The Dating Arrangement Read online

Wouldn’t know it to look at her though, Jack mused.

  “She hides it well,” Amelia said, as if reading his thoughts.

  Every day he seemed to learn more about Emerson Rose Dewitt. Each new thing made his respect for her grow even more. He only wished she could see herself through his eyes.

  What she needed was a little time to relax and unwind. And that was exactly what he was going to give her.

  * * *

  “It looks good. Really, really good.” Emerson was surveying the room with her hands on her hips and a satisfied smile on her face. A face that currently had a swipe of paint across the cheek.

  He’d just finished taking out multiple bags of trash. He had to admit that Emerson’s family had really come through. The place really did look amazing. In fact, it reminded him of when his dad had first opened it. All shiny and new looking.

  His mother had helped with the decorating back then. She’d been so proud of it.

  “We’ll give it the proper amount of time to dry. Then we can continue putting the place back together. In the meantime, we need to get things rolling on the bachelor/bachelorette party.”

  “Go out with me tonight.”

  The words flew out of his mouth. Emerson’s head snapped toward him. He couldn’t blame her for the shocked expression on her face. He’d surprised even himself.

  “Huh?” she asked.

  He took a deep breath. “You heard me. Let’s go on a date tonight.”

  She snapped her fingers in front of his face. “Are the paint fumes getting to you?”

  You’re getting to me. “I feel fine. I just think that we’ve been doing a lot of work and it would be nice to take my pretend girlfriend out on a real date. Spend some time just hanging out together. You know, relax a little.”

  She looked at him for a long moment. “You don’t have to do that.”

  He reached over and placed his thumb against the paint smudge on her cheek. It was dry now. She would need to wash her face to remove it. “I want to.”

  “But—”

  “Emerson, go home, take a shower and put something nice on so we can enjoy a fancy dinner together. Please.” He offered her his most cocky grin.

  She slapped his arm. “Fine.”

  He could only hope that going out tonight would be as relaxing as he’d promised her. Because right now being around Emerson Dewitt had the opposite effect. If she was around, he was anything but relaxed.

  Chapter Eight

  He picked Emerson up at seven o’clock, on the dot. She was waiting outside her townhouse.

  Her long black coat was unbuttoned, and from the illumination of the porch light, he could make out a bright turquoise dress that hugged her curves. Her hair looked as if she had freshly washed and styled it; her curls hung softly around her face.

  He noticed she’d chosen high heels with a bunch of different straps twisting around her legs. The heels seemed high, yet it did little to get her even close to his height.

  “You look amazing,” he said, stepping closer.

  She bit her lip seductively and slowly brought her gaze up to his. Jack didn’t know if that was something they taught to females in a super-secret class, but it got to him every time. He leaned down and brought his lips very close to hers, hovering for several moments, tormenting them both. Finally, he laid a chaste kiss on her lips.

  Her perfume emanated toward him, wrapping around all of his senses. She smelled of lavender and honey. It made her that much more tempting. Jack had to move back a step or he would have devoured her right there on the spot.

  When he presented her with the bouquet of daisies, a gorgeous smile blossomed on her face. Even in the dwindling light, he could see the utter delight. Funny what a big reaction a little bunch of flowers could produce.

  After she quickly ran inside to put the flowers in a vase, she returned and they were off to The Fisherman’s King, a posh seafood restaurant at the bottom of King Street, on the edge of the Potomac River.

  The great thing about Old Town was the diversity. There truly was something for everybody. You could eat food from all over the world, including Thai, Italian and even Ethiopian cuisine. You could pay a couple of bucks for a meal or drop an entire paycheck.

  Because of the variety it had to offer, Old Town drew in people from every walk of life. Everyone from young couples with toddlers in strollers to older couples walking hand-in-hand to flocks of teenagers and people with their dogs roamed the streets.

