, guess who just showed up?”

“Kieran.”

“No, Kier –” I stop dead. “Wait, how did you know that?” Before she says anything, the dawning realization of what she’s done crawls up my spine like icy spider’s legs. “Asha, no ...”

“Edie, don’t be mad. He really likes you, and God knows you need to stop sleeping with losers and dropouts and put some effort into a good man for a change.”

“I don’t put effort into guys. I have sex with them. End of story. You’re setting me up on a date? What the hell? I don’t want or need a boyfriend.”

“You just think that, because you’ve never had one. You should consider this guy for the position. He’s lovely, and good-looking, and he smells amaaaaazing.”

“Asha!”

“Just one date. For me. If you honestly don’t feel anything and decide not to see him again, there’s no harm done, right? But if you do like him ... Oh, Edie. It would be nice to see you with someone worthy of you for once.”

I can’t deny part of me wants to find out what happens with the sexy Irishman, because I have a feeling he would be dynamite in bed, but a bigger part murmurs that he’ll be a distraction I neither need nor have time for. I’ve gone twenty-five years without succumbing to a co-dependent relationship. Despite my attraction to Kieran, I’m not giving that up without a fight. I have zero interest in messy emotional entanglements.

I peek out from behind the artwork and eye him again in his suit. A messy physical entanglement, however, might be all kinds of fun.

I close my eyes and exhale. No, not a good idea.

“What happened to you liking him?” I hiss at my sister.

“After you left last night, he bombarded me with questions about you. It was pretty clear which Tate sister he was into, and it wasn’t me.”

“What? How is that possible? You were adorable last night.”

“Believe it or not, dear sister, not all men fall at my feet. In fact, it’s the guys I like who snub me the most. It’s ironic that I’m the one who actually wants a boyfriend and can’t find one.”

At the front of the restaurant, Kieran steps forward to talk to the hostess. After chatting for a few seconds, she gives him a flirty smile before leading him in my direction. I pull back and make myself as small as possible.

“Dammit, Ash, I can’t believe you set me up like this. He’s coming over. What should I do?”

“Sit down and have dinner with him. I’ve already paid for it, so if you leave before eating something, I’ll kill you.”

“Not if I get to you first. You realize retribution is coming, right?”

“If things work out the way I think they will, you’ll be thanking me, not punishing me.”

“Unlikely.”

“Please hang up now. You have a gorgeous man waiting for you.”

“You’re evil, and I hate you.”

“Neither of those things is even a little bit true.”

As I hang up, a deep voice beside me says, “Eden?”

I turn and plaster on my best fake smile. “Heeeey, Kieran. Hi.”

“Hi.” He smiles back, and his isn’t the least bit fake. In fact, he looks so happy to see me, I almost feel bad about hiding from him. “Thank God you came. When Asha said she could convince you to go out with me, I didn’t have much hope, but here you are.”

“Yes.” I nod and bite my tongue. “Here I am. Asha is a miracle worker.”

His smile falters. “Wait ... please tell me you knew I’d be here. That you reconsidered your whole ‘no dating’ rule because of your overwhelming attraction to me?”

I drop the pretense. “I’m sorry. Asha set this up as a sister date then pulled a bait and switch at the last minute. If I didn’t love her so much, I’d be throttling her right about now.”

His face drops further. “Oh, I see.”

My stomach squirms from the disappointment in his expression. “No, wait,” I say, “I don’t mean I’m unhappy to see you, because I’m not. It’s just the situation ... the setting-up thing, you know? She’s such a brat for the deception.”

He puts on a brave face, which makes me feel even worse for blurting out hurtful nonsense. “Eden, it’s fine. I half expected to show up and find an empty table, so even if we leave now and go our separate ways, I’m still ahead of the game. I’m sorry your sister did this to you, I really am. Let me escort you outside to get a cab.”

Before he can turn away, I put my hand on his arm. The contact surprises us both. He takes in a breath as he looks down at my hand, and I’m ashamed to say I blush. How can such a cursory touch flash so much warmth though my whole body?

“We’re both here now,” I say as I pull back my hand and clutch my purse with tense fingers. “We might as well eat. I’m super hungry. How about you?”

He takes a long look at me. “Starving.”

The flush of heat happens again, and it’s not helped when he places his hand in the center of my back to guide me to my seat. When he pulls out my chair, I’m struck by the realization I’ve never had a man do that before. It’s a little jarring to register that even moving furniture is sexy when Kieran does it.

After he makes sure I’m seated and comfortable, he unbuttons his jacket and sits opposite me. I fiddle with the edge of the tablecloth as I admire the view. The man sure knows how to wear a suit.

“So,” he says, looking a little uncomfortable in the formal surroundings. “Do you come here often?”

