I sighed. “I do. What is the event for?”
Shrugging, she replied, “I have no clue. I’m just told when and where to show up.”
“Wow, Raine. Don’t let me see your true colors.”
She rolled her eyes and slipped off the bar stool. “Just remember, I need you to pose as my boyfriend who may or may not be close to asking me to marry him.”
“What!”
“I said may or may not. Now, it’s Wednesday night at the Four Seasons, and dinner will be promptly served at seven thirty. We need to be there about thirty to forty minutes earlier so we can mingle. You don’t have to pick me up. I’ll come here, and we can go together.”
“Trying your damned best to make it easy on me, aren’t you?”
“I owe you, Blake. And I’ll even turn a blind eye if you find a girl you want to hook up with while we’re there,” she replied, kissing me on the cheek before I walked her to the door.
I thought of Morgan and the way she had left earlier today. I’d acted like a jerk by not texting her back. Shit, I had no fucking clue what to do. She said she would call. She needed time. Should I push her or leave her be?
Spinning around, Raine placed her hand on my chest to stop me, then looked up at me through those long, fake eyelashes of hers. “I’m serious. I owe you.”
A part of me almost asked Raine for advice, then I thought better of it. She’d ask a million questions about who the girl was and try to analyze every detail. No, thank you.
“You’re right. You do owe me.”
She smiled. “Thank you for helping me out. You’re the only one I could think of who would do this with no strings attached.”
I winced. Her choice of words hit my battle wounds. She was right though. Raine and I were friends. Nothing more.
I opened the door, and Raine rushed out as quickly as she had rushed in, calling out, “Wednesday it is!”
Shutting the door, I raked my hand through my hair and made my way back to the kitchen, pouring another shot of whiskey.
My mind drifted back to earlier, when I’d met with Nash after leaving the hotel.
“A design firm. You and me. Let’s make this happen, Blake.”
His words rattled around in my head. Nash wanted me to leave my firm and start a new one with him. Go in as business partners. He trusted me and wanted me to go on this new adventure with him. And where I had been hours before that meeting? Having sex with his sister.
Sighing, I took my drink and sat on my leather sofa. I knew in the long run it would make me more money. But was I really wanting to design homes when I was designing skyscrapers all over the world? The bigger question was whether I could work alongside Nash knowing I had kept a secret from him. I thought I knew where Morgan and I were going earlier today, until I fucked it up with the stupid text message she’d read. Now I had no clue what in the hell was going on. The only thing I did know was that I had to tell Nash the truth. Either way, this wasn’t something I could keep from him. I was already holding on to enough secrets to last me a lifetime.
Taking out my phone, I sent Nash a text.
Me: Hey, I need to talk to you. When are you free for lunch or dinner?
He sent a text back almost instantly.
Nash: This week is insane. Can we do Thursday? Lunch?
Me: I’ll pick you up at 11.
Nash: I hope this is what I think it’s about. We could make this work, Blake. I know it. See ya Thursday.
I stared down at my phone before I stood. No matter how this turned out, I could lose a hell of a lot more than I wanted to admit.
Another text came through from a friend I explored caves with.
Rick: Dude, we found another tunnel that must have been washed out from the recent floods. You in for some caving?
A rush of excitement flowed through my body. Maybe this was exactly what I needed. A chance to forget everything and explore the unknown.