Fake Spring Fling (Fake to Real #6)

Chapter 1

1

MADISON

I stare down at my empty salad bowl glumly. Damn. I wish I’d had the burger.

I look around at the classic Formica tables, teal vinyl booths, and black and white tile floor nervously. Ray’s Diner’s classic fifties kitsch decor usually makes me feel calm. But today I’m not here to enjoy a burger, coffee, and an hour with a good book. I’m waiting for my two party girlfriends to explain why I’m apparently completely booked for this weekend, and why they had to tell me in person.

The diner is fairly quiet. There’s an older man doing a crossword at the counter, a broad-shouldered guy with his back to me half-hidden around the corner, and of course, Claudia, my favorite waitress.

Her ponytail swings jauntily as she swings by my table with a coffee pot. “Top up?”

“Sure. Thanks.”

“No burger today?” she asks.

“Too nervous to eat anything big. Friends of mine are dropping by.”

She gives me the look . I’ve seen her use that look on other people: it makes them blurt out all kinds of truths. Apparently it works on me too, since I suddenly find myself muttering, “Well, former close friends, who are now just acquaintances. I need to hang out with them for a business thing, but I can’t let them see me breaking their glamour girl rules which apparently include not eating food with your hands in public. Is that pathetic?”

Claudia waves her hand dismissively. “Honey, you do you. We all have to manage however we can.” She returns to the counter, where I know she’s got a textbook hidden. She usually only works weekends now that she’s going to school, so it’s odd that she’s here on a Thursday.

The bell over the door tinkles and I hear a cheerful screech. “ Madison !!!”

Lauren and Sarah fly, plopping themselves down across from me in the booth. They both have perfectly highlighted dark blonde hair, designer outfits, and matching manicures in a trendy color that I’ve recently learned is called “greige”. They’re also both front desk clerks at a high-end hotel – the kind I want to manage someday. Hence our meeting.

“Hey!” I crank my smile to a much higher wattage. “Thanks for coming by. So, tell me - what’s going on this weekend?”

Sarah glances at Lauren. “ Love her. Always straight to the point.” She grins, thumbs flying across her iPhone…the latest model, I notice. Then mine beeps from my purse. “We’re taking you to the Aadland Sandersville Lodge for the weekend. It’s going to be party central for a bunch of industry people. Good industry connections.”

“Really? Thank you!” Everyone in the hotel service industry has been talking about this spring mixer event for ages. I’m both excited to go and dreading the inevitable deafening party zone that I’ll be dragged to.

Lauren sweeps her hair back with a laugh, then fixes me with a look, which is why I presume she wanted to meet me face to face. “But we have some conditions. You have to come party with us! We want to see your fun side again.”

They don’t seem to get that I never really had a fun side. Yes, I went out with them occasionally, just to check out the fancy clubs they went to. But for every thirty times they went out, I probably joined them once. Somehow, they’ve forgotten that part. Still, they drink copious amounts of champagne. That might explain the disconnect.

“I really appreciate this. And yes, I’ll bring my dancing shoes.”

“And your sexiest outfits,” Sarah grins, pointing her index finger at me in a looping motion. “There’s going to be an absolute ton of hot guys there. Go all out – push-up bra, the good lip gloss, that salt spray stuff to give yourself bed head hair.”

Oh my God. My polite smile remains firmly locked in place. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Lauren reaches out and taps my hand. “Hey, if you want to get ahead in the hotel industry, you need to know everyone . And that includes hot guys. Call it research.” Her phone beeps and she squeals gleefully. “Eee! We’re on the guest list for tonight! But we need to be there in twenty minutes.”

Sarah is already standing. “We’ll text you tomorrow about which car we’re taking. Todd, Lewis and Asher are all coming as well.”

“Great!” I hope that my smile is still believable. Those three have a ton of connections in our industry but always attract a swarm of fellow party-bros as well. “Thanks so much, talk soon.”

They’re already zooming out the door as I exhale, my forehead drooping toward my coffee.

Claudia sidles over. “You okay, Madison?”

“I’ll…survive.”

“Is this a situation that requires fudge and coconut cream pie?”

I shake my head, laughing quietly. “No, thank you.”

Her hand lands on my shoulder. “Okay, I’ll say it. You don’t seem happy.”

I shrug. “And I should be. Who wouldn’t want to go to a fancypants lakeside resort in Sandersville? I mean, I’m not into partying these days, but there’s one important connection I’ve been dying to make there. And apparently the place is super pretty.”

The bell over the door rings again. Claudia gives my shoulder another pat, then grabs menus and escorts a group of teenagers to a booth at the side. I take a sip of coffee, wondering if I’m going to have to switch to energy drinks to make it through the weekend.

I take a deep breath and straighten my shoulders. Discomfort is where we grow . I read that somewhere recently. I’ve always thought I’d do anything to get ahead. Now’s my chance.

“Hey.”

