Fake Dating the Unsuspecting Heiress Page 3

  Keep dreaming, Addie.

  “That’s good to know,” she finally said.

  “Yeah,” Vanessa said. She sounded distracted. “But that doesn’t explain why he was hitting on you.”

  Addison was glad her friend couldn’t see her flinch.

  “I know this guy, Addie—”

  “How could you know him? You’ve barely spent any time here since you graduated high school,” Addison said.

  Vanessa huffed. “Fine. I know his type. He hits on girls left and right but only a very specific kind of girl. Women who are looking for a rebound, tourists who’ll be out of town in a matter of weeks… Never a woman who might expect anything from him. And definitely not who’s sweet and shy who’s never had a boyfriend.”

  “I’ve had a boyfriend.” The protest was automatic.

  “Fine. A woman who’s never had a boyfriend…since high school,” she amended.

  Addison’s jaw snapped closed, any further protests shut down. It was true, her dating experience was hardly vast. It consisted almost entirely of a high school boyfriend who’d turned out to be using her for her connections, and that was it. As far as men went, she had little to no experience.

  Unless pen pals counted.

  She suspected they did not.

  “Run away,” Vanessa said.

  “Excuse me?”

  “I don’t know what he’s up to, but Colton Parker is trouble. My advice? If he comes sniffing around again, run—do not walk—to the nearest exit.”

  Addison pursed her lips. She hadn’t been asking for advice. She’d only wanted to see what gossip her friend might have on the cute guy who’d asked for her number.

  Answer? Plenty.

  Addison supposed she couldn’t fault her friend for trying to protect her. She’d do the same if she thought someone had ill intentions toward her one and only friend.

  Addison had lived at home during college, but had been lucky enough to be partnered with Vanessa during a freshman year requisite biology class. Neither had been terribly excited about science, but they’d made great partners nonetheless. By all outward appearances they were total opposites—Vanessa was tall, curvy, brash, and sassy, while Addison was…none of those things.

  She was none of those things.

  Instead Addison was petite, slim, and meek as they came. But they worked well together all the same. Between their two extremes, they’d found a lovely little middle ground for a friendship.

  “Addie? Did you hear me?” Vanessa asked. “If he comes near you—”

  “Run, I got it.” Addison got up from the kitchen table and started putting away some of the groceries she’d set down when Vanessa had called. “I don’t think there will be a problem there.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, he won’t be trying to talk to me again, I can guarantee it.” She winced as she thought of the impression she must have made on him. “And I’m already ahead of you,” she said, picking up a stalk of broccoli and dumping it in the refrigerator’s produce bin. “I didn’t even know about his reputation but I’ve already run away from him.” She made a face. “Like a weirdo.”

  “Like a prudent weirdo,” Vanessa said, sticking up on her behalf. “Normally I’d say go for it, you know that, but in this case your instincts were spot on.”

  “Yes, well, this prudent weirdo better go,” Addison said. “I’ve got to make dinner. For one. Not that I’m complaining.”

  But she kind of was. Today’s run-in had been a reminder of all that she did not have. She’d never really minded her lack of friends—she had Vanessa and her pen pals and that was enough. But when it came to romance, that was when she cursed her stupid inability to talk to strangers. How was she ever going to meet the love of her life if she couldn’t speak to him? Or look him in the eyes? Or…you know…stand still long enough for him to catch her name?

  Not running away was not her problem.

  If she never fell in love, how could she have the wedding of her dreams and—more importantly—the family? That was what she truly wanted. That was all she’d ever wanted. A family of her own. Sometimes that dream felt like a fairy tale. Something so far out of her reach she ought to stop believing it could come true.

  “You’ll meet someone eventually,” Vanessa said for what was probably the millionth time since they’d met.

  Addison made a noncommittal noise of agreement. She hated this particular pep talk, even though her friend meant well. But what Vanessa didn’t understand, what she couldn’t understand, was that there was a very good chance she wouldn’t.

  It was difficult to meet the one when she had a hard time meeting anyone.

  She found herself staring miserably into the fridge. She’d almost forgotten that Vanessa was still on the other line until she spoke up. “Did you meet anyone else today?”

  “Yes,” she said proudly. “The nice lady behind the counter at the coffee shop, where I went to work this morning, and a nurse at the hospital when I signed up to volunteer.”

  “That’s great!” Vanessa’s excitement was contagious. It might not have sounded like much for most people, but today had been one long exercise in putting herself out there. And she hadn’t totally failed. So…that was something.

  “Look at you go,” Vanessa said. “One day in and you’re already making friends.”

  “Mmhmm,” she said, though she wasn’t quite sure ‘friends’ was the right word for it. Friendly acquaintances, maybe. Her run-in with Colton had taken the award for most words spoken yet today.

  “I’m proud of you,” Vanessa said suddenly. “You made it through day one with flying colors.”

  Addison stopped rifling through the meager contents of the fridge and straightened. “Thanks,” she said, a glow of pride making her smile despite the nerve-wracking nature of the day. She had done it. Her first day out on her own in the world, and she’d survived.

  Now she just had to prove to her father that she could be on her own for good.

