The Pretend Couple: A High Stakes Romance

Chapter 3

As soon as she got out of the car, she immediately stood up to her full height. However, even with her heels on, he was still much taller than she was. "I'm sorry to say that I was only thinking about your safety," she said. Her delivery was polite enough, but I could tell she was being sarcastic. Because you were driving ten miles per hour slower than the posted speed limit, I was concerned that you might be elderly and had become disoriented, or that possibly you were experiencing the unexpected start of a stroke...."

"And here I was under the impression that you were trying to get within a reasonable distance to scope me out."

Her pupils became more narrow. "Very unlikely."

"Hey, it's not unheard of," you might say.

The screen door of his aunt's house made a squeaking sound as it opened, revealing a familiar head of blonde hair. Is that Frederick? Are you talking to me?"

He didn't take his eyes off of Alice the whole time, but his smile grew larger. "In real life." "In the flesh."

As Evelyn Sorensen dashed down the stairs and the steep driveway that ran alongside to her new neighbor's property, it was remarkable to see how quickly she moved for a woman who was only a few years away from being seventy.

She replied, "You're earlier than I expected, but I sure am glad to see you," as she hugged him and then stepped back from him. "I sure am glad to see you," she continued as she stepped back. "Alice, I'd want to introduce you to my nephew, Frederick Sorensen. He lives in Oregon. Fred, Alice is the person who is a lawyer that I was telling you about before. She is employed by one of those prestigious law firms located downtown. The majority of the time, they keep her working well into the night. "Although, now that I think about it, you're home an awful lot sooner than I expected." She looked at her watch for a moment before continuing. "Eight o'clock is a long way off," said the person.

"Yes, well, I had some stuff that I thought I could work on from home." Alice blinked and then looked down at her suitcase before picking it up. He saw what appeared to be a laptop with a number of file folders sticking out of the top of it. "That reminds me, I really should get going," she said.

"Alice, why don't you come join the rest of us for supper tonight? I cooked lasagna, and there is plenty left over for everyone. Even the dessert, an apple strudel, was baked by me." He felt obligated to give his aunt an A for effort in light of the clear matching efforts she made. It was almost as if she and the other ladies in his family were all working together on a plot to catch him in a new relationship.

Alice remarked that it did indeed sound scrumptious. However, I had a late lunch, and I don't think it's possible for me to eat another meal. I am grateful that you are willing to help.

She made a conscious effort to avoid making eye contact with him, but he couldn't help but see a little pink around her eyelids. This was a sign of emotion that, at least in the case of his two sisters, was typically caused by crying. Perhaps, despite appearances, she did have a beating heart.

"Then we have another Finne, my dear. Oh, I almost forgot. This morning, just ten minutes after you departed, a man driving a truck advertising a carpentry service arrived at the location. Were you on the lookout for someone to help you with some of the chores around the house?

Evelyn did not wait for a reaction from Frederick before placing her hand on his arm. Frederick attempted to stifle a groan since he was aware of what was about to happen.

"If that's the case, you shouldn't look any further than the man standing in front of you. Although his family owns a construction company that focuses primarily on building major commercial projects, Frederick has always had a passion for restoration. He is really talented in his profession. I'm willing to wager that he'd be able to provide you with a fair estimate.

Even if Frederick's aunt was not as sensitive, Frederick understood from the redhead's tone that she was saying "I will definitely keep him in mind," which meant "no way in hell." "I really need to leave right now. It was a pleasure to finally get to talk to you, Frederick.

He did the same thing with his own head at the same time. "I alone was responsible for my happiness."

Alice spun around and went up the driveway just as Evelyn was about to make another comment that would disrupt the conversation. Her long legs allowed her to cover the ground quickly, and he couldn't help but admire the ample curves that even her plain black skirt couldn't hide.

While Evelyn was expressing something about the length of time that remained till dinner was served, Finne continued to watch Alice leave the building while nodding his head in agreement. She reached into her pocket and removed a business card from the doorjamb before turning her key in the lock. It seemed as though the orange tabby cat had sprung out of nowhere and leapt up the porch steps to round her feet. She paused for a second in order to free her heels from the feline's grasp, and then she led the two of them inside.

He gave a nod in the direction of the location. "Does it appear to be in the same condition as it was when the bank put the house up for sale this past summer?"

Back in June, he was just passing through when he happened to notice a sign advertising the property's availability to buy. He estimated that the house was built around the turn of the century because of its low-pitched tile roof and overhanging boxed eaves. The house was really attractive. It was clear that it had a great deal of untapped potential, but the size was not to his liking. He desired anything that offered a great deal more room. Something for a family to enjoy together.

I was only able to get a peak at it the week before, but from what I saw, it appeared to be virtually identical. The poor dear still hasn't even bothered to put up her window curtains.

The man nodded. Therefore, she had a lot of work cut out for her. In a normal situation, he would be more than pleased to enter the location and investigate the options available to him there. However, I believe that this outcome was for the best. It would be a waste of time to hang with someone—especially someone as lovely as she—if you knew that nothing would ever come of it. It would be similar to holding a carrot in front of a horse and encouraging it to move. To torture.

He sent her positive thoughts before following his aunt inside the house.

"What's up, Alice?"

Alice felt a tightening in her chest whenever she heard the familiar voice. She gave the Finne a quick glance before pausing to jot down the information on the yellow legal pad that was sitting in front of her. This gave her a few extra seconds to try and gather herself together. She took a couple of deep breaths and tried to calm herself down.

And regarded his face directly in the eyes.

Ethan was looking down at her with a warm smile on his face. Alice was aware of what was going through his mind. When it came to keeping track of billable hours, she had always been a bit of a stickler. She did not feel comfortable with rounding up to two-tenths of an hour when a call might be closer to a tenth of an hour. But she was well aware that for the average individual working forty hours or more just to put food on the table, one hour of her billable Finne time may cost as much as their weekly income. This was something she was well aware of. Alice was a creature of habit, and she persisted on being precise despite the fact that none of Oliver and Andrew's customers had a problem with their ability to pay for the services they received.