Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
I look at Tara. “How’s the flower shop?”
She seems surprised by the question but recovers quickly. “Good. We’re gearing up for Valentine’s Day, which is always crazy, but business is good.”
“Speaking of Valentine’s Day…”
I draw my eyes away from Tara to look at my sister. “What about it?”
She sets her fork down, looks at Tara, and then leans forward. “I have a favor to ask.”
“Lexi,” Tara says in a hushed tone.
I look between the two women, and it’s obvious there’s something going on that I’m not privy to. “What is it?” I ask my sister.
Already, my mind starts to race. Lexi never asks me for anything, but she has been acting distant lately. I’ve tried to stay in the loop with her and what she has going on, but with the playoffs just ending, I’ve been pretty busy.
Lexi opens her mouth, but Tara is the one that speaks first. “Forget it. Please, don’t worry about it. Thank you for allowing me to join you for dinner. I’ve never eaten here before, and I have to say that everything I heard is true. This is to die for.” She’s rambling and then puts a piece of steak in her mouth and chews.
She’s hoping that Lexi is not going to say whatever she’s about to say, but I have no doubt I can get the information. I turn to my sister and smile. “Talk to me. What is it?”
Lexi looks at Tara with a pleading look and then shrugs. “I know this is not the best time to ask, but I’m not sure where else to go…”
Her voice trails off, and my forehead creases. “Honey, you know whatever you need, I’m here for you, but you’re freaking me out here. What’s going on?”
There’s a feminine growl that comes from Tara. Her face is red, and she appears embarrassed as she runs her hand across her face. “Look, it’s not for her, it’s for me, and I’ve changed my mind. This is a bad idea, so can we please just forget it?”
I laugh. “Oh, you definitely have to tell me now.” I look at my sister. “What’s going on, sis?”
She starts talking with her hands, and I know it’s about to be a doozy. “So you don’t have to answer right away. You need to think about it and then give me an answer, but I hope you know that I wouldn’t just ask you to be asking you. I’ve thought about it and weighed all the pros and cons and—”
I can’t resist interrupting her. “Oh, I’m sure you’ve made a list.”
She laughs. “I did, and so knowing that and knowing that I still want to ask you, then you have to know this is important to me.”
“Oh my God, Lexi. You’re blowing this way out of proportion. It’s really not that big a deal.”
I look between Lexi and Tara, and I can’t even begin to imagine what they are going to ask me. I sit up and press my hands together in front of me. “Spill it.”
3
TARA
Cruz looks at me, and I just stare back at him, wide-eyed.
This is crazy, and I should never have let it get this far. He has determination in his eye, and there’s no way we’re getting out of here without telling him now, so I just lean back and let Lexi do what she’s going to do.
I cross my arms over my chest, and as soon as she opens her mouth, it’s like a heat comes over my whole body.
“So….” Lexi starts confidently. “I need you to be Tara’s plus one for her sister’s wedding.”
I’m watching closely, and there’s no change in his expression. Well, at least he didn’t start gagging or anything. He does sit back in his chair and look between Lexi and me. I can only imagine what he’s thinking. I want to run and hide, but I stay in my seat and stare back at him.
Instead of asking Lexi, he turns his perplexed eyes to me. “Explain.”
Oh God. I jut my chin because even though this story is mortifying, I refuse to back down now. There’s something in the way he’s looking at me, and I take it as a challenge. “My ex-boyfriend and my sister are getting married on Valentine’s Day, and I don’t want to go alone.”
He grimaces. “And what? You think showing up with The Cruz Payne is going to take attention off you?”
My mouth falls open. The truth is, I know nothing about football and didn’t realize his celebrity status until I started going to games with Lexi and would see people wearing his number on their backs. But before I can refute his claim that I just want to show up with a celebrity, Lexi laughs and blurts out, “Arrogant much? Really, Cruz? I know you don’t know Tara that well, but it’s not nice to say she’s using you just because you’re ‘The Cruz Payne’—plus this was my idea. Not hers.”