I laugh. “That’s your go-to ice breaker?”

He nods. “When faced with extreme beauty, I lose all cognitive ability, so I stick to small words and short sentences. There’s less likelihood of me screwing things up that way.” I can’t believe someone as attractive as he is could feel nervous around any woman, let alone me. And yet the sincerity of his words makes my stomach flutter. I look down at the table.

Shit. This, right here? This is what it’s like to be a girly-girl. To get all giggly and blushy over a man who calls me beautiful without a hint of irony. Goddammit.

I take a breath and try to stifle the euphoria that’s bubbling inside of me. It’s foreign and unwanted. I don’t do bubbly. I’m better than that.

“So,” I say, composing myself, “what brings you to America? Are you just here on vacation?”

He nods. “Yeah. I came for eight weeks to spend some time with Pat, but now that I’m here, I’m finding fewer and fewer reasons to go home.”

There’s that look again. The one that makes me want to forget about all of my reasons for staying single.

As a welcome distraction, a waitress arrives with a G and T for me and some sort of exotic beer for Kieran. We lift our glasses and clink before both drinking deeply. I’m not sure if he’s feeling as out-of-control as I am, but alcohol seems to be a comfort to us both right now. I signal our waitress to bring the same again before taking another giant sip.

After draining a good portion of our drinks, we lapse into an awkward silence and assess each other. I squirm a little when Kieran makes no attempt to hide his approval of my appearance.

“Have I mentioned that you look beautiful tonight?”

Flutters again. Many freaking flutters. “Ah ... yes, actually. And thanks. You also look beaut ... uh ... nice.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Well, I hope so. I shaved and washed my hair for this date. For a guy, that’s the equivalent of a full day at the salon.”

I laugh and have another sip of alcohol. “I don’t mean to say you just look nice. I was going to say you looked beautiful too, but it felt weird to say that to a man, so I made an emergency left-turn into nice.”

He cocks his head. “You think I look ... beautiful?”

“Yes, but in a manly way. Beautifully handsome, okay? I guess I should have just said handsome, but I didn’t, and oh well ... too late now. Haha.”

Jesus. Could I be any more awkward?

The way his mouth twitches, it’s clear he’s stifling laughter.

“I appreciate the effort to not openly mock me,” I say.

“It’s a struggle. You seem uncomfortable giving compliments. Is that not something you usually do?”

“No. Remember that whole conversation about me not dating? This entire situation is something I don’t usually do.”

His smile fades. “But you’ve dated before, right? This isn’t a new experience for you?”

I swirl the ice cubes around in my glass. “Technically, I’ve dated. But nothing as romantic as this. It’s not really my thing.”

“You don’t like romance? I thought most girls enjoyed that stuff.”

“I’m not most girls.”

He takes a sip of beer and licks his lips. “No, you’re really not.” His eyes sparkle in the low light, and even though I feel like I should look away, I don’t. Neither does he. Things are getting tense in the most arousing way possible when my phone buzzes in my purse. We both look at it.

“Do you need to get that?” he asks.

I shake my head and pull my purse into my lap. “Nope. It’s probably just Asha checking up on us. She can sweat it out until I get home.”

He nods his approval.

When our waitress appears table-side to tell us the specials, I’m grateful for the interruption. My face needs to cool down, and having the menu to shield me from Kieran and his out-of-control hotness helps a little.

After we’ve both ordered our meals and received fresh drinks, Kieran focuses on me again. “So, tell me, why the ban on dating? Was it a bad experience that turned you off?”

I shrug. “I realized at a young age that I wasn’t like other girls who obsessed over romantic fairy tales. I never bought the pipe dream society was selling.”

“Which was ...?”

I stir my drink and smile. “Are you sure you want to get into this? Maybe we should stick to safe subjects like religion, or politics, or our favorite serial killers. Once I jump on this soapbox, you might regret asking the question. Or being here. Or meeting me.”

“Impossible. It’s something you’re obviously passionate about. Hit me.”

“Okay.” I take a breath. “I believe people have been brainwashed into thinking they deserve perfection. As a woman, it’s been drilled into me since I was little that I should be chasing a happy ever after featuring a prince of a husband who’ll help me make two genius children, and we’ll be so deliriously happy, all our friends and family will gag.”

He nods. “Sounds familiar. My ma often asks me when I’m going to settle down. I think that’s close to what she has in mind whenever she brings it up.”

“Exactly. That’s the dream we’ve all been sold in film, and TV shows, and goddamn romance novels. The shiny, happy ending in which we ride unicorns and always orgasm and have that one guy who just gets us, and services us sexually like he was born to do it.”

He leans back in his chair, an amused smirk on his face. “You don’t think it can happen?”