  She took a deep breath. One day at a time.

  “Are you going to be all right on your own in the apartment tonight?” Vanessa asked.

  “Of course,” she said with more confidence than she felt. But this was what it was all about, right? She’d never be confident enough to talk to a guy, let alone date one, until she was able to stand on her own two feet. There was no way she wanted to live under her father’s thumb for the rest of her life, or worse—meet a guy who tried to shelter her from the world like her father did.

  No. The only way for her to be independent was to learn how to live on her own terms, and prove to herself and everyone else that she could handle it. It was stupid to even think about dating until she crossed this hurtle. She had to learn to love herself first, right? Wasn’t that what the self-help books always said? She couldn’t expect to take care of anyone else until she could take care of herself.

  She firmly pushed aside all the dormant romantic daydreams that her run-in with Colton had stirred up. If she ever wanted a relationship and a family, then this was the first step.

  This was the dawn of a new day for Addison Reginald.

  “Call me if you need anything,” Vanessa said. “And remember, if you see Colton Parker—”

  “Run away,” Addison finished. “I got it.”

  4

  There was really only one problem with Colton’s new strategy for what he and Trent had dubbed “Operation Addison.”

  He had no idea how to be friends with a woman.

  Still, that didn’t stop him from tracking her down the next day when his shift ended. He’d kept an eye on her from afar, but he’d gotten a text from her father this morning requesting more information.

  Colton had called him back and been reamed out by the tech giant. Her father didn’t just want eyes on her, he wanted her to have her own personal bodyguard.

  Worse…he seemed insistent that he be her friend.

  He wasn’t being paid enough to be her friend.

&n
bsp; That’s what he wanted to say, but then her father had offered a bonus if she came back at the end of the month, safe, sound, and happy. Yeah…happy. As if he was some sort of happiness guru. Security was his specialty, not warm, fuzzy feelings.

  But try telling that to her old man. “I expect you to make sure she’s comfortable, Parker,” he said. “My daughter is…well, she’s special. She’s not great at being in new situations like this so I’d appreciate it if you got close. Help her adjust.” Her father had paused. “Not too close. Just close enough to make her feel like she has a friend. Someone to help her get comfortable in a new place.”

  Colton groaned now as he headed toward Java Lava’s, where Trent had seen her enter an hour earlier. My daughter is special. Sure she was. ‘Special’ was one word for it.

  He preferred entitled, spoiled—he thought back to their run-in the day before. Maybe even wackadoo. But sure, let’s go with ‘special.’

  He spotted her the moment he swung the door open, and unfortunately she spotted him too.

  He knew she saw him because her eyes grew unbelievably round, and her face actually went whiter than white, as if she were seeing a ghost.

  He wasn’t as egotistical as some people made him out to be, but he was absolutely certain he’d never gotten that response from a female before.

  Friends, he told himself. We’re gonna be great friends. He tried to imbue his body language with all the friendly vibes. Nothing threatening here. Just a friendly neighbor…

  “Hey, roomie!”

  His gaze shot to the counter and he spotted his sister grinning at him behind the counter. He’d forgotten she was working here today.

  “What brings you to my neck of the woods?” Gina wore a curious look, and he couldn’t blame her. He wasn’t a big coffee drinker, and when he needed some caffeine he was just as happy with the cheap stuff in the break room at work than the overpriced foamy concoctions his sister made for her regulars.

  He glanced over at his target but she was fiercely staring at her laptop. Maybe it would be best if he eased into this. Give her time to warm up to his presence. Nothing to see here, just a friendly deputy hanging out at the same coffee shop as a billionaire’s daughter.

  He headed straight toward his sister, already planning how he’d get his drink and then saunter back over to Addison, maybe ask if he could join her…

  “Hey, sis,” he said, leaning against the counter. “I’ll take a coffee. Black.”

  He glanced back at Addison’s table and—

  She was gone.

  He straightened. What the… She’d just been there two seconds ago. He glanced around the small coffee shop, as though she might be hiding behind the potted plant in the corner. His head dropped back as he let out a groan of defeat.

  Gone.

  She’d run away.

  Again.

  This assignment had officially just gone from bad to worse.

  “What brings you here?” his sister asked again as she handed him his coffee. He fished out some money and slid it across to her.

  “Can’t a guy stop by to check in on his little sister?”

  She raised one dubious brow. “Since when do you feel the need to check up on me?”

  “I just wanted to say hi.”

  “Uh huh.” She crossed her arms. “We said ‘hi’ over breakfast this morning.”

  They shared their parents’ old house now that his mother had retired to Florida with her new boyfriend so Gina had a point there. “What?” he said. “I just wanted to say hello.”

  He took a sip of his coffee and she gave a snort of disbelief. “Yeah, sure.” She narrowed her eyes. “You’re not checking up on Billy, are you?”

  He shook his head. “I’m not your father, Gina. If you want to date your boss, I’m not going to interfere.”

  “He’s not my boss,” she hissed.

