Chapter 13

Eliza

“I like the jeans and pink sweater better,” Tanya says from the kitchen.

I shoot daggers at her from my eyes. I’ve already changed three times, and right now, I’m wearing black dress pants with a white T-shirt and a silk multicolored jacket with a ribbon tie. “Too much?”

“I know your plan is to negotiate the terms of this fake arrangement, but you look like you’re ready to negotiate for player of the year.”

I look down. She’s right. I wore this earlier this week for the owners meetings. It was the perfect mix of business and feminine. “Okay. I’ll change one more time.”

Tanya continues to look through Mom’s fridge. “And rather than your boots, wear those strappy Jimmy Choos you have.”

“But what if…” It’s summer, and it’s not raining, but if we walk too far, I’ll be hobbling.

“You’re going out for dinner. Your tight jeans and those sexy sandals will get him thinking about getting his dick wet. You want that.”

I suppress a growl as I return to my bedroom. “I don’t. This is a business relationship.” Okay, maybe I do, but that’s not the point right now. I’m not doing this Dad’s way. I’m doing it mine.

I walk out with my sweater and jeans back on and sit on the couch to put on the sandals.

Tanya shakes her head. “You’re high if you think he’s doing this for a job he doesn’t need.”

I sigh. “I know. He’s made that clear. He says he wants to help me reach my goal.”

She raises an eyebrow. “That should be your first topic of discussion tonight.”

I know she’s right, but what if I don’t like what he says? Or worse, what if I do? I need to focus on faking my way through all of this.

“He’s going to be here in five minutes. You better hurry.”

I race back to the bathroom and almost fall because these sandals are way too tall. I touch up my lipstick and fluff my hair and rejoin Tanya in the living room.

“Stunning,” she says as she takes a generous spoonful of yogurt.

Then the elevator pings, and out steps Steve. His lopsided smile greets us.

“How did you get up here?” I ask.

“The doorman remembered me from last time. Apparently, he saw coverage of the bachelor auction, and after talking to me about the Tigers for a few minutes, he let me up. I asked him not to announce me, so don’t be upset with him.”

“As long as you don’t do that when my mother returns,” I warn. “She’ll have him fired in a minute. My dad tries to get up here now and then, and she doesn’t allow that. ”

He chuckles. “I bet my parents wish they had someone like that.”

“Why?” I ask. “They don’t have a doorman?”

“Well, no. They live up in Burnaby Heights in a house.”

“Oh. Yeah, I guess a doorman for your house wouldn’t have enough to do, especially in a gated community.”

He smiles at Tanya. “Good to see you, Wei.”

She peels herself off the couch. “You too, McCormick.” She turns to me. “I’m out of here.”

“Have fun tonight,” I call as I look for my handbag.

“Be good to my friend,” Tanya tells Steve as she exits. “She just got back from being away, and I want her to stick around.”

Steve doesn’t flinch or seem alarmed. “I gotcha covered,” he says evenly.

I turn with a smile, handbag in hand, and resist looking him up and down. He’s wearing jeans, a patterned button-up shirt with contrasting seams, and expensive loafers. “Where are we headed to dinner?”

He smiles. “It’s a surprise.”

“Okay.” I take the arm he’s offered. “Let’s get out of here.”

We ride downstairs, and instead of an ostentatious car, he has the black Toyota 4Runner this evening.

“Wow. Isn’t this a little lowbrow for you?”

He snorts. “We’re going to my favorite restaurant in all of Vancouver, and I want to park on the street. I have almost two hundred thousand kilometers on this car, and I plan on driving it until she gives up the ghost. Then I’ll buy another one. It’s a great car.”

“You’ve impressed me.”

“Good to know you’re so easy to impress. And you’ve impressed me too.” His eyes darken. “You look perfect.”

I feel myself blushing a little as he opens the car door for me and holds my hand while I ungracefully slide into the passenger seat .

“So where are we going tonight?” I try again to get him to tell me.