“Not that it can’t, but it’s incredibly unlikely. Present company excepted, most men are assholes.”

Kieran laughs. “Wow. I’m glad I’m given a free pass, but still. A bit of a generalization, don’t you think?”

I look down as my purse vibrates. God, Ash, give it up.

I ignore the phone and sip my drink. “I’m sure there are amazing men in the world. I’ve just never gone out with any of them. In fact, in a city of forty-million people, my unique selling point is that I’m able home in on a douchebag within a five-mile radius.”

Kieran laughs and tips his beer at me before taking a sip. “Wow. That’s impressive. If you could just find a way to turn that into a quantifiable skill, you’d be set for life.”

I smile, and look in fascination at his fingers gripping his glass. “Right? Because if anyone needs a walking asshole-detector, I’m their girl.”

We smile at each other, and it quickly turns into another heated moment. I blink as try to ignore the need to touch him. If this is how he makes me feel with only eye contact, God help me if he ever puts his hands or mouth on me.

Without permission, I fantasize about him walking over to my side of the table, sinking to his knees in front of me, and pushing up my dress as he spreads my thighs. Across the table, I don’t know if he can tell what I’m thinking, but his expression changes as he stares at me, and the tension between us increases even more.

I’m just getting to the part of my fantasy where he’s pressing his mouth against me, when the spell is broken by my phone buzzing again.

Jesus Christ, I’m going to murder my sister. What’s the damn emergency?

I put down my drink and grab my purse to dampen the sound. Having it vibrating in my lap while I’m trying to act indifferent to the hunk of a man opposite me is not a great idea, but it’s less distracting when it’s muffled by my thighs.

“So,” Kieran says, before clearing his throat. “Taking into account your douche-detecting skills, how do you explain being attracted to me? Am I an asshole, too?”

I study him with narrowed eyes. “I don’t know. Do you have anything you want to tell me? Any deep, dark secrets? Felony convictions? Drug addictions? Jaywalking charges?”

He shakes his head. “I like to keep my owning a few Bieber albums on the down-low during a first date, but that’s about it.”

“Oh, for sure. That’s more of a fourth or even fifth date confession.”

“Exactly.”

When the phone starts again, my frustration fades into worry. If Asha is calling this much, there must be something wrong.

I quickly unclip my purse and try to be subtle as I peek at the screen.

Oh, crap! I have three missed calls from Max. It’s just my luck that he’d call when I wasn’t available.

I look over at Kieran and smile. “Would you excuse me for a minute? I need to visit the ladies’ room.”

“Of course.”

As I stand, he stands, and I wonder how a modern guy even knows to do that. When I glance over my shoulder as I head down the hallway, he’s still watching me. It makes me smile.

Ugh. I’m such a girl right now. I like him so much, there’s no doubt in my mind there’s something wrong with him.

As soon as I’m in the safety of a stall, I pull out my phone and jab Max’s number. I hope I haven’t missed my opportunity to lock down an interview time.

“Miss Tate. I was beginning to think you were avoiding my calls.”

“Not at all. I was just ... busy. Sorry.”

“Do you have a moment to talk about my conditions for agreeing to your interview?”

“Absolutely.”

“Just to be clear, if you want full disclosure from me, these terms are non-negotiable.”

“I’m listening.”

“Earlier, you said you thought I was an asshole who’s conning my clients out of money, but you swore that if you’re proven wrong, you’ll change your narrative.”

“That’s about the size of it.”

“Then I’m going to need you to have more of a stake in the truth. If I prove that what I’m doing is helping and not hindering these ladies, you have to promise you’ll drop this story and forget you ever heard of me.”

That stops me dead in my tracks. “What?” Dropping this story isn’t an option. How does he not know that?

“That’s my condition. Take it or leave it.”

Shit. I need to find a workaround. “Okay, assuming I’m open to this, how do you plan on proving me wrong?”

“Easy. You become one of my clients. If you agree to go on three dates with me with an open mind, I’ll offer you as much interview time as you like.”

Laughter bubbles out of me. “Oh, wow ... I don’t think that’s a good idea –”

“Miss Tate, you claim you’re able to be impartial. This is how you prove it. Now, from what I know of you, I’m the one who’s likely to lose on this deal. You’ve made your disdain for me and my clients clear, not to mention your contempt for romance in general, and you seem pig-headed enough to stick to your guns no matter what evidence I offer to the contrary. So, what do you have to lose? If you remain unconvinced of my good intentions, you get to print your story as you see fit, names included.”

“Seriously? You agree to give me your client list?”

“Yes. If you expose me, there’s no way I can continue servicing clients anyway. I’ll be ruined. I’ll leave it up to your conscience as to how much detail you reveal in your article and hope you’re kind enough not to destroy innocent lives.”

