Aaron was surprised and grateful that Keeley agreed to let him take her home. Any extra time with her was a blessing.

He'd noticed her reluctance from the start. Once she'd finished her cake, she was eager to leave, but he'd thought her dislike for him would outweigh her desire to escape. Still, it was better than nothing.

The car was so silent he could hear the freeway traffic with perfect clarity. It was obvious she didn't want to talk, but he had to try; he'd missed her too much to endure the silence.

"While I have you," he asked, "is there anything specific you'd like for dinner this week?"

He'd been rotating restaurants, trying to avoid repetition, but delivery options in the area were limited.

Keeley finally looked away from the window. "Buffalo wings would be nice. Or sushi. A calzone would be good too…"

Aaron stifled a laugh. Someone was indecisive. Fine; he could manage all three throughout the week.

"Good to know. If you want something specific, just text me. I've been trying to mix things up, but everyone runs out of ideas eventually."

"Alright. Thanks."

Silence returned, and he tried not to be disappointed. It was best not to push her while she was angry.

As they neared New York, she spoke. "Hey, I forgot to mention—I need to go to my dad's place. Drop me there."

He was relieved she'd told him; he was about two miles from taking the wrong freeway exit to Brooklyn. Although, going the wrong way would have prolonged his time with her…

Keeley didn't speak again. When she got out, she thanked him and hesitated.

"Um…thanks for letting me have most of the cake samples. I don't know how you knew I wanted them, but I appreciate it. That's all. Bye."

She hurried toward her building, leaving him with a ghost of a smile. So she had noticed. That was something.

The following day at work, Aaron was annoyed. His father was pressuring him to attend Lacy Knighton's 25th birthday party—an event Aaron would rather die than attend. What was the point of celebrating that woman's birth when he wished she were dead?

Attending would give Lacy the wrong idea, which was precisely why Alistair wanted him to go. He was still determined to have her as his daughter-in-law. Unless he had a secret second son, that wouldn't happen.

The party was weeks away, but Alistair had already begun pressuring Aaron, emphasizing the importance of his attendance. Unfortunately, given his workload, Aaron had to listen to the insufferable man. He had to go.

Lacy would use the opportunity to get close to him; he knew it. Birthday parties were a big deal in their circle; several engagements had been announced at them.

All this could be avoided if he had a rumored girlfriend, but where could he find one on such short notice who wouldn't cling to him afterward?

Just then, Aiden entered his office with an update on Brann Knighton. "Boss man, I found something interesting about our favorite inside-trading suspect."

Aaron eyed the slender, baby-faced hacker. With the right stylist, he could pass as a girl.

"In a minute. I need a favor."

"Anything for you!" Aiden declared.

Aaron's face twisted into a devious expression, making Aiden nervous. "I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend."

"What?! No way! Cameron would never let me live it down. Even worse…Nova…Sorry, man, I can't. Anything but that."

"I'll give you a month off to visit your girlfriend if you do."

Interest flickered in Aiden's eyes, conflicting with his horror. "You can't tempt me like that, Aaron!"

Aaron shrugged. "Your choice. I'll even throw in a fully paid trip to Stockholm for the two of you, my tab, but if you're not interested…"

Aiden admitted defeat. "You got me. But I swear, if anyone finds out, I'll tell Keeley you've been stalking her since college."

"Deal."

"Why?"

Aaron laced his fingers together. "Lacy Knighton's birthday party. I have a hunch she'll try to trick me into an engagement. I need a strong deterrent, and there are few people I trust."

He'd only used Jennica as a fake date before because he trusted Aiden's judgment of her character—that she'd remain professional.

Using another actress was out; he was too visible. Too many wannabe Cinderellas would latch onto him.

"Speaking of Lacy…I haven't seen any other men around her. Just Max," Aiden said. "If you hate her so much, why do you care who she's with?"

"Let's just say someone will likely use her to get to me. Better safe than sorry."

He couldn't explain the role of Lacy's future baby daddy in his downfall. The man hadn't appeared until 2018, five years in the future.

Aaron didn't even know who he was, let alone why he held a grudge. It was even stranger that he disappeared after Keeley died. Had he been around before Lacy's pregnancy, lurking in the shadows?

There were so many unanswered questions. Aaron wasn't sure if this man would even be a factor, given the altered timeline, but he had to be prepared.

Aiden was confused. "Why would anyone use her to get to you? Wouldn't Keeley make more sense?"

"Lacy is obsessed with me. She'd be easy to manipulate if someone promised to help her be with me."

"Ah. That's messed up, dude."

"I know. My whole world is pretty messed up," Aaron said dryly.

If he hadn't been Aaron Hale…if he'd been a normal man…would he and Keeley have been happy? He couldn't imagine a normal childhood, choosing his own career path. Would he and Keeley even have met?