“I do,” she answered, playing along as a plan began to form. It took her barely ten seconds to make up her mind. “What day?” she asked.

Both men turned to stare at her.

“The wedding. What’s the date?” she elaborated.

Alexander swallowed visibly, then said, “Saturday, December twenty-third. And apparently there’s a rehearsal dinner Friday as well that, um, I’m supposed to have a date for.”

“He’s a groomsmen,” Evan supplied hooking a thumb in his friend’s direction.

“Hence our trip to the tuxedo shop,” she guessed, putting the pieces together.

He nodded while Evan’s brows shot up with interest. “What trip is this?”

“Nothing,” Alexander said.

She’d been planning on leaving right from work Friday the twenty-second. She had the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day off, as did the rest of the company, so she wouldn’t have to return to the city until January first.

But in light of what was waiting for her at home—namely Jeff and her mom pushing them together—those ten days home looked less and less enticing.

It would feel like an eternity. Her favorite time of the year and her first vacation from work since starting and it was all going to be ruined by Jeff showing up and following her around like a lovesick puppy, if she didn’t do something.

But, if she went to this wedding with Alexander, then maybe she could get him to agree to do something for her. Such as come home with her this weekend and scare off her much too friendly high school ex-boyfriend.

Her actually dating someone else might be the only thing to combat her mother’s matchmaking and Jeff’s sudden and unexplained enthusiasm for her a decade after they’d broken up.

“I can make that work,” she blurted.

“What?” Alexander’s eyes flew wide.

“Great!” Evan grinned, speaking over his friend.

“If you do something for me,” she added.

Evan’s brows rose over hazel eyes that sparked with interest. “That sounds intriguing.”

“Why are you still here?” Alexander glared at him, before turning back to her. “What did you have in mind? And remember, I don’t control promotions or raises.”

She waved that away. “It’s not work related. It’s personal.”

“I like the sound of that.”

They both turned to glare at Evan for that comment this time.

“Sorry,” he mumbled but didn’t leave.

“What are you doing this weekend?” she asked Alexander.

He looked understandably cautious as he said, “Uh, nothing, I guess. Why?”

Things were looking promising. Her lips twitched with a smile. “How would you feel about a little road trip?"