“You really want to know?” I nod. “Nonna’s. It’s in Chinatown.”

“Is it Chinese food?”

“It’s Italian. It’s with the third generation, and the recipes go back to the original Nonna.”

“Sounds great.”

He pulls out into traffic and heads south. “How did things go in Toronto this week?”

I shrug. “Some teams have multiple owners, so that makes decision-making tricky. I’ve petitioned the league to have each team designate a single person to attend the meetings because often people feel ganged up on when they’re getting multiple owners’ opinions. But overall, the meetings went well enough.”

“Did your dad go?”

I sigh. “No. He left a few weeks ago and hasn’t returned any calls. I think he went to his place in the south of France. His office just keeps telling me what needs to be done.”

“What did you do at the meetings?”

“We finalized the schedule for the next two years, and we’re talking about some exposition games in the U.S. and UK They’re thinking about games in Australia too. Who knows.”

“That would be interesting to share our version of football. It’s a little different from the NFL.”

“That’s part of what we discussed. And there are two teams up for sale in the league. I wish Donnie Cochran was interested in them. Based on their pricing, he has significantly underbid my dad for the team.”

“How does your dad feel about that?”

“I’m not sure. Like I said, he’s not returning my calls.”

Steve stops at a light and looks at me. “Is that normal?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t been in town a ton since he and Laura had kids, so maybe they’re just busy. But while I was in London, he always returned my calls. ”

Steve nods pensively. “Do you think he might be testing you?”

We’re passing the Vancouver Library, a beautiful building and one of my favorite places to go. “Most likely. He plays games like that with people. It’s something we’ve fought over before.”

“I’ve known people like him my whole life. Little surprises me, but I hope he at least saw the newspaper with our picture in it.”

“I’m sure if he didn’t, some of his friends have pointed it out.”

After a few more minutes, Steve pulls into a parking lot, and as we exit, he has to point me toward a tiny little restaurant. I would have missed it completely. Inside, the tables all have the cheesy red-and-white-checkered tablecloths with a candle and a red carnation at the center of each.

“Steve! Gina told me you were coming.” A man about our age approaches. He has a tiny limp but a bright smile.

Steve lights up. “Tony! When was the last time I saw you?”

He grins. “It’s been a while. “

Steve turns to me. “Tony and I played ball and hockey together in high school. He just finished playing for West Ham United in the UK He was the soccer phenom when we were growing up.”

Tony turns to me. “Welcome.”

“This is my…Eliza,” Steve says.

Tony laughs. “ Girlfriend doesn’t roll off the tongue easily, does it?”

I laugh with him. “It doesn’t seem to,” I tell him, giving Steve the eye. “But I don’t take it personally.”

Tony’s eyes sparkle as he looks at Steve. “She may be a keeper.”

Steve’s ears turn pink, and I realize I do need to clarify his reasons for going along with my crazy scheme to outwit my dad. Tanya was right .

“How is Marie?” Steve asks Tony as he leads us to our table.

“She’s doing great. She’s thrilled to be home after all the years we’ve been gone. It was hard not having any help from our families while we were in England.”

“I’ll bet.”

Tony steps in close as he offers me a seat. “Are you seeing patients these days?”

“What’s up?” Steve’s face turns serious as he transforms into doctor mode, and it’s really quite sexy. If he takes a stethoscope out of his pocket, I might faint. But instead, he does what I think I like best about him. He asks a question and listens to the answer. So refreshing in my dating life.

“I wrenched my knee—moving home, of all things—and probably need it looked at.”

Steve looks down at Tony’s leg. “You probably shouldn’t be standing on it.” He reaches into his wallet. “This has my cell number. Call me on Monday, and we’ll make plans to meet up. We’ll see what’s going on, and if necessary, we can schedule a few tests at Mercy.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“Anytime,” Steve says, settling in his seat across from me. “So, what are the specials tonight?”

“We have a veal puttanesca that Gina made from my Nonna’s recipes, which is to die for.” He kisses the tips of his fingers.