  He was her boss. He owned this coffee shop, but as he didn’t live in Cyrano full-time and he’d hired someone else to manage the place, his sister had rationalized that it was okay to date the guy. Besides, in her mind, this was just a side gig—even though it paid most of her bills. Her true passion lie in working for the local theater. She was one of a skeleton crew who ran the place and while it brought her great joy and satisfaction…it did not bring in great money. Over the years she’d worked a ton of odd jobs to make ends meet, but this barista gig at the coffee shop seemed to suit her best. That was one of many reasons he thought she was a fool to date her boss.

  Colton didn’t buy her rationale that the owner wasn’t her employer. Billy was in a position of power, whether Gina liked to admit it or not, and the very fact that he’d date his employee made Colton think less of him. Colton didn’t trust him, and beyond that, he couldn’t stand the guy on a personal level. He’d only met him a few times, but everything about him seemed weak, from his chin to his character.

  But this was old news—Gina had been dating Billy for months now. Colton knew from experience that there was no reasoning with her when she was into a guy so he and Gina had agreed to disagree.

  Besides, Colton wasn’t in the mood to argue the point right now. If there was one thing he could say about his sister, it was that she was stubborn to the point of being obtuse. “Fine,” he said, his tone dry. “He’s not your boss.”

  She pursed her lips. “Why do you keep looking over your shoulder like that?”

  “I’m not.”

  He was. But it was a stupid compulsion, just like looking around the restaurant to see where she’d vanished. He was harboring a delusional hope that maybe she’d just run out to her car or something, and was looking to see if she’d returned.

  She had not.

  And she wouldn’t, not now when she knew he was here, because apparently he was the big bad wolf.

  “Are you waiting for someone?” Gina asked.

  “Something like that.” But she was long gone, and it was time to move on. Except… He hesitated at the counter. “Hey, Gina…

  She arched her brows when he hesitated.

  He cleared his throat. This was humiliating, but who else could he ask. “How does a guy become friends with a girl?”

  She stared at him like he was an alien. Between his sister’s expression of horror and Addison’s tendency to flee…he was starting to get a complex. “What? Do I have something on my face?”

  His sister’s brows shot up again but this time she burst out laughing. “You want to befriend a girl.”

  “A woman,” he clarified.

  She crossed her arms. “Why?”

  He shrugged. “Let’s just say it has something to do with this new business I’m starting up.”

  “Okay,” his sister drawled, her gaze following his to the empty place where Addison had been. Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Does this have anything to do with the nice new girl in town?”

  He eyed his sister, trying to gauge her reaction. “Maybe?”

  She tilted her chin down, arched her brows, and gave him a stare that made her look so much like their mother, it was kind of terrifying. “She’s nice, Colton.”

  “Okay.”

  “Sweet,” she added. Her tone was filled with warning.

  “I’m not going to hurt her.” Though he was still on the fence about whether she was as nice as his sister thought. How nice could she be if she was the daughter of Alexander Reginald? He wasn’t sure what she was doing in Cyrano, or why she dressed like she was trying to disappear in that big, baggy sweater of hers, but he wasn’t convinced that shy equaled sweet. It was far more likely that she just thought she was too good for everyone around her.

  “What do you want with her?” Gina continued, arms crossed as she grilled him.

  “Are you trying to impersonate Mom, or does it just come naturally?”

  She glowered at him. “Colton Xavier Parker…”

  He winced at the use of his middle name. “Okay, okay. I can’t give you all the details because it has to do with work. Honestly.” He c
rossed his heart like they used to do as kids. “But I promise I don’t have any nefarious intentions toward your ‘nice’ new friend.”

  His use of air quotes had her eyes narrowing again, but she let it go. “She’s not my friend,” she said, her tone grudging. “But she did come in here yesterday, too, and I told her she was welcome to come in here and work whenever she wanted.”

  “Work,” he repeated. “She works?”

  This was news. Her father had said she was here to house-sit for a friend. He made a mental note to find out more about this ‘work.’

  “You never answered my question,” she said. “What do you want with her?”

  He widened his eyes, aiming for his best innocent look. “I told you, I just want to be her friend.” So I can watch her, and report back to her father. Nope, nothing to feel guilty about over here.

  “Her friend, huh?” Gina’s lips hitched to the side as she clearly fought back a smile. “I don’t think you’ve ever been friends with a woman before. Think you can handle it?”

  He thought back to the frumpy cardigan, the cute but plain face, and the glasses that screamed librarian. “Yeah, I think I can handle it.”

  She shrugged. “Then try taking it down a notch.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I’ve watched you, big brother,” she said. “You come on strong with women. Don’t get me wrong, most of them seem to like your cocky attitude and your outrageous flirting, but that’s not how you strike up a friendship.”

  He thought that over. “Right. Yeah, okay. I can do that.”

  Gina leaned a hip against the counter as she studied him. “You’re a good guy, Colton. Let her see that.”

  His huff of amusement was automatic, but she didn’t laugh. She was serious.

  She reached out and patted his shoulder like he was the younger sibling instead of the other way around. “Try to just be yourself. I guarantee she’ll like the real you.”

  She walked away to take the order of the guy who’d stepped up behind him and Colton was left staring after her like an idiot.

  Be himself. That was the big advice his sister was doling out?