CHAPTER NINE

 

Evie

“What’s going on with you lately?” Erin asks.

We’re in the kitchen, baking heart shaped cookies with Abby, who is happily covered in vanilla cookie dough and red frosting. She even has it in her hair. She licks a dollop of mixture from the wooden spoon in her hand. “Evie has a friend.”

Great. One. Singular.

“Is this friend a boy?” Erin wiggles her eyebrows.

“Uh-huh. He’s got dark hair and big puppy dog eyes like his dog Barclay.”

“Oh, that guy.” Erin smiles.

“Thanks, Abby.” I mock scowl at her and then tickle her, leaving crumbs on her shirt. “What would I do without you to tell my secrets?”

“It was a secret?” She stares at me, confused.

“No. Not really,” I reassure her.

“So who is he?” Erin asks.

“Max. Max. Max,” Abby begins chanting.

“Who’s Max?” Garrett strides into the room and glances at the pile of cookies in front of Abby. “Can I have one?”

“Yes, Daddy.” Abby nods enthusiastically. “Later we’re going to take some to Uncle Paynt and Uncle James too.”

“That’s nice.” He grabs a couple. “Best get my share now then, before those two eat them all.”

“So Max,” Erin brings the conversation back to the very topic I don’t want to discuss. “Tell us about him.”

“Not much to tell. He’s part of the show I told you I was going to do.”

“The one with the dogs?” Garrett asks. “Beats the heck out of me why you’d think finding a guy through his dog is a good idea. He is one of the dog guys, right?”

“No. He works for the company sponsoring the show, actually. Looks after the dogs while they’re on set,” I explain. “Anyway, he’s not, I don’t know...a nice guy, like Paynter. And he’s not totally absorbed in work, like James. He’s more...” I glance at Garrett.

“Is he one of those guys who doesn’t understand women at all?” Garrett asks.

“The type you wouldn’t normally give the time of day,” Erin supplies.

“He’s got a track record. You know,” I say. “A wham-bam guy.”

“Oh.” Erin gazes up at Garrett.

“I have a radar. It’s like that’s the only quality I’m attracted to.”

“This guy is having slumber parties all over the place and what, flirting with you on set?” Garrett asks.

“Um, not exactly.” I shake my head. “He’s been very attentive actually.”

“When you say attentive...” Erin starts.

“It’s not going to last though, is it,” I tell myself out loud. “It’s stupid to think it could be something.”

“Don’t know,” Garrett says, stealing another cookie. “But from where I’m standing it’s always possible that the right girl might change a man’s life. It worked for me.”

***

I’ve been so mixed up these last few days. I begged off from watching Barclay do his Cupid impression, and haven’t seen Max since. I don’t know if I even want to see him. These feelings I have for him won’t go away. I’m not sure that I want to cement them too.

I’ve responded to his messages about how I am and if he can see me as curtly as I can manage, telling him that I have to work out who to pick for the show. But the truth is that’s only difficult because I don’t want to pick any of them. I’m pretty sure my dreams are starting to look like the set of Puppy Love, and every time I announce my choice, it’s Max.

I wandered past his sister’s house at one point, waivered on whether to stop, but there was a woman there, which reminded me why he’s not the type of guy I want to get close to. How many times do I need to learn my lesson before it sticks?

***

“Have you made your decision?” Kelly asks as we walk down the hallway to the room where the first interview was filmed. Inside the crew, the dogs, and the guys who worked to woo me through the craziest dates I’ve ever been on are waiting.

“Maybe,” I say nervously. Will Max be here too now that he’s not necessarily needed? Will he be hurt that I’ve avoided him? “I’m not sure. I suppose I have to pick one of them, don’t I?”

“Yes.” She gives me a pity smile that is more a tight squeeze of her lips. “It is the moment we’ve all been waiting for.”

“And if I don’t?” I balk at the door. “If I can’t?”

“Remember how I told you about the breach of contract?”

“Yes.”

“Well—”

I don’t hear whatever she says, because coming toward us is Max and a woman I’ve never seen before. She’s radiant and naturally sun bronzed, her dark hair a sleek bob. “Hello, you must be Evie.” She takes my hand, her brown eyes sparkling, as Kelly steps back. “It’s lovely to meet you. I’m Deanna Holt. Owner of Puppy Love.”

“Hello.” I glance at Max who stands stiffly beside her in a dark suit and tie. He has one hand shoved in his pocket and his jaw is clenched, but his gaze doesn’t contain its usual warmth, and when it settles on me it’s almost unbearable.

“I’m not sure if you two have formally met. This is my brother, Maxwell Holt.” She gestures at him. “It’s my understanding that he helped out during filming.”

“It’s good to see you again.” I’d swear we’d never met before if he wasn’t looking at me like he was finding this conversation as difficult as I am.

His sister is the owner of the company. When he said he had connections I didn’t think it would be to the owner. And the way he’s dressed now that she’s here... like he’s important. Kelly’s reaction to my assertion that he could be fired makes sense now. How high up is he? Is he an owner too? “You’re not the dog walker then?”

“No.” He leans forward to shake my hand. Perhaps it looks normal, but it feels stilted and awkward. “CEO of Puppy Love Enterprises, actually.”

When I told him that Kelly had threatened me with breach of contract and I’d worried he could be fired, he’d said he couldn’t be fired because his contract was different from mine. I’d figured it was because he wasn’t the one on the dates. It made sense that the dog walker might not have the same limitations put on him. But he’s not really a dog walker is he? He’s the CEO? Big difference. Huge.