“Sounds great.”

Here in our corner booth, it’s almost as if we have a private room. I look out and see nothing but Steve. He truly is drop-dead gorgeous. I’ve imprinted our night together in my brain, and try as I might, a part of me wants to jump him right here in the restaurant, which would be disastrous. Might make my father proud though. I stifle a laugh at that weird thought. “This place is great,” I say, craning my neck to see beyond our corner.

“I’m glad you like it. Nothing they have is bad, so choose whatever hits your fancy.” He leans in. “And tonight, I’m buying.”

The corners of my mouth curl. “Fine. Then I’m ordering the most expensive thing on the menu.”

“I can handle it.”

I’m sure there isn’t much he can’t handle.

The server arrives to take our order, and Steve adds a bottle of Chianti.

Tony delivers the wine, and now, his limp seems pronounced. He must be in some pain. He fills our glasses and leaves us again, and we toast to the Tigers.

After a few sips, I muster the courage to start our conversation this evening. It has to be done, and I need to go into it with clear eyes if I have any hope of coming out the other side in one piece. “So, why are you doing this for me? I mean, I know you haven’t agreed to the whole thing, but why even fake date me? I really don’t have much to offer you.”

Steve looks down at his wine for a moment. “I’ll be honest, my interest surprises me too. And I don’t particularly think these dates are fake. We’re getting to know each other. That’s real. I don’t usually feel much for my dates past a good time, but I enjoy being around you.” He looks up at me, and something in his eyes shifts. “I don’t have a good frame of reference when it comes to relationships. My parents may still be married, but they don’t like each other, and they haven’t for a long time. When my dad announced that he wanted to retire, I championed my sister taking over. I have no interest in working with family or leaving the practice of medicine. Dad was reluctant because he felt Olivia wouldn’t be respected by our contractors and suppliers. But that isn’t the case. She’s amazing. I see you in the same position. It’s bullshit that your dad thinks you need to have a husband behind you to be successful. I want you to have what my sister has—a thriving career that you enjoy. Your gender doesn’t mean crap.”

Warmth washes over me. “So, you’re a feminist?”

He chuckles. “I suppose I am. I love women— ”

“Yes, all the pictures on the internet make that clear.”

“You looked me up?” His eyes sparkle with mischief.

“I did. But anyway, I’m grateful to have you in my corner. The owners were a bit much in certain situations at those meetings, but you saw me stand down Sean Rhymes’ agent. I don’t put up with fools. I know I can do this.”

“Then let’s do this. Let’s make you the owner and general manager of the Vancouver Tigers. We’ll beat your dad at his own game.”

I’m about to ask exactly what he means by that, but then I decide to quit while I’m ahead. He’s agreed, and that’s all that matters. The rest is up to me.

Steve holds up his glass, and we toast again.

Now, we have to think about logistics. “We have a few things to work out,” I tell him. “It’s almost the middle of July. I have until the first of January to get this all settled and show my dad what I’ve accomplished.”

“What do you think he’s going to need to see?”

I take a deep breath. “He’ll be suspicious if we just get engaged. He has a fixer who works for him, Charles, and he, my stepmother, my half-sister Minni—who’s six years old—and my dad will all have to believe the relationship is real. I expect Charles to be all up in our business, but we’ll never see him coming. This is going to require that we date, as we already are, and spend a lot of time together. And that will lead to overnights and eventually moving in together—all pretend, of course.”

The look on Steve’s face tells me he’s struggling. I’m not sure with which part. I reach for his hand. “Tell me what’s bothering you. If this is going to be too much, just say so, and we can walk away now.”

He takes a deep breath and shakes his head. “I assume we’re going to have to fool my parents too. Your dad will probably want to meet them?”

I think for a moment. “That’s a good point. How will they take this? ”

“I’m not sure. I had dinner with them and my sister last Monday night, and although they’d seen the photos from the bachelor auction and were all interested in you, I told them I wasn’t made to be married.”

