Better Off Dead by Eva Sloan Page A

thought she was going to throw up if she was going to have watched him eat all that.
    But since this was her fantasy restaurant, she wanted to order something really good.  She’d been eating mostly her grandmother’s cooking and McDonalds, so eating at a high class eatery was an event. 
    Her mouth watered as she looked over the choices.  Everything on the menu looked good, especially since there weren’t any prices on it.  Maybe a combo platter of a little of everything…maybe the size of the table?                
    Then she thought of how she hated feeling so thankful for being there.  Being like that, feeling that way, it just made her mad.  How had she gotten this far down?
    “I’ll have the grilled chicken and a spring leaf salad with honey mustard dressing on the side.”  She was going to trim down to her old size—she’d just decided.  And she was going to demand weekly trips to this very restaurant in their negotiations.  That way she’d get over this whole “thankful for things” phase.
     
    ~*~
     
    Negotiations went well until Luvici asked for too little money.  Why he’d decided to low ball the other lawyer made no sense to Lucy.  All she could think was, That’s not enough.  That’s not even half what I need.
    “I’m sorry Mr. Enoch,” she interrupted, “but Frank misunderstood what amount I require to do this…bit of acting.”  This made Luvici flinch, and made Dante squint at Lucy like she was out of her mind.  “I need at least three hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars.  And that’s just at the end of the job.  What I need now is a charge card for shopping.”
    “Shopping?”  Dante squinted even harder at her.
    “Shopping…you know?  Every young woman’s favorite past time.  I need a whole new wardrobe…that is if you want Gabriel’s parents to believe I come from a good family.  I imagine since you’re their lawyer that you’ll keep my father’s legal problems, and my family’s money problems, from them.  You’d handle that sort of investigation for them, right?”
    “Well, yes…” Dante said, looking surprised.
    “So, I’ll need to shop to pull off the rest of it.  And I’ll need use of a car.”
    The look on Dante’s face was wide eyed surrender.  Lucy had to smile.
    “Well, I can’t be expected to take the bus to go shopping, or to go wherever it is I’ll end up having to go during this hoax.”
    “This isn’t just some childish prank, Miss Hart.”  Dante’s tone was scolding, and his expression could be taken as the beginnings of a heart attack.  He looked stressed and weary as hell.  “This is a very important, very serious matter.  Gabriel’s father…everyone in the family must be convinced that you are Gabriel’s betrothed.”
    Lucy leaned forward and instinctively took Dante’s still very warm hand and smiled reassuringly.  “I can do this.  I promise.  I’ll make even you think that I’m in love with that arrogant jerk.  So no worries, okay?”
    A sudden understanding passed between them.  They knew that they needed each other, and that they would both uphold their part of the deal.
    “Done,” Dante said pulling his hand gently from Lucy’s and straightening his tie and suit.  “Three hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars at service end, use of a car and a credit card for shopping purposes.”
    “And some mad money.”
    “Mad money?”
    “And a cell phone.  I’ll run through the minutes on this thing in no time.”  She held up her little pre-paid phone and waved it at Dante.     
                         “Maybe you’d like a computer too.”  Dante said wearily, yet with definite sarcasm.
    “No,” Lucy said, sticking out her lower lip, thinking.  “Just make it an iphone.  Then I can do whatever I need, internet wise, through that.”
    Luvici coughed and turned away in his seat so Dante wouldn’t notice he was laughing.
    Dante smiled as Luvici’s