Is anything he told me remotely true? I glance past his shoulder at Kelly, and she presses her lips into the tightest of lines, a warning in her eyes. Why is he behaving like he’s barely met me? Like I’m nothing.

“You lied to me,” I whisper under my breath, letting my hand drop back to my side. Do I even know him at all? Or was it some game for him? A ploy? The worst part is I expected it. Or should have expected it. I only fall for guys who hurt me. You’d think I would have learned by now.

“Sorry?” Deanna asks, but Max hears me.

His nostrils flare almost imperceptibly, his eyes widen and then narrow. For a second I expect he’ll say something by the way his throat tenses and his lips part. Then he steps back, drawing a line between us, and I feel sick to my stomach. How did I fall for his act?

“Are you ready, Evie?” Deanna asks.

“As I’ll ever be.” Somehow I manage to sound confident and indifferent. I don’t know how, when inside I’m shaking.

Kelly opens the door and Deanna walks in ahead of us.

“After you,” Max says, touching my elbow as he ushers me in.

I want to snap at him and tell him not to touch me. I don’t know him at all. But it won’t achieve anything. He probably wouldn’t even care. I just want to get this over and done with so I can get out of here.

Shadow, King, and Maloney are all sitting on plush cushions in front of three screens. The crew is set up and waiting for us. Deanna says something about how grateful she is to everyone for all their hard work.

The entire time Maxwell Holt stares at me from just inside the door. His gaze travels with me, no matter where I stand. I can’t help but think of Holly and Frank. Although his name was never Frank, it was Paul, or Pete, or something. I thought that night I was Holly, but maybe it was Max this whole time. Wild and uncommitted and whoever he had to be to get what he wanted. Me. He wanted me, he had me, and now it’s over.

“Hey, we’re ready for you.” Kelly squeezes my arm. “Come on, let’s get you where you’re meant to be.”

I nod and let her lead me to the mark on the floor.

“I’ll take your jacket.” She holds out her hand, and I make quick work of taking it off. They have the temperature up in the room so that I don’t shiver or goose bump in the little red number we decided I should wear.

“Rolling,” someone calls out and I clasp my hands together in front of me.

I should have prepared speeches these last few days instead of worrying about how I feel about Max. It would have been much more useful now. “Uh. Maloney. Where do I start? Our date was so much fun. I enjoyed playing dress up with you. But I’m sorry, you’re not the one I’m going to choose.”

Maloney barks twice. It’s probably the only trick he knows. Other than how to hump legs.

“King. You’re a little sweetheart.” I squeeze my arms to my side. “But our date was a little crazy. You peed on everything, including that old man. So, unfortunately, I’m not going to pick your owner.”

I lick my lips and clear my throat, glancing at Max before focusing on Shadow. I should have trusted my radar and stayed the hell away from Maxwell Holt. .“Shadow, we had a lot of fun. I tried something new with you. And you were such a gentleman. That’s why I’m going to pick your owner for a date this Valentine’s Day.”

A shadow moves behind the screen, and a man with a dark lumbersexual beard and navy suit steps out from behind it; Shadow’s owner. He smiles as he crosses the floor to me, his gaze friendly. When he gets to me I give him a hug like I was asked to, and he does the same.

“It’s nice to meet you, Evie.” He takes my hand when he steps back. His are clammy, probably from nerves. “I’m Holden.”

“Likewise.” I grin, not because I want to, but because it’s expected. “Your Shadow is such a gorgeous pup.”

“I’m glad you had fun on the date.” He takes my other hand, squeezes my fingers. Smile. Smile. Smile for the camera. “I’m looking forward to our Valentine’s date now that you’ve picked me.”

I catch the door closing out of the corner of my eye, and when I glance over, Max is gone. I want to go after him and ask him why he pretended he was someone else. I want to yell at him for tricking me. Mostly, I just want to go home and hug Abby’s duck. How could I have been so stupid? I don’t know what else I say to Holden. I’m on autopilot until we finish filming.

Deanna comes over to talk to us about the date, and I nod along, as though I have any idea of what she’s saying. “Kelly will be in touch with any last minute details. We’ll see you then.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Kelly tells me a few minutes later as she hands me my coat. “I’m guessing you’re a little frazzled right now.”

“Yes, thank you.” I slip my jacket back on as she leads me to the elevator.

“Do you want to go up? Or do you want to go down?”

“Sorry? Why would I want to go up?”

“Max’s office,” she says.

Do I want to confront him? Do I want to hear his excuses or more lies? I let him get past my defences. I almost breached my contract. He could have cost me everything.

“If it helps, he walked out without a word to anyone when you made your decision.”

“Why would that help?” If he cared at all wouldn’t he have stuck around? I reach in front of her and press the button.

“I don’t think Max took seeing you with someone else too well. This is new territory for him.”

It’s not new to me. He’s one of the worst bad boys I’ve ever met. Was anything he told me real? “I don’t even know the guy.”

We stop in the lobby, and she turns to me as the elevator door slide open.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I say. “I just want to go home.”

“Evie, I—”

“Kelly,” Deanna calls out, marching toward us from the reception desk. “I need you to find out where Maxwell has gone. We’re supposed to be in a meeting in ten minutes.”

Kelly races off to help Deanna, leaving without finishing whatever she was going to say. I’m not sure it matters. I don’t have time for men like Maxwell Holt who lie and trick women to get what they want.