Busted.
I called Zach to check one single detail of my plan before I start to implement it. When I didn’t see him arrive this afternoon, I assumed I gave him too short of a notice to be able to comply. “Yes, Zach, it’s about Eva. I’m afraid you were right.”
“Right about what?” Zach asks innocently, but a coy smirk settles on his face as if he knows what I’m getting at but wants me to say it anyway.
Since I don’t know how long we have before any of the guests decide they want me to chat with them or before Eva or Mother shows up, I cut to the chase. “I’ve fallen in love with her, mate.”
Saying it out loud for the first time sends odd thrills through my chest. It would have been probably far more gratifying to say it to Eva first instead of Zach, but I couldn’t risk Eva telling Murphy I confessed my love to her. My brother would surely realize that, even in the heat of a bet, I’d never go as far as to use such potent words just to get my way. My cover would be blown.
Zach caresses his chin pensively. “I see. And now you need my help to trick your brother, I suppose?”
That’s the great thing about good friends—especially when these friends are nifty lawyers with a talent to seize hackles in any plan—they don’t waste time beating around the bush or giving moral lectures of “I’ve told you so.”
I nod. “My plan is already in place. I just need you to tell me if you think I will encounter legal problems with Mother if I go through with it.”
Zach puts a hand to his ear. “Shoot.”
“Eva will be arriving shortly. Murphy told me he’ll do his psycho-magic to check whether she’s fallen in love with me as per the condition of our bet.”
“And has she?”
A foolishly big smile spreads on my face.
Zach waves. “Don’t answer that. But do go on. What happens after Murphy does his thing? Is your promotion in the sack, or what?”
“That’s the thing. You recall that the other condition it’s that I can’t be in love with Eva? Which basically means I need to end things with her after the ball.”
“But didn’t you say—”
I hold up my hand. “Here is where my plan comes in. I’ve already given Murphy a pretty good confirmation that I’m not emotionally involved with Eva.”
“How did you pull that off?”
“When I spoke with my brother, I didn’t realize that I loved her yet.”
“What will you do if your mother asks you? Or if Murphy re-interrogates you tonight?”
I shake my head, surprised that Zach doesn’t see how obvious it is. “I’ll lie to them, of course. I have to. Then once the evening is over, I’ll come clean with Eva. I’ll tell her about the bet and about how I have fallen in love with her.”
Zach scratches his head. “Wait, so you plan to convince your family that you held up your end of the bargain, claim the prize, and then also keep Eva? Won’t those things cancel each other out? Murphy will be upset if he finds out you double-crossed him.”
“Not if I ask Eva to wait for me. I’ll tell her we need to stop seeing each other for a few months, and once I’m officially promoted, I could just pretend that we met again and this second-time around the spark was there.”
Zach claps his hands to his eyes then drops them. He sucks the air between his teeth. “So this is your question to me, right? You want to know if there is any legal way that your mother could attack your promotion if she gets wind that your ‘second-time around flame is all an act?”
I click my fingers. “Nailed it as always. So what’s your take? Will I be in the clear?”
Zach shrugs. “You haven’t written any contract with Murphy. So there’s nothing that should hold you accountable besides your given word. So from this point of view, your plan is good.”
I blink at my friend. I didn’t miss the hint of disapproval in his words. “What is it that bothers you?”
“I just don’t think, from what you told me at least, that Eva will take it well if you want to hide her existence and your relationship for months. I can’t imagine any woman being joyous about this. My sister surely wouldn’t be, and she’s one of the most rational and easy-going females I know.”
Zach must be mistaken. Eva will surely understand. She knows how important it is for me to lead the company. Also she could be the woman of a CEO, instead of just a mere employee if she is patient enough. It would only be a couple of months. Maybe four, at most.
“Well, we’ll need to see that,” I say with pretended confidence. There is a cynical voice in the back of my mind which tells me Zach might be right and Eva won’t care for my title, but will instead feel hurt about my fib…but I suffocate it. For my plan to work, I can’t second-guess myself before even starting.
Zach tilts his head toward the entrance. “Yes. We’ll see, And soon enough, because I think your girl has just arrived.”
My eyes dart to the door and my chest stutters.
Eva is at door with my aunt. She holds a glass champagne flute pinched in her fingers, while her other hand clutches a tiny purse. The dress I chose for her already looked fantastic when she tried it on last night. But now, with her hair arranged in a simple low bun, the enticing off-the-shoulder plunge draws even more attention to her voluptuous curves, perfect shoulders, and toned arms, all in a perfectly sober and elegant way. She truly is the most beautiful woman at this ball.
My aunt notices me and points me out to Eva.
Eva’s face illuminates as our eyes meet and she sends me a smile
