Chapter 31: Something's Shifted

Did Hailey hear him correctly? She blinked then asked, "What?"

"We'll go on a public date. A high-profile restaurant in Center City."

So not a real date. A pretend one. Her heart needed to calm down. This wasn't a romance. This was a business arrangement. "Do you think that is necessary?"

He rose and crossed the room to where she stood. His hand came up but didn't touch her. Her heart was screaming for him to reach out. Her head knew better.

"Yes, I do. Our alleged fight was all over social media. If we don't do something publicly then people will question our relationship. We need to keep up this charade for a few more months. We have to keep things in the public eye."

"And it needs to be high profile," she said, understanding how this worked.

"Yes, it does." He stepped closer to her and she could feel his warmth wafting off of her. He put a hand on her face and she once again resisted the urge to turn into his touch. "We can do this, Hailey. It just means some public displays of ou