CHAPTER EIGHT

 

MAX

“Last day you get to pretend you walk the dogs around here.” Kelly stands in the doorway to my office.

“Great.” I can’t stop smiling. “It’s only a week until Valentine’s Day then.”

“Sure.” She nods. “If you’re into that kind of thing.”

“This year I just might be.” I get up from behind my desk. I’ve barely seen Evie alone since we spent a lazy afternoon at my apartment. She’s been busy with Abby and the menagerie. Barclay’s been a good excuse to spend time with her though, even if it’s in the company of a duck and a goat and a cat and a charming little girl who makes it impossible to steal even the slightest of kisses. But I want more than that. One more week and I can drop this charade. “I need you to find out what Evie’s favorite flower is, and then order a room full of them, plus one of those giant bears holding a heart. Girls like those, don’t they? Book the best table at Girl and the Goat. I want to do this right.”

“You’re serious?” She hesitates with her finger halfway to the tablet. “I mean, I know you’ve been ignoring your sister’s directive and seeing her anyway. I’ve never seen you spend so much time on one woman, and the way you two are when you’re together is hard to ignore, but this is still a huge step for you.”

“I’ve never met anyone like her.” I pull on the jacket I’ve been using for filming and unwrap a piece of gum before popping it in my mouth. “I love being with her. I can’t wait to show her how much.”

“But your sister—”

“Only cares about her advertising. Once we’ve wrapped up, I’ll talk her ‘round.”

“Wow, Max. You really are serious, aren’t you?” Kelly starts to beam. “I honestly wondered if I would ever have the pleasure of seeing you behave like this. But maybe it would be better to skip Valentine’s Day. That is technically the last day. If you could wait—”

“How long do you think I should wait for some nice guy to come in and scoop up the only girl I’ve ever felt like this about? Especially when there are already three of them just waiting for her to choose them. Have you met the dog owners? I have, and all of them are nice guys. The kind of nice Evie deserves. And probably wants.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Max,” Kelly says. “You have your good qualities too.”

“Thanks,” I say as we step out into the hallway. “But I’m not sure my money counts as a quality.”

“It’s funny,” she says when we get in the elevator. “I’ve known you and your sister a long time, which is why I’ve never held back when it comes to calling you out on the way you treat women. But I always thought when it happened to you it would be like fighting twelve rounds with Mike Tyson.” There’s a pause long enough that I consider asking her to go on, but she speaks of her own accord. “You’re head over heels for her, aren’t you?”

“Total knock out.” I grin.

“It looks good on you,” she admits as the elevator stops. “One last time then. Are you ready?”

“It’s a walk in the park,” I call after her as she strolls across the foyer to Evie. Hopefully my Evie as soon as this week is over.

***

“Hi.” She smiles at me, tucking a little of that blonde hair poking from under her strawberry pink beanie behind her ear.

“Hi.” I try not to smile, fail, and end up beaming at her. She’s so fucking adorable and cute. It does some funny shit to my chest that feels like I’m swelling up inside.

“Who’s this?” She crouches in front of the mutt and rubs his head.

“Maloney.”

“Oh.” She glances up at me, eyes bright and wide. “Like from the kid’s book. He’s Bitzer Maloney?” Standing up, she wipes her hands down her legs. “Abby makes me read it sometimes.”

“I bet she loves it.”

“Anything with animals.”

“Are you ready?” I hold out the note for her, my heart thumping hard against my ribcage. This is the last time I’ll ever pass her notes from other men, I’ll guarantee that.

“I am.” She takes it, opening it once she’s told to. “Dress to impress this Valentine’s. Let’s spend an afternoon playing dress up. I’ll be your cupid at Fantasy Costumes.”

Maloney barks twice.

“You like that idea?” She laughs as he wags his tail. “Okay, let’s go dress up.”

It’s probably the better of the three dates we’ve filmed. Maloney sits in the middle of the store with a red bow tie around his collar and a pair of angel wings attached to his back. Couldn’t quite manage a diaper though.

Evie is in one of the dressing rooms trying on the first of about five costumes Kelly helped her pick out. She’s been all grins and laughter the entire time. Is this the guy she’s going to end up picking? Pete, Maloney’s owner, actually did seem like the nicer of the three potential dates. And he’s clearly fun. The idea of her choosing him puts me in a bad mood.

“What do you think?” She steps out of the dressing room in a gown that makes her look like a princess. My jaw comes unhinged, drops to the floor. I’m almost thankful she’s looking at Maloney when she asks because I’m not sure I could form the words to tell her how beautiful she is.

Maloney barks twice. Maybe that’s his way of saying yes. Though I have nothing to compare it to.

“Can you sit with the dog?” The photographer that joined us when we got to Fantasy Costumes asks. “Let’s get some photos, so you can remember this date.”

“Great.” She kneels on the floor, and the man makes a few quick adjustments to the way the skirt of the dress sits before he starts snapping away. After that she tries on the rest of the costumes one after the other, each including a photography session with Maloney the Cupid dog. Aphrodite, Queen of Hearts, an Angel.

