Page 70 of Bossy Billionaire's Pretend Fiancée

"I need you to return to New York and get ready to drive me back to New Jersey tonight.”

"Yes, of course, sir."

"Thank you, David."

As the day wore on, I felt excited about meeting Elizabeth’s parents. I knew that they’d had a close relationship as Elizabeth grew up.

Meeting her parents under these circumstances was far from what we would have planned. It was a step toward the life I wanted to build with Elizabeth, and I was ready for it.

I busied myself to get everything done quickly and efficiently so I could head to New Jersey as soon as possible.

Meeting Elizabeth's parents was an entirely new territory for me, and I couldn't deny the nervous excitement coursing through me.

I'd never met the family of any of the women I’d casually dated in the past. But being with Elizabeth felt completely different; she was carrying my child.

I wanted to make a great first impression.

Throughout the day, Elizabeth and I exchanged texts as she filled me in on her parents: her father was a retired Army Lt. Col, and her mother was a therapist who’d worked in the Army before starting a private practice.

As I sat in my office, my phone buzzed with another message from Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Parker

My dad can be a bit reserved at first. But once he warms up, he's a total sweetheart. My mom is the talkative one, and she's super welcoming.

I chuckled at her description and quickly replied.

Thanks for the heads-up. I'll do my best to make a good impression. Anything I should avoid talking about?

You can probably avoid politics and controversial topics. You know, the usual things people avoid talking about until they know each other better?

Inodded, making a mental note to avoid heated discussions. Elizabeth had also mentioned that a bottle of wine would be the perfect gift for her parents. I delegated that task to my assistant, Amelia. She had excellent taste in wine and always knew where to find the best bottles.

I buzzed Amelia and asked her to drop by my office. Moments later, she walked in.

"Sir?" she asked brightly, setting a stack of files on my desk.

"I'm meeting Elizabeth's parents tonight and want to bring them a nice bottle of wine. Can you grab one? You know what I like."

Amelia's eyes twinkled with mischief, and she flashed a knowing smile.

"Meeting the parents, huh? Sounds serious. Don't worry, Mr. Hartman, I've got you covered. Red or white?"

"Red," I replied, smiling back at her. "Something that'll make a good impression."

She took my credit card with a nod.

The hours passed slowly, each minute feeling like an eternity as I awaited the evening. Although Elizabeth had said she didn’t have much growing up, her parents sounded intelligent and accomplished, and I wanted to make a good impression.

The clock on my office wall moved slowly as I counted the minutes until I could leave for the day. It was 4 p.m., and I had plans to leave work earlier than usual to avoid the worst traffic driving into New Jersey.

Meeting Elizabeth's parents was a big deal, and I wanted to ensure everything went well.

Driving home, my mind raced with thoughts of the evening ahead. I stopped by my bedroom to change into something more comfortable and settled on a crisp white shirt, black slacks, and a sports coat, and then I headed down to find Hilda.

I found her in the living room. Elizabeth had told her parents that we had an engagement party planned for two weeks from now.

Although she thought it was a lie, it sounded like an opportunity for me to move our relationship in the direction I wanted.