favor."
"A favor?"
"Yeah. It's not a big thing. Well, not unless you consider lying a big thing. But I figured that since you’re a..." She waved her hand in a lazy circle in the direction of the car instead of saying the words.
Alex changed his mind. She was damned amusing.
“Well, anyway, I figured you might not mind," she continued.
“What did you have in mind?”
"It would only take five minutes of your time.” She glanced back toward the entrance to the hotel, before risking a step closer to him. “Ten, tops."
A smile threatened to pull at the corner of Alex's mouth, but he held it back.
"Go on," he said.
"I've gotten myself into a little bit of trouble. Just a little, nothing major. Not like..." She waved her hand at him and the car again. "But still. And I might be able to use you to help me get out of it."
“Use me? How's that?"
"I just need you to pretend to be a guy named Charlie."
"Charlie?"
"For five minutes. All you have to do is walk into the hotel with me, hold my hand a little, introduce yourself to my mother and a few other people, and say that you're terribly sorry, but you’re going out of town on business for the rest of the weekend. That's it."
She smiled at him expectantly, her eyes wide as she waited for his answer.
Alex pushed off the car.
"You want me to pretend to be your boyfriend in front of your mother?"
"And my ex-boyfriend, Spencer.”
“This Spencer?” he asked, inclining his head toward the Beemer.
She scrunched up her nose and two little lines creased the space between her brows. “Like I said, I've gotten myself in a little bit of trouble."
"And you think they'll believe it."
"Of course, they'll believe it. You make a perfect Charlie. You're tall. In that suit you look like you’re incredibly successful. And you’re every bit as gorgeous as I've described him."
Alex arched a brow.
She didn’t blush. She didn’t even bat an eye. She was too lost in her plan.
"Like you don't know it," she added.
Alex took a step toward her. She didn’t move away.
“How do you know I won’t do something to hurt you between here and the entrance to the hotel?”
She shrugged. “You would have done it already. Truly violent people go to violence first. They usually don’t stand around and chat for a while.”
“That sounds like the voice of experience.”
“I got mugged once. The guy didn’t stick around to help me pick up my stuff after he’d slammed me to the ground and snatched my purse.”
Her tone was matter-of-fact. She wasn’t fishing for pity, but Alex still didn’t like the image that popped up in his mind of her smacking against the pavement. He didn’t like it one bit.
“And what happens if I say no to this little proposal of yours?”
"Well…” Her voice trailed off. This was obviously something that she hadn’t considered. “Then I tell everyone that I saw you breaking into Spencer's car. I'll call the police."
“Blackmail?”
“Yeah,” she said, tilting her head back to look up at him, her wide smile completely free of guile. “I guess so.”
“Then it looks like I don’t have much of a choice, do I, Miss…”
“Bradley.” She stuck out her hand. “Beth Bradley.”
There was an expectant look in her big brown eyes as he slid his hand into hers.
“It would probably be better for both of us if I stayed just Charlie.”
“Of course.”
“You’re the most unusual blackmailer I’ve ever dealt with.” He let his grip on her hand linger.
“I get that a lot.”
***
Beth liked the feel of Charlie's hand in hers a little too much. Enough that she had to remind herself that he wasn't really Charlie.
Of course, he wasn’t. No one was. Charlie was nothing but a desperate invention, a fantasy. But it was strange how perfectly this stranger fit into the mold her mind had made for him. It was as if for a brief moment her imagination had sprung to life. Just long enough to save her ass from a weekend's worth
"A favor?"
"Yeah. It's not a big thing. Well, not unless you consider lying a big thing. But I figured that since you’re a..." She waved her hand in a lazy circle in the direction of the car instead of saying the words.
Alex changed his mind. She was damned amusing.
“Well, anyway, I figured you might not mind," she continued.
“What did you have in mind?”
"It would only take five minutes of your time.” She glanced back toward the entrance to the hotel, before risking a step closer to him. “Ten, tops."
A smile threatened to pull at the corner of Alex's mouth, but he held it back.
"Go on," he said.
"I've gotten myself into a little bit of trouble. Just a little, nothing major. Not like..." She waved her hand at him and the car again. "But still. And I might be able to use you to help me get out of it."
“Use me? How's that?"
"I just need you to pretend to be a guy named Charlie."
"Charlie?"
"For five minutes. All you have to do is walk into the hotel with me, hold my hand a little, introduce yourself to my mother and a few other people, and say that you're terribly sorry, but you’re going out of town on business for the rest of the weekend. That's it."
She smiled at him expectantly, her eyes wide as she waited for his answer.
Alex pushed off the car.
"You want me to pretend to be your boyfriend in front of your mother?"
"And my ex-boyfriend, Spencer.”
“This Spencer?” he asked, inclining his head toward the Beemer.
She scrunched up her nose and two little lines creased the space between her brows. “Like I said, I've gotten myself in a little bit of trouble."
"And you think they'll believe it."
"Of course, they'll believe it. You make a perfect Charlie. You're tall. In that suit you look like you’re incredibly successful. And you’re every bit as gorgeous as I've described him."
Alex arched a brow.
She didn’t blush. She didn’t even bat an eye. She was too lost in her plan.
"Like you don't know it," she added.
Alex took a step toward her. She didn’t move away.
“How do you know I won’t do something to hurt you between here and the entrance to the hotel?”
She shrugged. “You would have done it already. Truly violent people go to violence first. They usually don’t stand around and chat for a while.”
“That sounds like the voice of experience.”
“I got mugged once. The guy didn’t stick around to help me pick up my stuff after he’d slammed me to the ground and snatched my purse.”
Her tone was matter-of-fact. She wasn’t fishing for pity, but Alex still didn’t like the image that popped up in his mind of her smacking against the pavement. He didn’t like it one bit.
“And what happens if I say no to this little proposal of yours?”
"Well…” Her voice trailed off. This was obviously something that she hadn’t considered. “Then I tell everyone that I saw you breaking into Spencer's car. I'll call the police."
“Blackmail?”
“Yeah,” she said, tilting her head back to look up at him, her wide smile completely free of guile. “I guess so.”
“Then it looks like I don’t have much of a choice, do I, Miss…”
“Bradley.” She stuck out her hand. “Beth Bradley.”
There was an expectant look in her big brown eyes as he slid his hand into hers.
“It would probably be better for both of us if I stayed just Charlie.”
“Of course.”
“You’re the most unusual blackmailer I’ve ever dealt with.” He let his grip on her hand linger.
“I get that a lot.”
***
Beth liked the feel of Charlie's hand in hers a little too much. Enough that she had to remind herself that he wasn't really Charlie.
Of course, he wasn’t. No one was. Charlie was nothing but a desperate invention, a fantasy. But it was strange how perfectly this stranger fit into the mold her mind had made for him. It was as if for a brief moment her imagination had sprung to life. Just long enough to save her ass from a weekend's worth
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