I Quit Being His Replacement Girlfriend, Then He Finally Panicked Chapter 02

I Quit Being His Replacement Girlfriend, Then He Finally Panicked Chapter 02

Dashiell pressed his lips together.

“You really don’t have to do this. I never meant—”

“I do.”

I cut him off.

I refused to become the girl someone settled for in any relationship.

And I refused to have this story come out later and be accused of stealing another woman’s boyfriend.

“I won’t tell anyone,” I said. “You don’t have to worry about Elodie finding out we ever talked.”

Dash was silent for a long time.

Then he said, solemnly, “To make it up to you, I’ll do one thing for you. Anything you want.”

“As long as I can do it.”

He looked so serious.

As if, if I refused, it meant I was trying to use this mistake to cling to him.

I had no intention of asking him for anything.

But to put him at ease, I nodded anyway. Only then did he relax.

“Then eat first. Dinner’s on me.”

I picked up my bag and stood.

“No. I have work this afternoon.”

I was back at my desk on time.

My lunch buddy, Pippa Rowe, stared at me like I had walked in wearing a wedding dress.

“Didn’t you take the day off to meet your online boyfriend? Why are you back to the grind already?”

To meet Dash, I had dressed carefully and taken a full day off.

But since it had all been a case of mistaken identity, there was no reason to waste the rest of my PTO.

When I stayed quiet, Pippa seemed to understand. She patted my shoulder.

“That’s online dating for you. People never look exactly like their profile.”

I gave a bitter smile.

I didn’t tell her it was worse than that.

A few days later, Pippa leaned close and whispered, “Have you heard? Elodie Trask has a rich boyfriend now.”

“For the past few days, a different luxury car has been pulling up outside the office to pick her up after work.”

My fingers paused on the keyboard.

After meeting Dash that day, I had gone to Elodie.

She had accepted his follow request with obvious doubt and said she didn’t believe in online dating, but she would meet him and talk first.

Apparently, that first meeting had gone very well.

While I was distracted, Pippa nudged my arm.

I looked up and found Elodie standing beside my desk.

A Coach gift bag sat on top of my keyboard.

“Thanks to you sending Dash my handle, we got the chance to meet,” Elodie said. “This is a little something from both of us. I hope you’ll take it.”

Then she handed Pippa an insulated takeout bag.

“My boyfriend ordered extra food for me. You can have this.”

Pippa’s eyes lit up. She cupped Elodie’s face and kissed her twice.

“Ellie, I love you so much.”

After looking inside, Pippa made a confused sound.

“Wait. I thought this place didn’t do delivery. Did they finally start?”

“Maris’s boyfriend ordered from the same place for her last time.”

“Really?”

Elodie’s expression shifted.

Then she changed the subject and looked at me.

“By the way, I never asked. How do you know Dash?”

Her searching gaze prickled across my skin.

“I only know his friend,” I said. “After he found out you and I were coworkers, he asked a friend to get your contact from me.”

“You’re beautiful. It’s not that strange that he fell for you at first sight.” Everything I said was technically true. I had only polished it a little.

“You’re exaggerating.” Elodie gave a shy smile and stopped asking.

The moment she left, Pippa exploded beside me.

“You weren’t kidding when you said you had good luck.”

“You found yourself a rich hopeless romantic online, and then you somehow set Elodie up with one too.”

“Please assign me one next.”

I could only laugh dryly.

“That’s because she’s amazing on her own.”

“If I had that kind of power, my own online relationship wouldn’t have crashed and burned.”

“You have time to joke? Start worrying about that impossible client tomorrow morning.”

Pippa deflated instantly.

That evening, rain came down out of nowhere.

While I was waiting outside the office, Elodie came over and linked her arm through mine.

“It’s pouring. Don’t take the bus in this. We’ll drive you home.”

I was about to refuse.

Dash spoke before I could refuse.

“Get in.”

“This rain isn’t stopping anytime soon.”

They were both being so insistent that refusing again would only make me look deliberate.

But when I reached for the back door, Dash suddenly opened the front passenger door for me.

“Don’t you get carsick? Sit up front.”