It was time to take control of this situation. Meghan opened the door, her pretty face reflecting an even prettier smile.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
No, it wasn’t. But it would be. Just as soon as he got her to say yes.
8
“I have a proposition for you.” Rich looked tense, like he was about to start shouting at somebody. His face was flushed, his hair raked back from his face like he’d been dragging his fingers through it.
Well that sounded interesting. Meghan’s brows pulled together as she leaned against the doorjamb, wondering what had gotten his panties into a twist.
“You do?”
“Can I come in?” he asked.
She stepped aside. “Sure.” Isla was sitting in the living room, her legs propped up in front of her as she held the Junie B. Jones book they’d been reading together. She looked at Rich and grinned.
“Guess what?”
“What?” His shoulders relaxed visibly.
“I can take a shower tonight, as long as I keep my foot dry. Which is good, because Mom says I stink.”
Meghan laughed. “And for that you can go and take your shower now.”
“You want to look at my foot?” Isla waved her leg at Rich. “There’s no oozy goo or anything. Mom says the sutures are still there but it doesn’t hurt at all. I didn’t even need my crutches today, I just kinda hopped.”
“How about I take a look after your shower? When you don’t stink.” He had this softness to his voice that made Meghan feel weird. It was like being wrapped in a blanket. Did they teach that kind of bedside manner at medical school, or was it natural?
When Isla had hopped into the bathroom, grinning back at Rich one more time because she was so putting on a show for him, Meghan slid a bookmark into her book and put it on the coffee table.
“Would you like a drink?” she asked him. “I have coffee or lemonade?”
“I’m good. I’m heading out for dinner with a friend in a bit.”
Her chest tightened as she wondered if he was going out with a woman.
It’s none of your business, nosy.
Nor was wondering if he’d bring her back to his apartment afterward.
“Aren’t you working tonight?” She kept her voice light.
“I have a few days off.” He shifted his feet. “So about that proposition.” Suddenly he looked awkward. “I kind of need a favor, and wondered if I could do you one in return.”
“You already did me a favor when you helped with Isla. What is it you need? More ice cream?”
“I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend.”
Meghan looked up in confusion. “What?” Did he really just say that? She waited for him to start laughing, but he didn’t.
Instead, he raked his fingers through his dark hair. “I know it sounds crazy, but I have a really good reason to ask. I have this kind of… I don’t know… person who won’t leave me alone. And usually I’d deal with it. It’s not unusual to get people obsessed with you when you’re a doctor. It’s irritating, but you normally can swat them away and carry on. Like an annoying fly or something.”
She shifted her feet. Was she one of those people? She’d been a little obsessed herself last weekend.
“But this woman, she owns a gallery and my sister’s about to have a show there, and I don’t want this to cause any problems with it. So I figured if she thinks I’m dating somebody else she’ll back off.”
“And you want that somebody else to be me?”