Chapter 81
There was also a young woman in the room, probably in her early 20s. She looked quiet and well–behaved–the obedient type.
Ryan pulled out a chair for Cassandra and said gently, “Have a seat.”
Only after she sat down did he pull out the chair beside her and sit down himself.
The three dogs sat between them, making them look amusingly like a family.
The middle–aged woman, Madison Clarke, glanced at Cassandra, then at her daughter, Avery Brooks. Her smile was already starting to stiffen “Ryan, since when did you have a girlfriend? Why haven’t we heard anything from your parents or your brother?”
“I’ve liked her a long time, but she’s not easy to win over. We only just got together recently.”
Cassandra shot a look at Ryan, but he just smiled and casually held her hand, gently rubbing her palm like a man madly in love. He made it look so natural that it didn’t seem staged at all.
Still, Madison was graceful enough to maintain her poise. She smiled and said, “You’ve got good taste. She’s very beautiful.”
“Right? I think so too,” Ryan said. “Mr. and Mrs. Brooks, please help yourselves. On the way here, she was already complaining to me about how hungry she was, and she doesn’t want to start before the elders do.”
Cassandra gave him a look, clearly unimpressed. She hadn’t said she was hungry–not once. If anyone needed food, it was him, not her.
Thomas Brooks looked a bit disappointed, but it was clear he had already accepted the situation. He picked up his cutlery and served himself a serving of asparagus.
Ryan took that as a cue and began serving Cassandra.
“Try this. This palace makes amazing fish. The asparagus too. It’s really good.”
Cassandra forced a polite smile and nodded.
At this point, she would be a fool not to realize what was going on.
This was clearly a carefully staged blind date. The Brooks family had their eyes on Ryan as a son–in–law. They probably knew his family well, too, so he couldn’t easily refuse and had to
show up.
But Ryan wasn’t interested in Avery and clearly had someone else in mind, so he brought her, the designated scapegoat, to play the fake girlfriend.
“Eat up.” Ryan nudged her. “Didn’t you say you were starving?”
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Cassandra leaned in toward him, smiling.
Ryan bent his head toward her, humoring her.
“Mr. Scott, this gig tonight–do I get paid extra?
Ryan held back a laugh. “I gave you a free hotel room. Isn’t that enough?”
“That was payment for making dog food.”
“You think dog food is worth tens of thousands in hotel fees? Oh, and the outfit today is yours to keep. It wasn’t cheap, either.”
Cassandra swallowed her sigh and pushed the limits. “Then, how about we cancel the shirt I owe you for? You’ve held my hand and put your arm around me today. I’m sacrificing a lot
here.”
Ryan winked. “How about you also hold my hand and wrap your arm around me? I won’t charge you.”
“So no deal, huh? Fine. I won’t eat, then. I’ll dump you right here in front of them and let you go right on your date with Ms. Brooks.”
She stood up like she meant it.
Ryan immediately grabbed her arm. “Come on, don’t be like that.”
Cassandra let him pull her back into her seat but didn’t drop the attitude. “I think Ms. Brooks is kind of cute. Why not give her a chance?”
Ryan’s expression darkened. “You seriously don’t know who I have feelings for?”
Of course, she knew. It was Janice. She was totally different from Avery. One couldn’t find two people more opposite in style.
“So, do I still owe you or not?”
“Fine, fine. You win.” Ryan grinned. “It’s all up to you,”
To show his sincerity, he served her another dish
From the Brooks couple’s perspective, all of this painted a very different picture.
Madison turned to Thomas and whispered, “She’s beautiful and classy. No wonder Ryan likes her.”
Thomas nodded. “And by the looks of it, Ryan’s the one doing the chasing. That girl threw a little fit just now, and all he did was try to soothe her.”
“Let’s drop it, then. They’re already together, and they look serious about it: We can’t be the ones to break them up.”
Chapter RT
“Yeah. We’ll just find someone else for Avery.”
Madison turned to comfort Avery. “Avery, don’t be upset. I’ll find you someone even better.”
Avery gave a sad little nod with teary eyes. But just then, her gaze flicked toward Ryan, and her eyes sparkled.
She quietly gave him a thumbs–up. Ryan gave her a small nod in return, as if acknowledging something.
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