CH 3

Lia took a sip of her wine as she tried to assess the situation at hand.

Across the table sat her Grandma Rose, who was busily chatting with the person she had hired to pretend to be her boyfriend, who in turn was seated right beside her.

So far, so good.

Sage had introduced himself as someone who works for Valerian Pharmaceuticals. She had to admit she admired the man’s acting. He was able to pull off the role of a company man so convincingly that he could discuss topics about the drug industry with her grandmother and calmly answer her questions while they waited for the food to be served.

If only things would go this smoothly for the rest of the night…

“So, Sage, tell me how you and my granddaughter met?”

Lia immediately glanced over to Sage. Of course, things won’t often go the way a person wants it to go. She forgot to tell him what to say when asked that question.

Shit.

She faked a coughing fit. Sage actually stroked her back soothingly.

“What's wrong, babe?” He said with a slight concern in his voice.

Oh, he is good, she thought grudgingly.

She held her throat and mumbled an excuse to her grandma to go to the restroom.

If he is not a complete moron, he would take the hint and come after her.

He caught up to her on the way to the restroom.

“You're quick. I like that,” Sage smiled playfully.

When they were out of Grandma's sight, she abruptly stopped and faced the smiling guy.

“The question is, are you? I didn’t get the chance to fill you in on the important details. Grandma is sharp. If you are slow on the uptake, she will be on to us like white on rice,” she hissed.

He looked up like he was mulling it over. The playful smile never left his lips.

“I'm not sure what your standard is... but I'd be happy to match whatever speed you have,” he said and left her with her mouth open.

She recovered in an instant and caught up to him before Grandma saw them.

She violently jerked his arm and linked hers. They both smiled when they saw Grandma looking at them.

“Are you okay sweetheart?” Grandma said as Sage is assisting her back to her chair.

“I don't know grandma. We'll see in a minute,” she said, shooting Sage a quick warning look.

“I see. I believe you were about to tell me how you met,” Grandma looked at Sage.

“We met -” She was cut off by her grandmother's raised hand.

“I was talking to the young man,” she said, giving Lia the look she would use on her and her siblings when her words warranted no further discussion.

Sage leaned over to Lia's side and made a show of placing his arm over her shoulder, pulling her closer. He gave her a discreet wink, before turning to her grandmother.

“We actually met at her university way back,” he answered. “I was part of a student exchange program. My group got lost while walking around the campus and she was the one who helped us get back to the dorms where we were staying. What was the name of the dorm again, babe?” he pretended to be trying to recall.

“Thomson Hall?” she said cautiously.

“Right... and you were wearing a…” he left it hanging, waiting for her to add to it.

“A yellow sundress with…” she understood what game he was playing and decided to just go with it. She was trapped. If she hesitates now, everything will fall apart. She, however, will not allow Sage the monopoly of fun. She might as well enjoy weaving a little story for grandma.

“A white wide brimmed hat,” he said to her amazement. She did have that hat back in college, coincidentally.

“I kept trying to peer at her eyes,” he told grandma.

“But I never knew you were because I wasn't looking at you,” she supplied.

“I had a feeling she was avoiding my gaze because she was afraid to be ensnared by my captivating eyes,” he actually had the audacity to look at Grandma with a fatuous look.

Grandma laughed. 

She laughed!

“I can imagine. She wouldn't admit that, though,” she said conspiratorially.

“Grandma!” Lia protested.

Sage and Grandma looked at each other and burst out laughing.

She slapped Sage's arm and looked at him crossly.

Grandma Rose looked at her reproachfully. “My granddaughter is a very stubborn girl and very independent. One day, she told us she was leaving home because she wanted to live on her own. She always refuses when her father tries to give her money. She's too proud.” She clicked her tongue.

To Lia's surprise, Sage wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him, all the while staring into Lia's eyes as he replied, “It's okay, Grandma. I like her that way.”

“Anyway, even though she seemed cool and aloof, I sensed some magic in the air and invited her for a…” Sage continued the game.

Lia felt her face grow hot and she quickly pulled straightened in her chair, carefully disengaging his arms from her shoulder.. This guy is taking things too far!

“Walk, later that day. There was no magic but he was polite so I relented,” Lia added to his fake story.

“....and ice cream. Don't forget the ice cream,” he chuckled.

“Was there? I don't remember,” she said lamely. 

“Don't be embarrassed, sweetheart. I can feel there was more to it than just ice cream,” Grandma said delightedly. 

She looked at Sage and she could see that he was enjoying this tremendously.

“That's the special part, Grandma…” he said excitedly.

Lia's heart skipped. Now what dastardly extravagant story this man is going to tell now?

“I kept looking at her lips while she licked the ice cream although she didn't know at first and when she caught me, that was when…”

“I slapped him,” Lia said.

