She put down her champagne flute. “But, Matthew…” She reached out and tried to put her hand on top of mine on the table, but I quickly pulled away. “You don’t have much of a choice,” she said. “Unless you don’t care about little Scarlett after all?”
I felt like I was holding my breath. Like I’d been holding it for years. And I had no idea if my lungs knew how to work anymore. Not in this shitty world where Brooklyn didn’t exist and Poppy held all the cards.
“What do you say?” she said with a smile and lifted her champagne flute again.
My phone buzzed. I looked down at a text from Kennedy: “Actually, if you do happen to want even more food, I have a craving for ice cream. I would be 100% okay if you wanted to bring some. Something chocolatey please and thank you.”
It would have made me laugh if it didn’t feel like I was being suffocated.
“Matthew?” Poppy said. “Do we have a deal?”
There was nothing I could say. Maybe being close to her would give me the dirt I needed on Mr. Pruitt. My mind swirled with maybes. But none of them mattered. They didn’t change what I had to do. I didn’t have a choice. Because I’d do anything to keep James and Penny’s daughter safe. “You swear you’ll stay away from Scarlett? That no one will touch a hair on her head?”
“I promise. She’ll be perfectly safe.”
I lifted my glass. “Is there an end date to this charade?”
“Why? Are you seeing someone?”
I thought about Kennedy. The way it felt to wake up with her head on my chest and my arms wrapped around her. I wanted that again. It was wrong. I knew that. And yet…I wanted it again tonight. For the first time in 16 years, I felt like I was actually ready for another chance. I stared at Poppy. “No, I’m not seeing anyone.” What the hell else could I say?
“Good. That would complicate things. It’s all about the image, but obviously I’m hoping this becomes much more than a charade. Wouldn’t that be nice?” She clinked her glass against mine.
I felt like I was going to throw up. I downed my champagne. That did not help.
“Speaking of which, the photographers will be here shortly so we can get our picture taken for all the tabloids. By this time tomorrow the whole city will know we’re together. Let’s make sure our meal is placed so it looks like we’re having a romantic dinner. We have to set the scene. Where is that dreadful waiter?” She snapped her fingers. “And next time please wear something more presentable.”
Chapter 31
Wednesday
I’d finished the bottle of champagne before the photographers had even shown up. I could tell Poppy was mad at me. But I really didn’t fucking care. I’d had a few scotches after she was done pretending to stare affectionately at me for the cameras. Anyone would have after that ordeal, especially after the awkward few seconds when Poppy had put her lips to mine while the cameras flashed. I was pretty sure I’d vomited a little in my mouth. This was a date from hell. And all that seemed to make it better was scotch. Lots and lots of scotch.
Well, maybe something else would too. Or, someone.
I hit the intercom button outside Kennedy’s place. I smiled remembering all the times I’d snuck into this building back in high school. I took a few steps backwards to see if I’d still be able to jump and pull down the fire escape ladder. It was pretty high. But I totally had this. I cracked my neck and stretched my arms. But before I could leap, the door buzzed open. Score! I took the stairs two at a time and felt a little dizzy by the time I reached Kennedy’s floor. I managed to avoid looking at Brooklyn’s apartment door and headed straight for Kennedy’s.
Before I could knock, Kennedy opened the door.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” I said and then laughed. I literally had no idea what that phrase meant or why I’d said it. But my eyes did like staring at her.
“Shh!” Kennedy said with a laugh. “You’ll wake my mom.”
“I don’t want to wake your mom.”
“Then lower your voice,” she hissed.
I laughed. “You lower your voice.”
“Oh my God, Matt. Are you drunk?”
“No,” I somehow managed to say with a completely straight face. Because I was plastered.
“Are you sure about that?” She raised one of her eyebrows in a way I could only describe as overtly sexual. Yep. That was it. Overtly sexual.
“Absolutely positively not drunk,” I said. “Here’s your ice cream.” I shoved the bag into her hands. “They had your favorite.” I knew her favorite ice cream. Because I knew her. I knew everything about her. Well, everything but a few things. My gaze wandered to her lips for just a beat.
“Really? They had the forbidden chocolate? I haven’t had this in years.” She reached into the bag and pulled the container to her chest with the most orgasmic sigh.
“Shh, your mom will hear you,” I said.
“Hear me sighing?”
“I have no idea what she’ll think if she heard the noise that just came out of your mouth. Come on.” I grabbed her around the waist and lifted her in the air.
“What are you doing?” she said with a laugh as I flipped her upside down over my shoulder. “Matt, put me down.”
“No, I’m taking you back to the couch where you belong.” I leaned down with her still balancing on my shoulder to grab the ice pack she’d discarded on the floor. Somehow one of her hands slid down to my butt.
My whole body tensed. Not because I didn’t like it. Because I did. But I didn’t know if she knew her hand was perched precariously on my left ass cheek. And it seemed like a good idea to tell her just in case it was an accident. “Kennedy, I need to inform you that your hand is on my ass.”
“Would you just put me down, you big oaf?”
I laughed and tried to gently put her down. I collapsed on the couch next to her. “You touched my butt,” I said and pulled out the French fries I’d picked up after I’d gotten her ice cream.
“I didn’t mean to.”
“Sure,” I said. But I was pretty sure she’d meant to.
“You’re really drunk.”
“Am not.”
“You’re talking so much louder than you realize,” she said with a laugh. “Oh my God, this reminds me of one night when Brooklyn and I came home drunk. Do you remember that party at Felix’s place?”
“Yeah, I remember.” Brooklyn had looked so beautifully out of place at that party. I hadn’t been able to stay away from her.
“Oh no, wait. Uncle Jim was pissed after that. But not as pissed as he was after the party at your house. Because we came back drunk again. He tried to ground her for life.”
I shook my head.
Kennedy leaned forward and for a second I thought she was going to kiss me. But then she just gently touched my neck, right below my ear. I tried not to orgasmically sigh like she had. I may have groaned though. Just a little.
“Why do you have mud on your neck? Or is that chocolate?”
I scratched the side of my neck where there absolutely was mud. That was going to look great in Poppy’s pictures. Serves her right. I rubbed it off on my sweatpants. “Don’t eat that,” I said and grabbed Kennedy’s hand in case she was about to put her fingers in her mouth. I pulled her hand onto my lap just to ensure she wouldn’t do something crazy. “It’s definitely mud. I have the best story,” I said and started laughing.