  On one popular corner near the Town Hall and Market Square, guides dressed in Colonial costumes corralled tourists into groups. They would usher them around the historic streets, telling them ghost stories. They’d stop at locations that had hosted George Washington and other famous men who had helped shaped the country.

  With so many options, Jack had experienced an hour of panic trying to find the right place to take Emerson. In the end, he’d called Xander, who had suggested The Fisherman’s King. Jack had scoffed at first. It took weeks to get a reservation at the restaurant. Especially on a Saturday night. But Xander apparently had an in. He’d represented the owner in his divorce.

  After parking in a local garage, they’d walked the short distance. Even with Xander’s assistance, they still had to hang out in the bar area for about forty-five minutes, making idle chitchat over cocktails.

  Eventually they were shown to their table, in a corner of the restaurant, right next to the windows, which offered an amazing view of the water. Lights glittered off the Potomac River as boats bobbed along in the docks right outside. The Woodrow Wilson Bridge, the drawbridge connecting Alexandria to Maryland, stood majestically in the near distance.

  “This is great. Thank you,” Emerson said. Her eyes were trained on the window. “Look at the wheel. How pretty.”

  He glanced across the river, at National Harbor, a recent development in Maryland. There was a large hotel and convention center, shops, restaurants, a casino, and outlets. The place continued to grow each day.

  They had constructed a Ferris wheel that was currently lit up in flashy tones of bright pink and blue. Supposedly, the view of the DC area was magnificent from the top of the wheel. Maybe he could take Emerson there some night.

  “I’m glad you suggested this. I really needed a break.”

  She’d put makeup on and somehow whatever she used on her eyes had made them appear even more blue. But Jack could still see that dark circles remained. Not surprising. She had to be exhausted with as much as she had going on. She was doing so much for him, and he imagined that she had other clients that she had to tend to, as well.

  “You do so much,” he said.

  A funny expression crossed her face. “Did my sister say something to you?”

  Damn, she was perceptive. “What makes you ask that?”

  “I saw you guys talking while you were painting together.”

  “Maybe we were discussing a TV show. Or a recent bestseller.”

  She leaned forward. “But you weren’t doing either of those things, were you?”

  “No. We were talking about you.”

  “What did she tell you?”

  He considered downplaying the conversation, but she deserved to know the truth. “She told me about Thad.”

  “Right.” Her happy expression seemed to deflate, and the glittery blue of her eyes dulled. “That’s why you asked me out tonight, isn’t it? You felt sorry for me. Be honest.”

  Before he could say anything, the waiter arrived with their wine. They went through the song and dance of presenting the bottle, uncorking it, and giving Jack the first sip. He had a pretty good sense of wine, even though he was definitely more of a beer man. So he slid the glass to Emerson, who took a sip and announced that it was “awesomesauce.” The waiter cringed as he filled their glasses.

  Jack took a sip. Emerson was right. It was pretty awe
somesauce.

  They both took a long drink. Suddenly the atmosphere had lost some of its earlier ease.

  Emerson put her glass down and leaned forward. “As I was saying before this overpriced bottle of wine appeared, you asked me out because you found out about my ex-fiancé and felt bad for me.”

  He met her halfway by also leaning into the table. “No. Emerson, listen to me. I asked you out tonight because I...well, I...”

  “Yes?”

  “I wanted to spend more time with you.”

  She scooted backward into her chair and bit her lip. “Really?”

  “Yeah, really. I do feel bad about what happened to you. But I don’t...pity you or anything.”

  She gnawed on her lower lip. “That makes one of us.”

  “It must have really sucked to have to call off your wedding. What an ass.”

  She emitted a little laugh. “Pretty much. I mean, standing there in my wedding dress and knowing that there were hundreds of people on the other side of the wall... I don’t think I’ve ever been more embarrassed in my life. I certainly hope I’ll never be that embarrassed again.”