“Last one,” she says getting off the floor after the photographer steps back.

The crew mills around while we wait for her to come out. A few minutes pass and Maloney starts barking repeatedly.

Kelly goes to the changing room to check on her. Christ, what is going on in there? I almost join them. Almost. But I’m not sure after the costumes I’ve seen so far, I’ll be able to pretend like it doesn’t kill me that she’s enjoying some other guy’s idea of a fun date.

Finally the curtain parts and she steps into the main room. Everyone goes silent. My brain melts and my dick gets rock hard. I fight the urge to grab the closest garment, which happens to be the drapes behind me, so I can wrap her in it head to toe.

“What do you think?” She curtsies, her gaze locked with mine while she shows way, way, way too much of her inner thigh to a room full of men who I may now want to blind.

The red and black burlesque costume is tiny, and will star in my fantasies for a long time to come. Amazing, sexy, gorgeous, perfect, mine, be mine. My mouth is parched, words won’t come.

Maloney jumps up from his spot in the middle of the room and zips toward her. And then like it’s all happening in slow motion he grabs her leg with his forelegs and starts humping it.

“Oh no, no, no,” she tells him as she tries to pry him loose.

The camera guy is snapping photos, and the crew are filming. And maybe Pete isn’t going to steal Evie out from under my nose after all.

I stride across to her and clip the lead back on the mutt, growling out an order for him to sit.

“I can’t believe he just did that.” She chuckles, but it’s hollow. “This date was going so well too.”

“You are mind-blowing in that costume, Evie. Three quarters of the room wanted to do exactly what Maloney did.”

“You think?” She blanches.

“I think you’re the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. In and out of this.” I finger the lace fringe at her hip, then, recalling where we are, drop it. At least for now I need to pretend I’m not completely smitten by her.

“Okay, okay. Let’s wrap up here.” Kelly claps her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Evie, can you ride back with Max? I have something I need to attend to.”

I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated my assistant more than I do right now.

“Okay,” Evie agrees while everyone else files out of the shop. “I’ll just go and get changed.”

“I’ll be waiting,” I tell her, and I mean it. Not just waiting to take her back to her car or my apartment or my bed, or for this whole ridiculous charade to wind up. But for her to fall for me. I’ll wait as long as it takes.

Once she disappears behind the curtain, I quickly pick up a few items and get the cashier to ring up the purchase. By the time she joins me dressed in her usual jeans and jacket, I’m holding a bag of Valentine themed paraphernalia. Including a pair of wings that would make Cupid jealous.

“What did you buy?” she asks as we leave the shop and head toward my car with Maloney leading the way.

“Wings. I thought I might dress Barclay up for Valentine’s and take some photos. My sister will get a kick out of it.”

“He’ll look adorable.” She laughs. “Though he’ll probably eat them.”

“Definitely.” I nod, stowing the bag in the trunk before I get Maloney into the back seat. “You should come over tonight. Watch me try to get them on him in the first place.”

“Maybe.” She licks and bites at her lip.

“Please. I’m not above begging like a dog.” I give her the best puppy dog eyes I can manage.

“Okay. I’ll try.” She rolls her gaze to the roof of the car as we take off.

“Do you know who you’re going to pick yet?” I ask nervously when we get back to the office and her car. It’s all I’ve been able to think about on the short ride back.

“I don’t know,” she says. “I’m not sure how I’m supposed to make a decision when...” She goes quiet.

“When what?” I put my hand over hers on the edge of her seat.

“It’s just one date isn’t it? That’s all.”

“Just one. A short one,” I agree. Too long, if you ask me.

“Because I don’t have time to get involved with anyone, really. That was the whole point, wasn’t it? It’s all so non-committal.” She scrunches her brow as she stares at me.

I want to clasp her face between my hands and kiss that pouty look off her mouth. I want to tell her she found commitment in me from the first time I saw her, when I didn’t even know it existed in me at all. “Yes, it is. You don’t have to see them again after the date at Nova Greco. You don’t even have to exchange phone numbers.”

“Maybe that’s all it should be.”

I hope that’s all it is, because I don’t have a dog in this race without her choosing me over them. I squeeze the steering wheel with both hands. “One more week.”

“That’s true,” she muses before twisting to face me. “You know, Max, you’re not at all who I thought you would be.”

She presses her lips to my cheek and climbs out of my car, shutting the door before I can ask her what she means by that. A minute later her coupe backs out in front of me and takes off.

As I drive out of the parking lot to take Maloney back to his owner, my phone chirps. I put it on speaker. “Hello, Dee. What can I do for you?”

“You can explain to me why you’re still pretending to be a dog walker instead of a CEO. I swear, if you’ve ruined this campaign for us because you were skirt chasing I won’t stand idle on my threat. I expect you at the house in twenty minutes.”

“Oh you’re back in town then?”

“I told you I wanted to be back in time to see this ad campaign come together.”

“On my way, Dee. Just have to drop this dog off first.”

From the backseat Maloney barks twice.