Cameron didn't get to introduce himself to Keeley until the party ended, and everyone from her group congregated at a bar down the street serving special Halloween-themed drinks.

"Who is this?" a short Hispanic girl with a bright smile asked, elbowing Jennica.

"Wow, I'm dumb. I forgot to introduce you. Everyone, this is Cameron; his friends bailed, so he's hanging out with us."

He waved with an awkward smile. It's always weird being introduced to a group by someone else.

Keeley's boss's girlfriend smiled brightly. "I saw you guys dancing earlier; it was super impressive! I'm Keeley, by the way."

"Oh, that was you?" Keeley's couples skating partner asked. "Nice to meet you, I'm Ryan."

Ryan, huh? Based on what he'd seen, he wasn't sure if this guy was serious competition for Aaron. He'd have to observe further.

Everyone introduced themselves before ordering drinks. Jennica ordered a margarita with gummy worms, and Keeley got a poison apple cocktail, but Cameron didn't pay attention to the others' orders. He chose a vampire cocktail—vanilla ice cream, two liquors, and grenadine syrup—to look like blood. This bar really embraced the Halloween theme.

Valentina took a sip and announced, "We should play Two Truths and a Lie."

Keeley groaned. "Come on, Val, you're too good at that game. If we play, you're disqualified from guessing Jen and me."

"I'll accept that. Anyone else have a problem?"

A chorus of "no's" went around the table, and she gave everyone three minutes to think.

Two Truths and a Lie…Cameron hadn't played this game since middle school summer camp. He needed good ones to maintain Jennica's positive impression.

"I'll go first," Valentina said, smiling. "And my roommates can't guess."

Keeley and Jennica shrugged; it was fair.

"I wash all my dishes by hand, my favorite actor is Fernando de la Cruz, and I'm in my second year of medical school."

"The dishes one's the lie," Ryan's friend Evan said confidently. Murmurs of agreement filled the table.

Valentina shook her head, grinning. "No. My favorite actor is—"

"Hector Garza," Keeley finished. "The one you think should play the male lead in my telenovela."

Cameron frowned, about to ask what she meant, but Ryan beat him to it. "Your telenovela?"

She blushed. "Valentina may or may not have convinced me to submit a joke proposal to her cousin, who works in Peruvian television. They're actually using it. My name will be in the credits."

"Dude, you should have saved that for a truth! Nobody would have believed you," Ryan's friend Vinnie said in disbelief.

"I totally should have," she said, slapping her forehead. "I'm not good at this game."

Cameron couldn't believe his boss would fall for a telenovela-watching woman, let alone create her own. Did Aaron know? He'd have to ask.

"Hang on, you wash all your dishes by hand?" Evan asked. "Don't you have a dishwasher?"

"Yes, but Valentina doesn't think it works," Keeley said, relieved to change the subject.

"My mama always washed dishes by hand; if it's good enough for her, it's good enough for me!"

Jennica jumped in. "Okay, it's my turn! I've never gotten a ticket, I once dyed my hair hot pink, and I used to be deathly afraid of elevators."

"These are all ridiculous; I can't tell!" Vinnie complained.

"You've gotten a ticket," Ryan said smugly. "You were complaining about it six months ago because you didn't have time for traffic court."

"I didn't!" she protested. "It was in Ohio!"

"Why did you get a ticket in Ohio?"

She waved her hand. "I'm from there. I was driving my grandma to the dentist."

"She was going 55 in a 45 zone," Keeley added helpfully.

"I hadn't been home in a while; they changed the speed limit, and there weren't any signs!"

Cameron stifled a laugh at her passion.

The argument continued for three minutes before Ryan's turn. Nobody guessed his lie—going to Disney World instead of having a fake tooth.

All of Ryan's friends went before Cameron. He'd been thinking about his truths the whole time.

"I've never tasted honey, I own three dogs, and I hold the current title of World Champion of Poker."

Everyone stared, unsure which was the lie.

"There's no way you're the World Champion of Poker," Jennica said, narrowing her eyes. "That's too random."

"How can you never have tasted honey?!"

Cameron smiled, ignoring the question. His mother was allergic, so it was never in the house growing up; later, he never got around to it. "I only own one dog."

"No way! You're seriously World Champion?!"

"Three years running," he said, shrugging.

Jennica's jaw dropped. "That's insane. I've heard about that contest. The prize money is huge! You're a millionaire?!"

Technically, yes, but not how she thought. He was playing with Aaron's money, so he had to give most of it back, but he kept a small portion of each grand prize.

He didn't let it get to his head; he lived normally, paying off his parents' mortgage and his siblings' education. Actual rich people like Aaron were a mystery to him.

"Yeah, but most of the prize money went to my family or to charity. I still work a normal 9-5 job."

Ryan's friends were shocked he still worked, but the girls were impressed.

"Aww, that's so sweet! What a good son," Valentina praised.

"I'd probably do the same thing," Keeley admitted. "I love my work."

Jennica looked thoughtful. "You just got a lot more interesting, Cameron Singleton."

He was pretty sure that was good. Feeling pleased, he gestured for Keeley to go.

She drummed her fingers. "I'm allergic to bananas, I've never been outside of New York, and I never want to get married."

"You never want to get married," Cameron said confidently. Every girl he'd met wanted to get married someday.

Murmurs of agreement went around, but Keeley shook her head, surprising everyone but her roommates. "I've been to Massachusetts and the Caribbean."

This was bad. Very bad. Aaron's pursuit was doomed.

"For real?" Ryan asked skeptically. "Is this because of your ex?"

Hang on; she'd talked to him about past relationships? They must be closer than Cameron thought. This was looking worse for his boss.

Keeley nodded. "Pretty much. Even if he wasn't a factor, I'm too busy for a relationship. This is only my third night not working on my dissertation this month. Careers are stable; relationships aren't."

As the argument about work versus relationships continued, Cameron tuned it out. Keeley Hall wasn't what he expected.

Her cheerful nature and easy banter matched Aiden's description, as did her fiery side at the roller rink. But he hadn't imagined her as a staunch career woman with no interest in love.

Where did that leave Aaron, hopelessly obsessed with her?

The extraneous text at the end has been removed. I also removed the unnecessary use of em dashes.