“But she forgot she still had that ice cream in her hand,” he said quickly, turning the story around again.

“And…?” Grandma said with a twinkle in her eye.

“She was still holding the cone and it smacked me on the cheeks. But the ice cream flew and hit a professor smack dab in the nose!” He burst out laughing unabashedly.

To her surprise, Grandma did as well. She quickly glanced around to see if the people around are now staring at them. Her face grew a deeper red.

“Her face was as red then as they are now,” Sage said and he and Grandma laughed harder.

She very nearly stabbed him with a fork at that point.

She was surprised when he suddenly turned serious, held her red cheek and looked at her eyes once again.

“That was when I knew I was in love with her. Right at that moment,” he said as he held his eyes in his.

It was as if he was about to kiss her. She held her breath.

“Delightful!” Grandma clapped, breaking the magic. She wiped the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief.

She was smiling as she looked at the two of them. Hope was radiating in those eyes.

It was at that instance that the waiter arrived to serve their meal, much to Lia's relief. She knew that her grandmother likes to eat in silence so she looked forward to at least 30 minutes of peace.

She had ordered a fillet mignon steak and was about to cut into it when Sage suddenly took her plate.

“What are you doing?” she asked, clearly irritated as she watched him quietly take his fork and knife, and start cutting up the steak into pieces.

He simply smiled at her as he continued slicing. When he was done, he placed the plate of sliced steak back in front of her.

He looked at her with his dark brown eyes, wearing what was becoming his signature dazzling smile, and said, “Bon appetit.”

For a moment -- just a quick moment -- Lia felt her heart skip a beat.

------------------------

The rest of the dinner went by peacefully, with Lia's grandmother happily conversing with Sage while Lia tried to keep herself calm and composed.

When the bill was served, it was Sage who received it from the waiter.

“Give that to me, young man,” Grandma Rose said. “I'll be paying for tonight's dinner.”

Sage simply shook his head. 

“Sage,” Lia chimed in, kicking his shin under the table. “Grandma was the one who invited us so it's okay.”

Sage winced in pain but stood his ground. “I cannot allow my girlfriend's grandmother to pay for our dinner. Tonight's meal is on me.”

Grandma Rose beamed with approval as she watched Sage take out a credit card and hand it to the waiter. “You are such a sweet boy!”

Lia merely rolled her eyes. Even if he wanted to continue getting on her grandmother’s good side, he shouldn’t be doing it at her expense. After all, when dinner is over and the old lady went on her way home, she would be the one shouldering all the expense!

The time finally came for Grandma Rose to leave and Lia and Sage accompanied her outside as she waited for her driver to pick her up.

“I had such a great time,” Grandma Rose said as she gave each a hug. “Young man, I would like you and Lia to join me for dinner again next time I visit the city.”

“Grandma, Sage is a very busy man. He can't always -” 

“Of course, ma'am. I’d be happy to accompany you to dinner the next time you are here.”

Why is no one listening to her tonight?!

Grandma Rose gave her granddaughter a stern look. “You don't have to come if you don't want to.”

I'm your relative, not him! she wanted to protest but chose to keep her silence as she watched the old lady board the car and leave.

When the car was finally out of sight, Lia pulled out her phone and turned to Sage. “Give me your bank account details.”

“Why?” Sage asked.

“So I can transfer your service fee and reimbursement for tonight's dinner expenses on your bank account,” Lia sighed in exasperation. “Hurry up, my car is here.”

“You're paying me?”

“I hired you to be my fake boyfriend, didn't I? Was I supposed to pay through your manager instead?” 

Sage looked at her in confusion. “I can't accept that payment.”

“Why not? If it's cash that you want, I'll need to find an ATM first.”

He frowned. “Do you always do this?”

“Do what?” Lia was beginning to get irritated. She was tired after being on edge the entire night that she just wanted to go home and sleep.

“Hire a random guy to be your boyfriend.”

“No, I was just desperate to get Grandma off my back for a few months,” she replied in an offhand manner. “She’s been bugging me to get married to someone else.”

Lia wondered if it was simply a trick of the light but she thought she saw Sage's face clear upon hearing her explanation.

“That’s good, then. You should go home.” He turned her towards her car and walked her around to the driver's side.

“But what about your payment?” she insisted as she sat down in the driver's seat.

He stopped for a moment, standing just outside the car, before he bent down and leaned inside.

Lia's eyes went wild as she saw his face quickly lean closer and before she knew it, she felt his lips press on hers. It happened so quickly that she was unable to react having been effectively pinned against the car seat.

“I'll take this as my payment,” he whispered in her ear. “Good night, Lia.” With that, he closed the car door and stepped away.

Lia felt her face burn upon realizing what had transpired. She quickly hit the ignition button of her car and sped away without so much as a glance at the man who watched her disappear on the horizon.