Page 47 of Wife By Accident

“Sure.”

Leo put on some music, and the two of them danced around the kitchen as they cooked. Olivia told Leo all about her day out in the city, how she’d explored a new corner of Central Park and taken pictures of squirrels leaping between branches like tiny superheroes.

“Are you finally going to show me some of your pictures?” Leo asked.

“Maybe after dinner. How was your day?”

Leo told her all about his long meetings, about how his assistant had accidentally served coffee with regular almond milk instead of unsweetened almond milk to a client, resulting in a tussle, and how he’d wrapped things up for the weekend.

“Really?” Olivia’s eyes shone. “Does this mean you’ll be home this weekend?”

Leo tried to ignore the way his heart soared at her enthusiasm. “It does. Would you like to do something?”

“Definitely.” Olivia tossed the pizza dough between her hands like a master chef before setting it down on a round pizza stone that Leo also hadn’t known he’d owned. “What do you have in mind?”

“There’s lots more of New York to see. We could go down to Coney Island, if you’d like.”

“That sounds great.” Olivia rinsed her hands and took a pot off the stove. It was bubbling with a deliciously aromatic tomato sauce that she must have made herself, too. “Oh, and I wanted to ask — has there been any word on the divorce? I feel bad leaving it to you to sort out all this legal stuff.”

Leo’s heart plummeted. Over the last week, he’d mostly managed not to think about the divorce, not since he’d seen the postnup and slipped it into his drawer. Part of him had even forgotten that getting a divorce was the whole reason Olivia was here. He didn’t want to tell her about the postnup, and he hadn’t heard anything else, so he shook his head.

“The lawyers said it might be another week or two before all the paperwork is ready. I’m sorry — I know you only wanted to stay for a few days.”

“Oh, well, what can we do?” Olivia shrugged dramatically. “I guess I’ll have to keep hanging out with you, exploring New York, and living in this gorgeous penthouse.”

Leo couldn’t help noticing how she’d mentioned the penthouse, even though it had been the last item on her list. A momentary flicker of doubt went through him. Was there still a chance that Olivia was here to enjoy the life of the rich and perhaps win some money for herself?

But no. This was Olivia. He knew her.

“I guess you will.” Leo shrugged, too. “Such misery. I really feel for you.”

“Oh, yes. You’ll have to treat me to a funnel cake at Coney Island so that I can forgive you.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“Then maybe I also need to go on a ride or two.”

“That’s a big ask… but I’ll try to make it happen.” Leo smiled at her, and the conversation moved on, away from the divorce. Leo was glad. As soon as the papers came through, he and Olivia would go their separate ways. But until then, he was going to enjoy this — and try not to think too much about the future.

CHAPTER 20

OLIVIA

Olivia clicked submit on another job application — this one in New York City.

She was no fool. She knew that Leo might not want her to stick around after the divorce went through. And she knew that she probably wouldn’t land a job in New York anyway, with all the competition for so few roles. But she couldn’t help herself.

It had been two, almost three, weeks since she’d come to New York with Leo, since the unexpected marriage, since her whole life had changed. And slowly, piece by piece, she was starting to believe that what they had was real. Maybe fate had thrown her and Leo together in that casino in Las Vegas. Maybe destiny had told Olivia to come with Leo to New York. Maybe, once they didn’t have to be married anymore, they could date. Olivia would try to find a job in the city, rent a room or a studio that she could afford, and spend more time with Leo. Hopefully, sooner or later, they could fall into bed together again — because memories of that night still hung fresh in the back of Olivia’s mind. Maybe they could mean something to each other.

If Leo wanted that.

She hoped he did.

Olivia let out a long sigh and slowly shut her laptop. The last few weeks had been like a dream. She’d had breakfasts and dinners with Leo almost every day, with both of them chatting, laughing, and staying up way too late together. She’d gotten to know things about him — not just the big things, like the fact that he’d lost his brother, but the little things, like how he always wanted to pet dogs they met in the park and how he would tap his foot in rhythm to his favorite song (“Carry On Wayward Son”). Olivia was sure she’d never known anyone this well before, apart from, perhaps, her sister.

On the weekends, the two of them went for adventures around the city. Last weekend, they’d gone to Coney Island, where they’d shared a sugary funnel cake and ridden on the Ferris wheel. Olivia had even played a dart-throwing game and won Leo a pink stuffed bear holding a heart, which he’d obediently carried around the whole afternoon despite the stares he’d gotten. He’d only given it up at the end of the day, when they’d met a little girl who’d looked at the bear with such hope in her eyes that Leo had asked if it was okay to give away his prize. Olivia had said yes. Of course she had. There was nothing sweeter than a grown man who was kind to children — or a grown man willing to look a little silly to make someone happy.

Olivia was about to get up when her phone rang. It was Rachel. Olivia answered without thinking, but as she did, worry settled in her stomach. Somehow, she’d managed to avoid telling her sister that she was in New York. With her husband. They’d texted, as they usually did, but hadn’t called, so it had been possible to keep the secret. Over the phone, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to, or that she wanted to.