So our original plan , where it was only going to involve my family has evolved into making his side believe it too . I can't believe how complicated it's gotten .
Alex told me he'd text me later once he's figured something out to make sure that our plan goes on without a hitch . Plus , me meeting his family again will help with getting some of my memory back . And, possibly find a way to help my bosses with Trip .
I brought Sonja up to speed with brunch and the revelation of how Alex and I actually used to hang out as kids . She was so giddy at that piece of information .
"It's like watching a k-drama!! I can't decide if this is a Secretary Kim or a Her Private Life situation " Both dramas we watched over and over again because of our love with Park Minyoung .
"Neither, this is a Help Aria for the wedding moment," I huffed .
The rest of the evening we decided to not mention the situation I was in . I needed a moment of not thinking about it before I had to be at work tomorrow .
It was right before I got into bed that my phone started buzzing . I knew that Alex was going go text but I was not prepared to see the phone number calling me.
"What do you want?" I said coldly .
"Ar, please, I really want to speak to you," Dylan says .
"Why? You're engaged , why are you reaching out to me?" I try to keep my cool.
"I haven't seen you in six months and all of a sudden you show up with one of the Wells kids? I was shocked but more than that, I was hurt."
I scoffed at that last statement, "YOU , hurt?" I laughed, "How are you playing victim? I caught you screwing Brittany in your office while WE were still a couple!"
"I know what it looked like and I swear I can explain-"
"That might have worked months ago, but YOU. ARE .ENGAGED. NOW!" I emphasized .
He starts cursing under his breath , "Ar, please I really need to see you . I'm downstairs."
"Leave. You're not wanted here."
"Wait, please!" He pleads.
The other line starts to ring and I quickly glanced at it, "I have to go, my boyfriend is calling me," before he can say anything else I hang up that call and pick up Alex's line.
"Hey," I answer.
"Everything alright?" He says with an edge of concern.
I nod , but he can't see me , so I speak up , "yeah. Just had an unwanted caller."
"Oh, Dylan?" He asks .
"Yeah, he showed up here , calling me and asking me to meet him outside. I hung up on him," I explain.
I can hear him grunt and then , "she doesn't want you here," is all I heard him say before the phone got muffled.
"Alex? Where are you? Hello?" I try to get his attention .
"Leave me alone, I came to see Aria not you," I can faintly make out Dylan's voice . Damnit Alex is here . I quickly pull over a sweatshirt and run downstairs .
"Alex!" I yell for his attention. He has Dylan by the collar , "let him go , he's not worth it. Come in."
He releases his grip and smirks at Dylan before jogging over to the me , "Don't show your face here again, Dylan. I mean it!" He yells out.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" I look at him with wide eyes . I drank him in as he was dressed down in sweats and a white tshirt . I couldn't help but notice the obvious definition of his chest and how his waist skims down . Or that his biceps were more pronounced after that little scuffle he had with Dylan. The sight of this man makes me lose my thoughts as I start fantasizing what he looked like underneath all that clothing.
"I wanted to talk about the slight adjustment in our plan," he says looking at me with questions in his eyes.
"Let's go upstairs," I say before I can mentally picture if my place was presentable. "Wait!"
He halts at my command, "What's wrong?"
I close my eyes trying to remember what it looked like , "don't pay attention if my place is a little out of sorts," I finally say.
Alex chuckles at me , "it's fine, I was living in some shanty places while I was on my travels . I'm sure this will be fine."
We walk up to my door , I'm thankful that Sonja had work tonight so we had the place to ourselves. She works at the hospital with graveyard shifts, she makes more money during that time and even more because it's the ER.
I open the door , "welcome to my humble abode."
Thank my stars the place was clean. He walks right in and I motion for him to take his shoes off . I kept extra house slippers for guests, which I pulled out for him . Since he's way taller than any man I've had here, the slippers hardly covered his feet.
"Sorry, I don't have any big enough for you"
"It's okay , these will do. Maybe next time I'll bring mine over?" He says to me.
And then it hit me, there will be a next time. I internally scream. "You have house slippers too?"
He gives me an odd look, "of course , what kind of heathen do you take me for?" We both laugh.
I adopted the practice years ago after watching a news series about germs . It talked about different cultures and how in the Asian countries they all keep their shoes outside or by the door, so they don't bring in unwanted germs and sickness.
"So , you wanted to talk?"
"Yeah, I told my parents I wanted them to meet this girl who's taken my breath away," he states, "and as soon I they heard me mention girlfriend they prepared a flight back home just to meet her."
"Oh? And where do I fit in?" I joke.
"Ha-ha , but seriously , we need to make this believable," he deadpans .
"Why are you so invested in this?" I blurt out , "I mean, this is my idea to begin with. I can't ask you to change your life for me."
"Actually, when I first got your message I was a little taken back . But I couldn't deny that I was intrigued. And this helps me too."
"How?" I ask him .
"It'll help me out when I start working at the company . They see me as a flight risk and so I'm being put under work probation for 6 months," he finally admits.
"That's a long probation, they're typically 3 months," I say to him.
"I know, but I've been known to leave areas right at 3 months . It's not because I don't want to be there anymore but because I'm needed somewhere else."
"So you really want to grow roots at your father's company?" I ask him .
He nods , "And you pretending to be my girlfriend will make them feel more comfortable with me taking up a position there."
I feel as if there's more , "What are you not saying to me?"
"They want you for dinner tomorrow evening. It'll be my folks , Warren , Trip, Rachel and Florence," he says with an almost pleading look.
I'm quiet for a moment. I didn't think I'd see everyone so soon. Especially the brother who almost killed me when I was 5 . When I finally look up at Alex he had his hands clasped together, "You don't need to beg! I'll do it."
He unclasps and pulls me in for a hug, "I didn't know how I was going to bring this up without you shutting me down."
"First off, you're the one helping me out. If this kills two birds with one stone , then why not ? Second, we need to lay out some ground rules to this little scheme," I say .
He nods, "I agree . I do have to make one tiny confession that I hope doesn't bother you too much."
I don't like where this is heading , "Okay...."
"I don't want you falling in love with me," he says .
I choke on the air , "excuse me?"
"It's just I'm not in a position to be giving myself to anyone right now ," he stops for a moment to think and as if he was arguing with himself he finally let's out the big secret, "there's someone else but she's not here."
"Wait... you have a girlfriend? Why in the hell are you on that dating app?!" My voice begins to crescendo in volume.
"No, it's not like that ," he mutters.
"Explain it to me then," I cross my arms. Of course his heart would already be claimed . But then again , I'm not even in the right headspace for a relationship.
"She's not my girlfriend. But I want her to be ," he begins to confess .
"So, you'll be using me to get to her?"
"Yeah," he says quietly .
"Whatever, you're doing me a favor but it looks like I'll be doing you an even bigger favor . Don't worry about the 'falling in love' with you . After Dylan, I literally have no heart or emotion to give to any man."
"Oh," was all he can come up with.