Catch

I fucking hope Finn Remsen won’t be at this party.

“I’ll be right back.” Maren shares a smile with the room.

“Hurry back,” Patrika calls after her. “I have a surprise waiting for you and your sweetheart.”

Maren stops mid-step but then continues without a glance back.

This wasn’t how I envisioned getting Fletcher Newman on my client list, but I do what needs to be done. If that means Maren and I have to play sweethearts in public, I’ll do it.

I hope to hell, my assistant is up for it too.***Maren comes back to my office, carrying a tray with two tall glasses. One is filled with orange juice, and the other with a dark-colored soda. Next to them is a mug with a teabag string hanging over the rim. A small glass container marked honey sits beside that.

I don’t recognize any of it. She put some serious effort into this, and I’m impressed.

Placing the tray down on the table that sits in the corner of my office, she turns to face all four of us. With a forced grin, she eyes me. “I should be going. I don’t want to be late.”

If she thinks she’s getting out of here that easily, she’s wrong. There’s no way Patrika is going to let Maren exit my office without announcing her surprise.

“Give me just a moment.” Patrika’s index finger springs into the air. “I have an invitation I think you’re going to like.”

Maren’s gaze lands on my face before she forces it back to Patrika. “An invitation?”

Patrika nods, causing a strand of her hair to fall from the bun on the top of her head. “We’d love it if you and Keats would join us to celebrate our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary a week from Saturday. It’s going to be on the terrace at Howerton House.”

Maren knots her hands together behind her back. I watch as she kneads her fingers. Not a sound comes out of her mouth.

I step in by clearing my throat. “We’ll be there.”

Maren’s head drops. I know I should have told the Newmans that we needed time to check our schedules, or we had plans but want a rain check. Both of those would open the door for Finn Remsen to steal Fletcher away from me.

“Earl will text you all the details.” Patrika claps her hands together. “You’re going to be the best looking couple next to us, of course.”

“We can’t wait,” I say with a wide ass grin.

Maren taps a finger on the face of her watch. “I better run, so I’m not late.”

Patrika goes in for another hug. This one is just as aggressive as the first. Earl looks like he’s about to join in, so I take a step closer to the women. “I’ll walk you out, Maren.”

“What a fine man you are.” Patrika wiggles her eyebrows. “We’re going to have a mess of fun at the party.”

Maren sighs. “It was lovely to see you all.”

I’m on her heel the second she starts toward the door. I follow her silently to her desk as she opens the bottom drawer to grab her purse and phone.

By the time we’re at the elevator, I’m wondering if I’ll ever see her again, so I board it after her once the doors open on our floor.

As soon as they glide shut, she turns to me. “What are you doing? You can’t just leave the Newmans like that.”

I press the button to take us to the lobby. “They’ll be fine.”

She locks her gaze on the elevator doors. “Are we going to their anniversary party?”

Shoving both hands in the front pockets of my pants, I nod. “We are.”

Still staring straight ahead, she whispers. “They think we’re a couple, Keats. They’re celebrating something very special, and we’re deceiving them. It feels wrong.”

“It’s one evening. This could put me on the fast track to representing Fletcher.”

“Once you sign him, we’ll tell the Newmans we…”

I finish the sentence for her. “Broke up. I’ll tell them you dumped me.”

I watch as she cracks a smile. “We’ll think of something to tell them.”

“This isn’t ideal, Maren.” I lower my voice. “I know that. I fucking hate lying.”

She turns to face me, just as the elevator reaches its destination. “That’s a hundred dollars to the fund, Keats. They seem like nice people. I hope we’re doing the right thing.”

I motion for her to exit first as the doors open. “That party is another chance for me to show them that I’m the agent who will fight tooth and nail to get their son what he deserves.”

She stays in place. “I know what it feels like to want something very badly. I know you want Fletcher as a client.”

I want to know what she wants very badly. I’ll get it for her. I’ll get her ten of them if it makes her smile.