Duncan raised an eyebrow.

“I’m more the best friend,” she continued, feeling the hole getting deeper and deeper. “The girl you talk to, not the girl you sleep with. The one you take home to Mom when you want to convince her you’re dating a nice girl.”

“Exactly,” he said.

What? “You want to introduce me to your mother?”

“No. I want to introduce you to everyone else. I want you to be my date for all the social events I have going on this holiday season. You’ll show the world I’m not a complete bastard.”

“I don’t understand.” He was hiring her to be his date? “You could go out with anyone you want.”

“True, but the women I want to go out with don’t solve my problem. You do.”

“How?”

“You teach small children, look after your family. You’re a nice girl. I need nice. In return your brother doesn’t go to jail.” He folded his arms across his chest. “Annie, if you say yes, your brother gets the help he needs. If you say no, he goes to jail.”

As if she hadn’t figured that out on her own. “You don’t play fair, do you?”

“I play to win. So which will it be?”

Two

While Duncan waited for his answer, Annie grabbed a kitchen chair and pulled it over to the refrigerator. She reached the overhead cupboard and pulled out a box of high-fiber cereal. After opening it, she removed a plastic bag filled with orange and brown M &M’s.

“What are you doing?” he asked, wondering if the stress had pushed her over the edge.

“Getting my secret stash. I live with three other women. If you think chocolate would last more than fifteen seconds in this house, you’re deluding yourself.” She scooped out a handful, then put the plastic bag back in the box and slid the box onto the shelf.

“Why are they that color?”

She looked at him as if he were an idiot, then climbed down from the chair. “They’re from Halloween. I bought them November first, when they’re half off. It’s a great time to buy seasonal candy. They taste just as good. M &M’s are my weakness.” She popped two in her mouth and sighed. “Better.”