  Jack straightened and focused on her. Had he just heard that right? Emerson hadn’t only been dumped by her fiancé; if he was understanding her right, that bastard had stood her up at the altar. Actually, bastard wasn’t a strong enough word for the coward who could possibly let a woman as amazing as Emerson down.

  * * *

  Tonight was definitely out of the ordinary for her. She’d been out on plenty of dates. She’d even eaten at this particular restaurant before. After all, with its expensive food, snobby waiters and scenic view of the water, it was one of her parents’ favorite places.

  However, she’d never been out with her pretend boyfriend before. Maybe because she didn’t make a habit of acquiring imaginary beaus.

  But here they were. Jack cleaned up nicely. He was wearing black slacks and a great tie with a cream-colored sweater over it. Of course, he still didn’t quite fit in with the restaurant crowd. How could he when he’d entered the restaurant wearing his sexy leather jacket and sporting the yummiest dark stubble.

  He was all dark and brooding, and just delectable. What she wouldn’t give to lean over and take a little bite.

  When she glanced up at Jack though, his face had become tense.

  “Do you need more time with the menu, or are you ready to order?” The tall, thin waiter asked.

  “I’ll have the halibut special,” Emerson said. Jack ordered the same.

  Once the waiter was out of earshot, she asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Em, are you kidding?”

  Huh? “I like halibut.”

  “No. Not the food. We were talking about Thad. I didn’t realize that... I mean, I had no idea that he... Are you telling me that this Thad guy left you at the altar?”

  Confused, she cocked her head. “I thought you said you talked to my sister earlier.”

  “I did. But she said he backed out on your wedding. I didn’t realize he actually backed out of the church.”

  Ah, she understood now. He’d assumed that Thad did the decent thing. And true, it would have been great for him to call off the wedding when the wedding wasn’t actually in progress.

  “I’m not sure he ever showed up at the church, to be honest,” she emitted a small, humorless laugh. “Not to worry though. He sent a text.”

  She could see his fingers curl into fists, creating a stark contrast to the tidy white linens, candles and flowers on the table. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

  “I wish I were.”

  Her gaze drifted off as she remembered that day. That horrible, humiliating day. She’d gotten dressed at her parents’ house, but once she and her family had arrived at the church, they’d waited in a back room. Her mother kept fluffing her veil and fixing her dress.

  Her sister had been absolutely glowing. Besides the fact that Amelia resembled a high-fashion model in her champagne-colored bridesmaid’s dress, Charlie had proposed to her the night before, at the rehearsal dinner. He’d gotten up presumably to give a toast to Emerson and Thad. Instead he’d professed his love for Amelia, gotten down on one knee and asked for her hand in marriage.

  Everyone in the room had swooned. But Emerson had been pissed. Not that she hadn’t been happy for her sister, but it was supposed to be her time. Her wedding. Her rehearsal dinner. She had finally been doing something that made her mother extraordinarily happy. Only, that had been taken away from her too. Of course, Amelia hadn’t known Charlie was going to propose, and given what had happened the next day, it didn’t matter anyway. But still, after a lifetime of messing up and not doing things her mother’s way, couldn’t she have that one night to shine?

  As they waited at the church the next day, there was a point when her stomach sank. She knew something was off. When Grace had entered the room, carrying Emerson’s cell phone and wearing a grim expression, Emerson knew.

  “His text said that his heart wasn’t into the marriage. He liked me, but he didn’t love me.”

  She felt the heat from Jack’s hand before she even realized he’d covered her own. He squeezed lightly. She met his eyes.

  “I’m really sorry, Emerson.”

  “Thanks.” She tried to push down the lump forming in her throat but had difficultly. She took a long sip of water. “In the end, I suppose I should be thankful. Thad and I didn’t have a lot in common. Of course, I thought that we were a case of opposites attracting.”

  “What were you, then?”

  “Two people who looked great together on paper. The right families, the right schools, the right credentials.”

  “I didn’t realize things like that still mattered.”