Our caprese salads arrive, and the server offers us fresh ground pepper. This gives me a minute to process what he’s saying.

“I’m not trying to change that about you,” I assure him. “And I don’t want to hurt your family.” I squeeze his hand. “This is messy. Thank you for considering it.”

“We’re not going to have to get married, right?” Steve asks.

I shake my head. “My dad said I need to have a social life outside of work and be in a serious-enough relationship that I’m engaged. He wants me to have a support system and other things in my life besides the team, so I don’t make the mistakes he did. But I’m not him .” I feel my temper flaring all over again and pause for a moment to calm myself. I look up with a smile. “Sorry. I figure after we get engaged and I’ve taken over the team, we can continue a bit longer. By then The Butterfly should be ready for move-in, and we can have a big breakup and I’ll move into my place. Then you can go on about your life, and I’ll do everything I can to convince the league, so you’ll still have your job as the CMO of the Vancouver Tigers.”

Steve finishes his salad and takes a deep pull on his water. “What about intimacy?” He doesn’t meet my eyes.

“You mean sex?” I confirm.

He shrugs. “That’s a part of intimacy, but being a couple that’s sharing and becoming friends is also intimacy.”

I take the last bite of the best caprese salad I’ve ever had and look at him. “I enjoy spending time with you. I also realize we’ve had sex before, but even as we move forward, I think it’s best if we keep that separate from this. As you said, this is about beating my father at his own game. I prefer to manage my personal life on my own terms. If we’re spending time together and having great sex while we do this, things are going to get confused. So, I still don’t think we should.”

“You don’t think we should what?”

“I don’t think we should confuse ourselves and have sex.”

Steve is quiet as the waitstaff comes to clear our dirty plates.

“So, we’ll be getting that from other people?” he asks after a moment.

“No!” I practically knock over my water glass. “We’ll be celibate for the next six months.”

He starts to cough and needs a moment to recover. “I haven’t been celibate for six months since I lost my virginity at fifteen.”

“Fifteen?” I blurt.

“Yes.” His eyes widen.

“You’ve got to be lying.” That isn’t possible.

“When’s the last time you’ve gone over six months?” he challenges.

“Before I met you it had been more than a year.”

Steve sits back against the booth. “You were deliciously tight, but—”

I put my hand up. “I don’t want to talk about it. Charles will most likely put a private investigator on us if he hasn’t already. This will all be for nothing if he catches you with another woman.”

Steve looks away. “Fine. Whatever you say. I’ll figure it out. But I won’t promise I’m not going to take care of myself.”

“That’s fine,” I assure him. “I have a few toys as well.”

He rolls his head back and looks at the ceiling. “I can’t know that. I’m a giant pervert. I may want to watch and then join in.”

“Stop it. We can’t go there.”

“Tell me about it.” Steve rolls his eyes. “What else?”

“That’s all I can think of right now.”

“I’m going to have blue balls for the next six months.”

“I know I’m asking a lot and for not much in return.” I sigh. “I understand if you want to change your mind.” I lace my fingers together, feeling a little panicky. “But if you could let me know sooner rather than later, I already feel like getting engaged within five months is too quick.”

Steve scrubs his hands over his face. “I’m still surprised your dad is not the other way, trying to protect you from some idiot who wants your money or to use you as a steppingstone for something else.”

I shrug. “He knows I don’t suffer fools, and of course he’ll insist on a prenup. I don’t think he’s worried about that.”

Our main course arrives. I have the baked ziti, and Steve ordered the veal special Tony mentioned. When I take my first bite, my eyes grow wide. “This is incredible.”

Tony steps up to top off our wine and water. “These are my grandmother’s recipes. Good, aren’t they?”

“This is better than good. Holy crap. I want this every night.”

“That can be arranged.” Tony winks at me, and I see Steve’s knuckles go white.

As we eat, we talk a bit more about my meetings in Toronto, and Steve fills me in on what’s going on with Hudson. We’re done with our meal before I know it, and Steve is walking me out to his car.

