Free Dreams of Perfection (Dreams Come True) by Rebecca Heflin

called.
    “Did you get the flowers I sent?”
    Darcy looked around at the growing collection of vases filled with everything from calla lilies to exotic orchids.
    “Yes. Blake, you really didn’t need to send flowers every day you’ve been gone.”
    “Yes I did. I couldn’t let you forget me, now could I?”
    Right. She’d be more likely to forget her own name. “Are you back?”
    “Yes, and I’d love to see you tonight if you have the time.”
    Hmm, let me check my calendar. Yep, all clear. “I’d love that.”
    Two hours later, Josh sat back in his chair, stretched, then scrubbed his fingers through his hair. He thought he could swing a settlement with the bank and keep Kelly’s home. It would put all his negotiation and mediation skills to the test, but right now, he’d lay odds on a victory.
    His assistant, Miranda, knocked before sticking her head in the door. “This report just came for you by courier. Figured it must be important.” She handed him a large manila envelope with his name on it and the people locator service’s return address.
    “Thanks.”
    Anxious for the results that would reveal Blake as a fraud, but reluctant to tell Darcy the cold truth he knew the documents held, he drew the typewritten report and its exhibits from the envelope.
    Skimming the pages, Josh couldn’t believe it. Everything checked out; from Blake’s prep-school education to his Harvard degrees; from his residency at Johns Hopkins to his fellowship at University of California, San Diego. And that scar, it was real, too. They had the medical records from Peru to prove it.
    How can that be? Everything that Darcy wrote about the fictional Blake Garrett was true for the real Blake Garrett. 
    Josh didn’t like to think of himself as a cynic, but he did think a healthy dose of skepticism had served him well from time to time. And this was one of those times.
    Blake Garrett’s very existence was a mystery, but Josh relished solving mysteries.
    Darcy snuggled closer to Blake as they sat in front of the alfresco fireplace on Gansevoort’s rooftop, the April evening still carrying a slight chill, especially on the roof. New York’s hottest nightspot, the Gansevoort Park Rooftop boasted three levels of open-air terraces, bars, and dancing. After a fabulous dinner, the two settled in front of the fire, after-dinner drinks in hand.
    Darcy thought she’d have to remind herself to ask Blake questions about his past, as if she knew nothing about him. When she developed a character, she knew everything there was to know, right down to shoe size. After all, you know what they say about men and shoe size. She’d been curious to see if his real past matched up to the one she’d written. But all evening, Blake kept her talking about herself.
    She appreciated his desire to get to know her, and he really seemed to be listening, but she was beginning to feel like an honoree on a revival of This Is Your Life . She half-expected Regis Philbin to walk out any second. They were already up to Darcy Butler, the college years.
    “So, you went to Columbia for college?” Blake’s hand was making soothing circles on her back, and between the rich meal, the alcohol, and the cozy warmth of Blake’s arm, she struggled a bit to stay awake.
    “Hmm. Yes. Bachelor’s in Creative Writing.”
    “And now you’re a best-selling author. What’s the name of your latest book?”
    “The Doc—” Darcy bolted upright. Holy cow! What am I going to tell him about The Doctor’s Dilemma ? The book from whence he sprung? “Um, we’re still working out a title.”
    “Oh. Well, I’ll have to read it when it comes out.”
    No. You really don’t. She had to put a stop to this topic of conversation. At least until she could work out how to best handle the fact she’d written about him before she even knew he existed. She covered a feigned yawn.
    “Are you tired?” Blake asked.
    “No, I think I’m just boring myself with all this talk about me.”