Mentally running through her bookings, she keyed up her schedule, already knowing she had the Hendersons’ tenth wedding anniversary on that evening. The arrangements were all made. It was the sort of party Brenda could handle on her own.
“I’m happy to compensate you for any inconvenience it might cause.”
Elizabeth offered him a bright smile as she mentally calculated her commission. “What sort of party did you have in mind?”
“It’s an engagement party.”
“How nice.” And how surprising. She’d never pictured Roark Black hosting something like that. The man had commitment issues written all over him. “Who’s the lucky couple?”
“We are.”
* * *
Incomprehension fogged her indigo-blue eyes as she looked up at him. “We are what?”
“The happy engaged couple I’m throwing the party for.”
Her crisp professionalism wrinkled beneath the weight of her confusion. “We’re not engaged.”
“Not yet.”
The expression in her eyes went from shell-shocked to resolute. “Not ever.”
“I’m crushed.” He shouldn’t enjoy teasing her so much, but it seemed the only way to get past her guards and reach the woman behind the event planner.
“I doubt it.” She’d recovered her equilibrium and now regarded him with open skepticism. “Perhaps you should explain what’s going on.”
“Last night you jumped all over me about how I was going to be the downfall of Waverly’s.”
“I merely suggested you might be a contributing factor.”
“You weren’t the only one thinking that way.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Not surprising. But what does that have to do with why I’m here?”
“A certain member of the Waverly’s board mentioned that he’s been approached by Dalton Rothschild about selling his shares and has been asked to persuade others on the board to follow suit. He doesn’t want Rothschild to take over Waverly’s, but needs a good reason to continue to support the current leadership at Waverly’s.”
She nodded, but remained silent while her steady gaze encouraged him to proceed.
“He thinks that leadership needs to include me, but recent events have raised questions about my activities. He indicated if I could demonstrate that I’m leaving behind my proclivity for trouble, the board would feel more confident about the stability of Waverly’s.”
“And you think an engagement will make you more respectable.”
“It was suggested a stable personal life would inspire confidence in my upstanding behavior.”
“Why me?”
While his address book was bursting with women who would jump at the chance to play his fiancée, Elizabeth was unaffected by his money or his charm. She intrigued him.
“After last night’s passionate denouncement of me and your concern for the future of Waverly’s, I thought you would be the perfect choice for a pretend engagement.”
His last two words caused a profound reaction. Her muscles relaxed and she almost smiled. “Find someone else.”
“I’ve already decided on you.”
“Surely there are more suitable women in the circles you frequent that would be happy to perpetrate this ruse with you.”
“None more suitable than you.” And he meant it.