My Phony Valentine by Walsh Courtney

Author:Walsh, Courtney [Walsh, Courtney]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9798376056455
Amazon: B0BV4BDLDB
Publisher: Independently published
Published: 2023-02-07T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Three

Poppy

The next morning, I wake up to a text with instructions from Alicia.

Alicia

Game day! I’ll email you the tickets. He’ll find you after the game. You should leave together. Hold hands. If there are cameras, make sure they get a shot of you kissing. His friends have to buy this too, and assume you’re always being filmed or photographed.

Ugh. What am I getting myself into?

I get my coffee and head straight to the restaurant, aware that I’m going to have another crazy day, but also thankful because I’ve been able to catch up on my rent and pay all outstanding bills. My dad insisted on me taking care of those before paying him a dime. Really, I think he’s just putting me off. To my parents, that money wasn’t a loan, it was a gift.

But I wouldn’t accept it unless he let me pay them back.

There’s no pressure like financial pressure, and once it’s lifted, hope can breathe again.

After work, I’ll run home and get ready, and Dallas is sending his driver over to pick me up and take my dad and me to the game.

Mid-way through the morning, Kit walks into the kitchen with an order. “That stuck-up blond lady is asking for you, Poppy.”

“Margot is back?” This was the third day in a row she’d eaten here. I mean, her money spends as well as anyone else’s, but I can’t help but wonder what she’s up to.

“I make a point not to remember the names of people I don’t like,” Kit says dryly. “Can you come talk to her?”

“No,” I say. “I’m really backed up.”

“This’ll be fun.” Kit rolls her eyes and leaves the kitchen, but returns seconds later and says, “She’s coming back here.”

Margot appears in the doorway. “Poppy! I saw Dallas walk in here the other day, so I thought it’d be okay for me to come say hi.”

“Did you just compare yourself to Dallas Burke?” Kit asks.

And did you call him by his first name, like you two are friends?

“It’s fine, Kit,” I say. “I’m pretty swamped back here, Margot, what do you need?”

My waitress rolls her eyes and walks back into the dining room. Margot looks around the kitchen. “This is adorable back here. You’ve really done great things with this little place. And with so little money.”

“What do you want, Margot?” I ask, scrambling eggs for a ham and cheese quiche.

“Gosh, Poppy, that sounded hostile.” She lifts both hands. “I come in peace.”

“You’ve never come in peace.”

Whoa. Where’d I get this boldness from?

“Clearly you have a reason for being here.”

Margot gives a little shrug. The giant ring on her left hand catches the light, and I’m reminded of the way she stole Raya’s high school boyfriend right out from under all of our noses. I’ve always learned that villains don’t know they’re villains, but I don’t think that applies to Margot. Some people, it seems, just enjoy being mean.

“You know we’ve been planning the Loveland Festival of Hearts since last February, and we’re really looking for something to kind of ‘wow’ up the festival this year.

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