“You do?” I blink in surprise.

He nods. “I should have said something sooner, I know it isn’t fair to keep you hanging on, when I know, you’ll want to be making real plans for the future.”

He smiles again, and I feel a wave of relief and excitement sweep through me.

The future? We’re on the same page!

I breathe out in a happy whoosh. “I don’t know why I’ve been nervous, waiting to say something,” I admit. “It just feels weird, talking about this stuff.”

“I know,” Dash agrees with a chuckle. “But you’re going to have to get used to talking about it. I mean, if we’re going to be a real partnership.”

“You’re right.” My smile spreads, giddy. A partnership! “I promise, I won’t beat around the bush again if there’s something we need to talk about.”

“Because it’s not just the two of us,” he adds, taking a casual sip of wine. “It’s the whole team.”

“Right,” I agree eagerly, then realize what he’s said. Wait, what team?

“Which is why I stopped by the office and picked this up.” Dash continues. He reaches into his jacket pocket, and pulls out a folded slip of paper, then slides it across the table to me with a smile.

I take it, confused. “What’s this?” I ask, as I unfold it to find…

A check.

“What you were talking about,” Dash says, looking confused. “The investment. I’m sorry I left you hanging on this week, I had to get the contracts all squared away.”

“The investment,” I echo, all my excitement draining away. And just like that, I feel like the biggest idiot in New York City—maybe even the world. This whole time, we’ve been having two different conversations.

He wasn’t talking about our relationship, or his feelings for me, but instead, this:

A check made out to my new company for $200,000.

The waitress arrives with our steaks, and Dash is all smiles, joking with her, and happily digging into the food. “What did I tell you?” he says, taking another bite. “So good. You need to try this béarnaise, too. Here, try some of mine.”

I sit there, miserable. This is exactly why people say you should never mix money and friendship. Or… Other relationships. Naked ones. Because it blurs all the lines, and makes it impossible to tell what’s real, and what’s just another part of the deal.

What am I going to say to him now,. ‘Thanks for your massive check, can we talk about how I’m in serious danger of falling in love with you?’

I know that the money in my hand is what I wanted. Hell, it’s the reason I signed on to be his fake girlfriend in the first place. But that was when I thought he was nothing but a cocky playboy with more money than sense.

Before our jokes and banter, and getting to know him.

Before my heart started doing that pesky flutter every time he smiles at me.