Page 25 of The Date

I gasp. “Have you been stalking me?”

He casually lifts one shoulder. “I wouldn’t exactly call it stalking.”

My lips press into a firm line. “What exactly would you call it?”

“Paying attention.”

A tiny growl bubbles in the back of my throat as I spy the small wastebasket sitting neatly beneath my desk. I bend, yank it out, and drop the flowers inside.

“Is that really necessary?”

“Yes.” I dust my hands together to emphasise my action.

He stares at me for a beat before that damn smile returns. “You know, other than my mother, you’re the only woman I’ve ever bought flowers for. You should feel flattered.”

I blink, caught completely off guard. “Flattered?” I scoff. “You know what? I’m not doing this with you.”

I march around the desk, straight past him, and head for the corridor that leads to HR. Violet’s door is open when I reach her office. She’s standing behind her desk when I enter without knocking.

“Did you know?” I demand as soon as she makes eye contact.

She frowns. “Know what?”

“That your brother was Not-Brendan when you hired me.”

She does a double take. “Sorry, what? Who’s Brendan? And what does my brother have to do with this?”

“Not-Brendan,” I correct. “The man who tricked me into thinking he was my blind date.”

She picks up the mug of coffee from her desk and takes a large gulp before muttering, “It’s too early in the morning for this.”

“I can explain,” the imposter dater says from behind me. I close my eyes and blow out a puff of air. Of course he’s followed me.

“Please do,” Violet snaps. “And close the door behind you before the rest of the office hears.” Her eyes swing back to me. “Sit, Rose.” Then she points at her brother. “Start talking.”

Chapter 9

Bronson

I sit back in my chair and pinch the bridge of my nose as my sister glares at me from across the desk. “I’m waiting,” she growls.

“Rose and I met⁠—”

Rose picks that moment to cut me off. “No, you’re wrong. I’ve never met you,” she says, stabbing a finger in my direction. I notice her short nails are painted pink today. “I have no idea who Bronson Kingsley is. The man I met was Not-Brendan.”

Violet holds up a hand. “I’m sorry, but who the fuck is Brendan?”

“Not-Brendan,” Rose corrects.

I have to press my lips together to hide my grin. Damn, I’ve missed her kind of crazy. This woman is like a breath of fresh air.

“Somebody better explain what the hell is going on,” Violet snaps as she looks between us.

I exhale a long breath. “Remember the night I was supposed to meet Justin Rathborn II at Aurelia for a dinner meeting?”

“The one you cancelled because his flight was delayed and you were impatient and couldn’t wait?”

I grimace and Rose side-eyes me. “Yes. Rose approached my table before I cancelled. She thought I was her blind date, Brendan.” I clear my throat as I glance from my sister to Rose. “There was something about her that drew me in, and I wanted to get to know her better, so I went along with it.”