He glanced over at her. “I think you’re more obsessed with me dating Irene than either of them are.”
“Am I? Am I?” she repeated, realizing she was sounding just a wee-bit crazy. “Then why do they keep bringing her up?”
Another shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe because she’s friends with my sister?”
Okay, this was getting them nowhere and Hannah knew she needed to reel things in because basically, the whole thing had been a success. “You’re right. Sorry. I guess I was expecting way more pushback on the whole thing. Are you happy with the way it all went?”
Smiling, he said, “Definitely.”
“And you really think they believed us?”
“Absolutely.”
They drove in silence for a few minutes and she let out a soft sigh. “Then I guess that’s all we can ask for, right?”
Wednesday night, Gage found himself running late even though he had left work early. Traffic had been a bitch, and he had stopped at the dry cleaner to pick up a suit and, as he tried to tie his tie, he felt like he was all thumbs.
“Who has a company Christmas party on a Wednesday night?”
Apparently, Hannah’s company.
He knew he needed to calm down before he went downstairs to pick her up. She was already tense and freaking out about seeing her boss and co-workers after the whole promotion debacle and he couldn’t blame her. After she told him how the other guy had gotten the job, he knew her feelings were completely justified.
He also knew this just meant she was definitely going to take a job out of state.
They hadn’t seen each other since they got back from having coffee with his mom and Sarah, but they’d texted back and forth every day. Most of the messages had just been to confirm the schedule for tonight, and he found he couldn’t wait to see her and actually talk to her.
Staring at his reflection, Gage frowned because…he was also a big fraud. He’d lied to her in the car on Saturday. When she had left the table, his mother and sister grilled him about Hannah–hard. Neither were overly pleased that he found someone on his own and…well…he’d caved.
Sort of.
He said everything they agreed he should say, only…he wasn’t lying. He had fallen hard for her and he’d never felt like this about any other woman before. But he’d also been honest with them about her job situation and how she was probably going to move after Christmas and how much it gutted him.
“Oh, sweetie,” his mom had said. “What can we do?”
“Honestly? I’m not sure. I don’t know how to compete with her career and win the girl,” he admitted. It was probably the rawest admission he’d ever made to anyone in his life and it was the truth. Yes, it was fast, and he was certain some would argue that it was too soon to feel this way, but…he did.
And she’d friend zoned him.
That was another barrier he was going to have to break through.
But the clock was ticking, and he still had no idea how he was going to accomplish any of it.
Off in the distance, he heard his phone ding with an incoming text that was probably Hannah asking if he was ready.
With a final check of his reflection, Gage walked around and grabbed his coat, keys, and phone before heading out to the elevator and going down one floor. “I can do this,” he murmured. “I can totally be her friend and be the guy she needs me to be tonight to help her get through an awkward evening. My feelings for her can be put on the back burner.”
That pep talk lasted until she opened the door.
In a red wrap dress that hugged her curves to perfection, Hannah looked like a shiny Christmas present and his hands twitched with the need to touch and unwrap her. Her long hair draped over her shoulder in soft waves, and her lips were a very kissable shade of red.
I am totally screwed…
“Hey,” she said with a nervous smile. “Come on in. I just need to grab my coat and purse.”
Gage followed, his own coat draped over his arm. He placed it on the sofa so he could help her with hers. “I’m not too late, am I?”
“What? No,” she assured him. “I didn’t mean to hound you by texting. I’m just nervous.”
He gently took the coat from her hands and motioned for her to turn so she could slip her arms in. “It’s going to be fine. We don’t have to stay the whole time. If you just want to go and put in an appearance, we can leave and go have dinner someplace. It’s not a big deal. Whatever you want, that’s what we’ll do.”
She spun around to face him. “Thanks, Gage. I appreciate that. I know I’m probably being ridiculous, but…every time I think about all the work I put in and how that weasel went behind everyone’s back…”
Unable to help himself, he pulled her into his arms and gave her a hug. “It’s all going to be okay. I promise. You know you’re the bigger person in this whole thing. You were going to get that job solely on your talent and work ethic. He had to lie, cheat, and scheme to get it.”
“I know,” she said sadly, her head resting against his shoulder. “But at least he gets to keep living in Raleigh.”
There wasn’t anything he could possibly say to counter that so he gave her a gentle squeeze and stepped back. “Come on. Let’s go kick some Christmas party ass. Show them that this little…detour isn’t slowing you down.”
That made her laugh. Grabbing her purse, she turned and grinned. “You are seriously the best, Gage. Thanks.”
They made small talk the entire way across town–which took all of ten minutes–and when they got out of the car, he could see the hesitation and anxiety written all over her face. “Hannah?”
“Hmm?”
“We don’t have to do this at all. We can grab a pizza and go back to your place and hang out or go anywhere else you want to go.” He paused as he walked around the car to her. “It’s your call.”
“I know I’m making more of this than I should…”
“You’re entitled to feel the way you feel.”
That seemed to be the right thing to say because she transformed right before his eyes. “Let’s do this.” She reached for his hand and together they walked into the swanky restaurant like they owned the place.
The thing that Gage noticed within the first minute was that Hannah Christy was clearly adored by almost all of her co-workers. They were surrounded almost immediately and everyone was hugging her and telling her how much they’d missed her and how unfair the entire situation was. When he looked around the room, it was also clear who the villain was–he was the guy standing at the bar scowling with only one person standing with him.
It was almost enough to make him laugh out loud.
But he didn’t.
“Hannah, aren’t you going to introduce us to your date?” someone asked.
Hooking her arm with his, she cheerily replied, “This is my friend Gage. He is seriously the only reason I’ve made it through the last week.”
Friend.
Still, Gage smiled as he was introduced to everyone. It wasn’t until they walked over to check their coats that he questioned her. “Friends, really? I thought we were telling everyone we were dating.”