Passion Play

As Tyler left his office, Donovan’s thoughts returned to Rose. She would be a far better option than Whitley, but he’d have to offer her a proposal she couldn’t refuse.

* * *

“What did you think?” Iris skipped the more formal greeting when Rose answered her office phone later that afternoon.

Tread carefully. Rose sat at her desk at the law firm of Apple & Spencer LLC. She’d been dreading Iris’s call. She didn’t want to offend her sister, but Iris had been wrong. Donovan wasn’t fake boyfriend material.

“Van seems like a very nice person.” Rose looked away from the documents she was reviewing on her computer screen. “But I don’t think he’s the right man for this plan.”

There was a moment’s surprised silence before Iris responded. “Are you kidding me? Why not?”

“He’s a player.”

“No, he’s not.”

“Are you kidding me?” Rose’s eyebrows jumped toward her hairline. “It’s in his eyes. It’s in his smile. He’s just too charming.”

“Rosie, not every good-looking guy is a player.” Iris’s tone was gentle. “They’re not all like Ben.”

“I know.” Rose squeezed her eyes shut. Consciously, she knew that, but subconsciously, she was still suspicious. “I don’t want to take that risk.”

“What risk?”

Rose opened her eyes. Her attention landed on the black metal inbox on the far corner of her cognac cherrywood desk. She’d emptied her inbox when she’d arrived early this morning. When she’d returned from lunch, it was full again. Her black wire organizer on the opposite end of her desk already was stuffed with project folders. Her cases and workload were multiplying like rabbits.

“Flirting is second nature to men like Van. They probably don’t even realize they’re doing it. If I took him to the reunion, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from flirting with other women.” Rose rubbed her shoulder. Her gaze drifted to the matching cognac cherrywood bookcase on her left. It was swollen with reference books. Her certificates and awards hung nearby on the eggshell office walls.

“Van isn’t like that.” Iris’s voice was adamant. “He’s one of the good guys.”

“You’ve only known him for three months. Ben fooled me for two years.”

“Ty has known Van for seventeen years.”

Rose froze. “Did you tell Ty that I wanted to check out Van as a possible date for my reunion?”

“Of course not.” Iris seemed insulted by the question. “I’d never do that to you. And I’d slap you if you did something like that to me.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.” Rose rubbed her right shoulder, trying to ease the tension building there.

“It’s all right.” Iris sighed. “Well, if Van’s off your list, do you want to meet Xavier?”

“No, thank you.” Xavier had just broken up with his girlfriend. This probably wasn’t a good time to ask him to pretend to be in love with her.

“Then what are you going to do?”

I wish I knew. “I guess I’ll have to ask Lil if she could recommend someone.”

“Good luck getting Lily to cooperate with your plan. Do you think she even knows anyone who fits your criteria?” Iris sounded dubious.

“I don’t know.” Rose frowned. “But I’m desperate.”

Lily would probably once again try to talk Rose into going to the reunion alone. That was something Rose was not going to do. She’d rather go to the reunion with Donovan “Heartthrob” Carroll than face Benjamin without a date. Unbidden, an image of Donovan came to mind. At least she’d have someone good to look at for the weekend.

Chapter 3 (#ulink_c887d5c3-4ebf-51df-acc3-2cd4d482d1ae)

“I can’t stay long, but I did want to ask you for a favor.” Rose smiled as Lily closed the door behind her Monday evening. Rose had called her sister as soon as she’d rung off with Iris that afternoon to ask if she could come by Lily’s house after work.

“If I can, I’d be happy to help you. You know that.” Lily kicked off her shoes before leading Rose down the hallway to her living room.

Rose took off her shoes and followed. She sank onto the powder blue love seat as Lily settled onto the near corner of the matching sofa.

“I found out Friday that Ben’s wife is pregnant.” Rose had given her explanation a lot of consideration on her forty-five-minute drive to Lily’s house.

“Oh, Rose. I’m so sorry.” Concern darkened Lily’s whiskey eyes. “I can understand how that would hurt.”

“Thank you.” Rose had never been comfortable expressing her feelings, but Lily’s caring made it easier. “I’d been uncomfortable about going to my reunion when I thought it was going to be just Ben and his wife. Now that I know his wife is pregnant, I’m even more uneasy.”

“What do you have to be uncomfortable about?” Lily tilted her head. “You’re not the one who was cheating on your fiancée for two years. Ben and his wife should be the ones who are uncomfortable.”

“I agree with what you’re saying, logically. But you know feelings aren’t always logical.” Rose wished she was more like Lily, calm and rational.

“I know.” Lily inclined her head, the image of grace and serenity. “That’s why we have to think before we act so we aren’t impulsive. That’s what you’re always telling Iris.”

Iris, the impetuous one.

Restless and impatient, Rose stood from the love seat to pace the living room. Her stocking feet sank into the plush, violet carpeting that Lily had had installed last year.

“I have thought about it, Lil.” Rose crossed from the love seat to the fireplace. “I’ve given it a lot of rational consideration, and I’ve decided that I want to hurt Ben. A lot.”

“I understand.” Lily’s voice carried from behind Rose, where she remained on the sofa. “When Ben hurt you, I wanted to hurt him a lot, too. But you’re going about it the wrong way.”

“You think the right way is going to the reunion alone?” Rose turned toward her sister. Irritation flooded her veins like an electrical current. “I’m after revenge, not a higher level of enlightenment.”

“How will showing up at the reunion with a fake date avenge you?” Lily’s voice was frustratingly calm.

“Not just any fake date—someone who’s more attractive, successful and intelligent than Ben.” Someone like Donovan, her mind whispered. Rose shook her head to banish the voice.

“But he’d be a fake. That doesn’t prove that you’re over Ben. That just proves that you’re creative.”

Rose didn’t appreciate her sister’s attempt at humor. “The Constant Classmates are pitying me. I don’t want to get the same looks and comments from the rest of my class.”

Lily shifted forward on the sofa. “Rosie, if you pander to other people’s reactions and judgments, you’ll exhaust yourself. Don’t follow other people. Be yourself.”

“I am being myself.” Rose paced away from the fireplace and back to the love seat. “It’s my own idea to get a fake fiancé.”

“Can you even hear yourself?” Lily seemed part amused, part frustrated. “You’re going to be yourself by doing something fake. That doesn’t make sense.”

“Not to you because you’re a confident person.” Rose leaned forward, resting her forearms on her knees and linking her fingers together. “I used to be confident, too. Ben took that from me.”