“Do you think Charles has already gotten someone to watch us?” Steve asks.

I look around the parking lot. “I suppose it’s possible.”

He nods and opens my door before entering on the driver’s side. “Do you think they’d bug my car or anything?”

“No, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see photos of us from tonight.”

“Then we have a part to play,” Steve says, leaning over to kiss my cheek.

“Thank you.”

He nods.

“You’re still struggling with the abstinence,” I note.

He nods. “Yes, but I’m an adult. I’ll figure it out. ”

“It won’t be that bad,” I assure him. Or maybe I’m assuring myself.

He gives me a look. “We’ll see.”

The phone ringing startles me from the spreadsheet I’m staring at. It’s still early Monday morning, but I’ve been at the office since before seven. I answer without even looking at the caller ID. “Elizabeth Rourke.”

“Lizzy!”

My heart soars. Only one person calls me that. “Mom! Where are you?”

“I’m still here in Tuscany. I’m leaving for Paris for a shopping trip on my way, but I’ll be home in a week or so. I want to spend some time with you,” she gushes.

“That’s great news. I can’t wait. But don’t be stressed out if I’m not home much.”

“Please tell me you’re not working tons of hours for the Tigers.”

“It’s football season, so I’m working quite a bit, but…” I cross my fingers as I lie to her, but I’ve got to start somewhere. “I’ve met someone. He’s really great. We’re spending lots of time together, and it might be serious.”

“What? You’re too young to settle down. Don’t do anything brash like get married until you’ve dated him at least a year.”

“I won’t,” I promise. “I can’t wait for you to be home. My condo isn’t done yet, but we have so much to catch up on.” I won’t tell her about my deal with Dad. If she caught wind, she’d show up at his door and scream at him. They have opposite feelings on relationships. My mother doesn’t like being tied down because she says men try to make all her decisions for her. She’s a free spirit.

“I agree,” she says. “I have so much to tell you. I may have a guest return with me.”

“Oh? Do tell!”

“He’s Italian and so handsome. We have so much fun together, and he’s a dynamo in the sheets—”

“Stop! I don’t want to know about your sex life.”

“I don’t know why you’re so provincial. Everyone has sex. I want to hear all about your sex life with your new man too.”

“Not everyone has sex.”

She sighs. “I have no idea how I raised a daughter who can’t talk about something so enjoyable.”

There are so many reasons I don’t want to share my sex life with my mother—the biggest being that I don’t want to know about hers.

“Anyway, what’s the name of the man you’re seeing and how did you meet him?”

“His name is Steve. He’s the chief medical officer for the Tigers, and he works the other half of the year on staff at Mercy Hospital. He has a gorgeous Victorian house in Chinatown, and he’s not intimidated by my love and knowledge of football.”

“He sounds wonderful. I can’t wait to meet him.”

We talk a little more about her trip and the things she’s done. Each time she tries to tell me about her new boyfriend, I steer the conversation away.

“Listen, I need to run,” I finally tell her. “I’ll see you when you get back. Let me know when, and I’ll make sure I clear my schedule, as long as it’s not a game night. Dad is who knows where, and he left me in charge, so I try to go to all the games.”

She sighs. “I don’t know how you can enjoy that. I never understood why your dad loved football so much that he had to buy the team.”

“I guess I got that from him. But he doesn’t understand why I love art so much, and I got that from you. Speaking of which, one of my new friends is a pretty famous artist—Paisley Martin. Do you know her?”

“Hmmm…” Mom muses. “I’ve seen some of her work. She’s very talented. I hope you can introduce us. My new friend is a sculptor. She might be able to point him in the right direction.”

I roll my eyes. I love her so much, but sometimes, she’s a lot. “We’ll see, Mom. Let me know when you’ll be home.”

“I will, darling. Have fun with your boy-toy.”

We hang up, and I already know she’s going to embarrass me in front of Steve. I’ll have to give him plenty of warning.