Meanwhile, Vic and I? We’re just two actors in a romance neither of us believes in, but somehow, we’re selling the hell out of it.

Kendra beams at us. “So, how long have you two been dating?”

“Five months,” I say at the same time Vic says, “seven months.”

I pause. He pauses. We literally practiced this a million times! Kendra tilts her head, amused.

But Vic lets out a deep, amused chuckle and shakes his head as if he and I have some inside joke. “See, this is exactly why I adore her.”

I blink. Adore? Excuse me? Doesn’t he mean ignore?

“Kerry’s adamant it’s been five months because she’s only counting from the day I finally convinced her to give me a real shot.” He smirks, leaning in, lowering his voice like he’s about to tell them the cutest story ever. “Before that, she kept saying we were just hanging out or casual.”

Kendra gasps, hand over her heart. “Oh, I love this!”

Jeff chuckles, shaking his head. “Man, I know that game. Women have flipped the script on us. Got us chasing them around.”

Vic grins, really laying it on thick now. “Right! I kept telling her, ‘Kerry, you’re literally at my home five days a week.’ I mean – my kids even love her. She’s practically their teacher at this point.”

Ooh, I’m going to kill him!

But Kendra is eating this up. “Oh, my goodness, and what did she say?”

I open my mouth to correct this absolute nonsense, but Vic beats me to it.

“She said, ‘Nope. Until we go on a real date, I’m single.’” He shakes his head dramatically, squeezing my hand again. “So, if you ask her, we’ve only been together five months. But if you ask me, I was hers the moment I saw her.”

Kendra lets out a dreamy sigh. Jeff claps him on the damn back like he’s just won an award. I sit there, stunned, because this lying, sneaky, manipulative bastard just spun our blatant mistake into the cutest love story of all time.

And worse? I can’t deny any of it without looking like a total ass. So, instead, I do the only thing I can, I smile and lean in just enough to sell it, and then…

I jam my elbow right into his side. Vic tenses, his grip on my hand tightening just slightly before he lets out a choked laugh, covering like a pro.

“So, Jeff,” I say sweetly, smoothly pivoting the conversation to business, the actual reason we’re here. “What do you think about outdoor patio dining?”

Jeff’s eyes light up. “I think it’s a great idea. Outdoor seating is in high demand these days, especially with the town’s rapid growth. It’d be perfect for your new restaurant, Vic.”