The broad-shouldered man has turned around. My eyelids flutter open and shut so sharply I’m surprised they don’t click. The man is gorgeous .

“Yes?”

“You say you’re going to the Aadland Sandersville Lodge this weekend?”

“Yes.”

“May I join you for a moment?”

My breath hitches. “Sure.”

He picks up his coffee, slides into the booth across from me, then sticks out his hand. “Wyatt.”

“Madison.” I like his handshake. Some men are way too gentle with women. Wyatt shakes my hand firmly. Like he means it.

“Such a coincidence.” A smile lights up his vivid green eyes. “My sister is dragging me to that resort this weekend for her engagement party.”

“Engagement party? That place is fancy enough for a wedding.”

He rolls his eyes. “I know. My sister is…ridiculous. To be honest, all three of my sisters are, but Tanya is the worst. Everything has to be a thing with her – to impress her “followers” on social media. Apparently the engagement party is going to be”…he makes sarcastic air quotes…“over the moon, and super romantic yet family-focused.”

I can’t suppress a giggle. “That does sound ridiculous. I’m so sorry.”

“I noticed the way your jaw tightened when your friends mentioned all the guys who are going to be there.”

“Yeah.” My head shakes. “Drunk party guys are not my thing.”

“What if you already had a guy on your arm?” His smile draws my attention to his full bottom lip, and the way his defined jaw becomes even more so when he smiles. “What if we went there as a couple ,” he says with some more air quotes. “It would keep the guys away from you at your thing, and it would give me an excuse to do the bare minimum of family stuff at mine.”

I grip my coffee mug, as if that’s somehow going to ground me. My head’s spinning. The most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen wants me to go away with him for the weekend and pretend we’re a couple? “What… What would I have to do?”

“Just sit through a fancy family dinner. Okay, maybe a cocktail hour too, and a brunch. My family are over the top, but they’re pleasant enough.”

My heart has suddenly abandoned its usual steady rhythm and is speeding up to rival the choppy beat of a punk band. “Hmm. My friends will wonder why I haven’t mentioned you before…”

Wyatt casually shrugs his massive shoulders. “Tell them you’re keeping it quiet because you think I’m just a fling.”

My eyes grow huge. “Excuse me? I don’t fling .”

“Even better – they’ll want to believe it if it’s out of character. That way, they’ve got some dirt on you. They’re clearly party girls. Party girls like dirt.”

My head shakes again. “They weren’t always like that. In school they were pretty focused…well, for the first few months.”

His hand lands on the table and I have a strange, inexplicable urge to reach for it. A shiver runs through me. If we did go together…pretending we were a couple…this guy would be sitting beside me, putting an arm around me, holding my hand all weekend. All that stuff I’ve been dying to explore but haven’t had a chance.

I can tell he’s a nice man. He’s probably in his mid-thirties, but there’s a boyish charm that I find engaging. There’s also just so much of him. He’s a big guy and looks very strong. I’m discovering this very second that is apparently something I crave. Who knew?

Claudia swings by with the coffee pot and pauses at our table, picking up my salad bowl. “I don’t know what this little chat is about, and I don’t need to, but Madison, you should know that Wyatt is a sweetheart. He’s been coming here for ages. I trust him. Carry on.”

He chuckles. “Official Claudia stamp of approval.”

He reaches out to tap my wrist. “I’m sorry that you’re growing apart from your friends. But you can’t waste this opportunity. There are beautiful hiking trails, and an amazing lakefront. Plus, I can drive you.”

“We’ll have to get to know each other on the way, so your family will believe that we’re dating.”

He grins. “Yes. We’ll be a brand-new couple for my family, and a fling for your party girl friends. It’ll be easy. Maybe we can find a bit of mellow vacation time. What do you say?”

He’s so earnest. I really do trust him. Glancing over at Claudia, she nods from the counter and mouths the words, “Go for it.”

I dig out my phone and text my group chat with the girls, holding the screen out so Wyatt can read.

The guy I’ve been sort of seeing is going to drive me to the resort, so I’ll just meet you there tomorrow afternoon.

Sarah responds almost immediately.

Sarah: GUY?!?

It’s just a fling. He’s got a family thing there, so we’re going to see what happens.

Sarah: You’re having a weekend fling? Good for you! Go for it, girl!

Lauren: Amazing!

As I set the phone down, my hand is trembling with nerves. I cannot believe this is happening. I also can’t believe I’m spending time with a gorgeous stranger.

Wyatt frowns. “Did you only have that salad for dinner?”

“Yes.”

He waves Claudia over. “Um, we have a trip to plan tonight, and a long drive tomorrow. As your chauffeur/fellow trip coordinator/fling, I strongly suggest you have a burger with me.”

Having him insist that I eat more fills me with a warm glow. It’s caring, which feels like a great sign even if this is just pretend.

“Only if we split the sweet potato fries.”

He laughs. “Perfect fling behavior. Let’s do it.”