Free The Arrangement by Hilary Hamblin Page A

homecoming game and even then sometimes they were so caught up in socializing during the tailgate before the game they never actually made it to the field until well after half-time. In contrast to Ben, their interest in current events, particularly world health issues, dominated their conversations.
    Evie shook her head. The glowing green numbers on the dashboard clock reminded her she would be late for the only date that mattered.
    Just over a half hour later she arrived in the crowded parking lot of a rustic diner. The paint on the wooden building peeled in the damp fall weather. A flashing arrow sign proudly proclaimed the nightly special of chicken-fried steak and mashed potatoes. Secretly she thought about how comforting this traditionally Southern food would taste but then reminded herself of the extra pounds it would add and the arteries it would clog—all indoctrinations that stemmed from living with two doctors most of her life.
    She eased through the gravel parking lot to an empty space almost hidden from view behind the building. She had seen Ben’s Honda on the other side of the lot but decided to park as far from him as possible. Her shiny BMW convertible stuck out among the sedans and mini-vans enough, so she did not need to draw attention to his vehicle as well. She pulled a scarf from her purse and tied it attractively around her shining blond hair to keep it from glowing too much in the headlights of the other vehicles pulling into the parking lot. It was starting to turn dark so early now.
    With one last glance through the parking lot she climbed from her car and weaved through the other vehicles, her loafers crunching the gravel beneath her feet with every step. Her heart rate quickened as the headlights of another vehicle momentarily spotlighted her. She automatically turned her face away, hoping the driver would not recognize her.
    “Man, I’m paranoid,” she whispered to herself. Would any of her parents’ friends actually come to a joint like this? Probably not, but their patients might, and she couldn’t take any chances. She grimaced as her hand slid on a greasy door handle. She held the offending hand away from her, wishing for a clean sink and soap. Something told her it wouldn’t be the only time that evening she would wish to wash away the grime of such a quaint restaurant.
    But all thoughts of grimy hands and greasy door handles slid from her mind as she saw Ben. He sat in a corner booth in the back of the restaurant with a tall menu hiding all but his intense brown eyes. They sparkled as they locked with hers.
    “Table for one, miss?” a tall, overly tanned woman asked, her voice husky and breath heavy with cigarette smoke. She stopped talking before Evie had a chance to really look, but she was almost certain several of the woman’s front teeth were missing.
    Evie smiled politely. “No, I’m meeting someone,” she explained in a heavy Southern accent and headed toward the table where her sweetheart waited for her. As she approached, dodging servers with food-laden trays, she wondered if she looked okay. She had tried to downplay her fashion sense for the evening. She hadn’t felt so nervous about a date since the first night she and Ben went out. The butterflies in her stomach nose-dived when Ben winked at her.
    “Hi,” she whispered as she finally sat opposite him.
    “Hi, yourself,” he whispered in return as he moved the menu and showered her with a glowing smile. “You’re late,” he reminded her with an edge of scolding even though the smile never faded.
    How could she tell him she was caught up in a date with another man? Sure, the date was Ben’s idea, but how would he react when he discovered she forgot about the time?
    “I’m sorry,” she retorted and grimaced at her tone. She didn’t want the evening to start this way. They would have a lot of secret dinners over the next several months. She didn’t want to get off to a bad start. “Traffic was horrible,”