“Well, the whole innocent issue remains to be seen.” God, Derek is going to love this. The entire pie, handed to me on a silver platter, and all I have to do is pretend to date him. Easy. There’s no way he’ll be able to prove he’s some altruistic angel, and if he thinks his tacky playacting will have me swooning and falling over myself, he clearly doesn’t know who he’s dealing with.

“Okay, Max. You have a deal. I agree to your conditions, and in return you’ll give me full disclosure, yes?”

“Within reason. Every answer I give will be truthful, but there may be questions I refrain from answering.”

“Sounds doable. Would you like me to draw up a legal document?”

“That depends. Can I trust you?”

“Yes,” I say. “But keep in mind if I was going to betray you, I’d say the same thing.”

He pauses. “That’s true. I guess I’ll have trust my gut and take you at your word.” I silently punch the air. “Goodbye for now, Miss Tate.”

I sit up straight. “Wait! When can we talk?”

“I’ll make contact soon. Answer your phone next time.”

The line goes dead, and I slump back against the wall in relief. I got him! I actually got him.

The elation is equal to having secured a sit-down with the mythical Sasquatch.

I shoot off a quick text to Derek explaining that I’ve locked in the interview then head out to wash my hands and check my face. I’ve been in here for so long Kieran must think I have some sort of bowel impaction. Great. Just what every girl wants her hot Irish date to think.

I sway a little as I fix my hair. I shouldn’t have slammed back those drinks so fast, especially on an empty stomach. Of course, the stupid heels don’t help.

When I pull open the door and attempt to strut down the hallway, I squeal when I run straight into Kieran.

“Shit!”

After smashing into his chest, my ankles buckle, and I’m on my way to a spectacular fall when he wraps his arms around me and pulls me tight against him.

As he pulls me up and braces against the wall, we both freeze. Adrenaline blasts through me, partly from the collision, but mostly because we’re pressed together in ways that make the epic sexual tension I felt across the table seem weak and pale in comparison.

He looks down at me, and his arms are so tight I can barely breathe. “When you didn’t come back, I got worried you may be sick, so I came to see if you were okay.” He searches my face, mouth soft and eyes dark. “Are you? Okay?”

“Yes ... fine.” My heart is thrumming in my chest, and I can see the pulse in his neck is racing just as fast. “Sorry. I seem to keep throwing myself at the floor whenever you’re around. I did warn you that my clumsiness was extra sexy in heels.” My voice is breathy, and he’s looking at me like he has no intention of letting me go.

“You did,” he whispers as he gazes down at me. “But if holding you like this is the result, then please throw yourself at the floor at every opportunity.”

For a moment, I feel like laughing, because there’s no way in the world Max will be able to even come close to Kieran’s levels of hotness. His heat, and smell, and rumbling whispers make me do something I never thought I would. I swoon. I wasn’t sure I even knew the meaning of the word until now, but I’m certain that what I’m doing right now is definitely swooning.

“Your voice is amazing,” I say. “So is your accent.”

“Thank you. Your lips are incredible.”

“Would you do something for me?”

“Anything.”

“Say ‘top of the mornin’ for me.”

He chuckles, low and rumbly in his chest. “You know that Irish people don’t say that anymore, right?”

“I don’t care. Say it.” I press against him and smile when he clenches his jaw in response.

“Top ‘o the mornin’ to ye, Eden.”

I close my eyes and moan. “God. So sexy.”

Before thinking too much about it, I put my hand on his chest and feel the hard planes of his muscles beneath his shirt.

“You know,” I say. “We could forget about dinner and go back to my apartment. My sister is working late. We’d have the place to ourselves.”

He drops his head back. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

He brushes some hair away from my face. “Because I told you last night I’m trying to date you, not get into your pants.”

“Can’t you do both?”

“Not unless I break several personal and professional rules.”

I lean into him. “Break them. I’ll make it worth your while.”

Unexpectedly, he sets me back on my feet and puts distance between us. “Eden, we can’t.”

“We can. Honestly, I’m really good at it.”

When I go to touch him again, he grabs my hands and spins me around so my back is against the wall. “Miss Tate, please stop. Perhaps now is the appropriate time to explain the dos and don’ts of our upcoming interactions.”

For a full five seconds, I blink in confusion. Kieran’s sexy accent has suddenly vanished, and his voice is now deeper and more resonant, if that’s goddamn possible. “Wait, what?”

He lets me go then runs his fingers through his hair to push it back into place. “I’m sorry for the deception, but I had to get to know you, so I could be prepared for what I’d be dealing with.” He straightens his tie. “We have a lot to talk about. Shall we go back to the table? And please, call me Max.”