  “For certain people, they do.” She removed her hand from his and clasped her fingers together tightly. “The worst part was how much I let down my family.” She cast her gaze at the table.

  “How can you say that? What does your marriage have to do with your family?”

  “It was important to my mama,” she whispered. “Mothers love when their daughters get married, and Southern moms, well, amplify that idea by a million.”

  “Emerson,” he began, but she shook her head to stop him.

  “I know it probably doesn’t make much sense to you.”

  “Try to explain it,” he encouraged.

  “I wanted to give my mama this big, beautiful wedding with the perfect poufy wedding dress and a five-tiered cake. I wanted her to have that mother-of-the-bride moment, with all of her friends present. To dance with my dad to their favorite Beatles song. I wanted the picture-perfect wedding day because I knew how much it would mean to her.”

  Jack narrowed his eyes. “But why? Why did you want to give her that picture-perfect wedding? And why do it if it didn’t mean anything to you?”

  “There are so many times in my life when I tried to make Mama happy. Dancing and cheerleading and pageants. A dozen other ways. But I would always mess up somehow. I just wanted one time, one day, one moment, of being in the spotlight for the right reason.”

  “Hmm.” Jack rubbed a hand along his jawline. “Bet your sister didn’t make it any easier.”

  “I love Mia.” Emerson heard the defensiveness in her voice.

  Jack leaned forward. “Of course you do. It still must have been hard to have your little sister outshine you at every turn.”

  It felt like someone had just removed their hand from Emerson’s mouth and she could finally breathe. “I don’t want to seem catty or mean-spirited.”

  Jack let out a gruff laugh. “Trust me, Em, that’s the last thing I would ever say about you. Relationships are complex. It’s okay to have multiple feelings about a person.”

  She considered his words for a very long moment. Then finally, she let loose. “It was hard. It still
is. Dammit,” she added for emphasis.

  “Sometimes I feel so exhausted,” Emerson continued. “I have to try extra hard all of the time. Either I do something my mama wants me to do and she thinks I did it wrong, or I do something she doesn’t support entirely and thrive without her approval. I can’t seem to win.”

  “Why would you want to?” Jack asked. She could see the sincerity in his eyes. “Look at all of the amazing things you have done in your life.”

  “They weren’t the things that impressed Mama. I was never quite good enough. I wasn’t Amelia.” She finished with a laugh that had absolutely zero humor to it.

  “I mean, sure, Amelia was a cheerleader, but it’s not like cheerleading ever won her any scholarships.” She pointed at Jack. “Did you know that I received multiple scholarships for both academics and soccer?”

  “No kidding.”

  “Amelia went to the college my parents loved. Big deal. She’s working in Mama’s store now. Um, she studied marketing. Why isn’t she using her degree?”

  Emerson knew her sister loved weddings and enjoyed working with brides and their families. But she also knew that Amelia wasn’t 100 percent happy with her chosen profession. She’d been hinting at her discontent for a while now.

  “Ugh.” Emerson felt horrible. She rubbed at her temples.

  “What is it?” Jack asked.

  “I feel awful, being so critical of my sister.”

  He studied her for a long moment. “You’ve been compared to your sister your whole life, and instead of begrudging her, you love her. It’s so clear to anyone who sees the two of you together.”

  “One day I might believe that.” How she truly wished she would.

  “I hope I’m there to see that day.”

  Emerson took a long, fortifying drink of wine. “There’s something else.” She fidgeted in her seat. “I’ve never told anyone this.”

  Jack didn’t press. He waited patiently.

  “I don’t think I even loved him very much. I think...maybe it was the idea of him?” She sighed. “He snored. And he was kind of snobby. He refused to go to the movies because he said all movie theaters were dirty. Plus he told his mother that he went to church every Sunday, but I don’t think he even knew where the closest church was.” She was so upset, she knocked over her wineglass. Bright red liquid spilled across the crisp white linen.