Chapter 10
Samuel
Tip #10: Be slow when enacting any private plans inside your fake relationship. Chances like this are once in a lifetime.
“ I t was a pleasure meeting with you, Mr. Reeves. I look forward to our next discussion.” I shook the client’s hand at the entrance of the upscale Milwaukee restaurant we’d met at for dinner. The savory aroma of grilled steak and seared scallops lingered in the air.
“Likewise, Mr. Warner. Thank you for showing my team the print samples. We’ll be in touch soon to let you know which design we decide on.” Mr. Reeves nodded curtly and turned to leave, his Italian leather shoes clicking on the polished marble floor.
Satisfaction hummed through me as I watched him leave. Another pleased client. Warner Print wasn’t worth so much merely because we had an expansive business designing and printing marketing materials; it was because we retained clients. We still had clients Grandfather Warner had onboarded before my dad even started working with him.
“Sam?” Miguel’s efficient voice pulled me from my thoughts. “The valet just brought your Porsche around.”
“Thanks, Miguel,” I said. “You have all the print samples we brought? The new cardstock options and foil-embossed mock-ups?”
“All accounted for.” Miguel patted the sleek black suitcase he wheeled alongside him. “We’re good to go.”
“Perfect.” I clapped him on the shoulder. “Then let’s hit the road.”
We strode out into the bitter night air. It wasn’t snowing, but the wind was awful. I tipped the valet as Miguel stowed the suitcase in the back seat. By the time I slid into the driver’s seat, Miguel was hopping into the passenger seat.
The purr of the engine filled the air as we buckled in, and I drove out of the parking lot.
“Thanks for your help tonight,” I said as the car smoothly rolled down the street. “The meeting went off without a hitch, and Mr. Reeves is one of our pickier clients.”
“Of course. It was the office support staff who prepped everything, though.” Miguel pulled out his phone, his thumbs flying over the screen. The blue glow illuminated his face in the dimness of the car. I merged onto the highway, the city lights blurring into streaks of neon color.
As we cruised along, I recalled what I’d heard Miguel tell Charlotte, Isaac’s executive assistant, this morning. “Didn’t you say Kyle was sick this morning? Is he doing any better?”
Miguel glanced up from his phone, his brow furrowing slightly at the mention of his husband. “Actually, I was just checking in with him. He said he’s feeling a little better. Hopefully it was just a short flu and he’ll sleep through the night.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Me too.” Miguel tucked his phone away and shifted to face me. “But now that the dinner is over and we have no pressing business matters to discuss, it’s high time you tell me how the family dinner went with Natalie.”
I kept my eyes on the road, grateful for the excuse not to meet his probing gaze.
Miguel was the only one on my side who knew Natalie and I were fake dating; it was unavoidable since he was privy to my schedule. But he also knew of my additional… aspirations.
I schooled my features into a mask of nonchalance. “It went as expected, with smiles all around. I poured on the charm, Natalie played her part. Mother and the others were thoroughly fooled into thinking our relationship was genuine.”
“Mmhmm.” Miguel leaned back in his seat. “And I’m sure you hated every minute of it?”
My mind flashed back to last night—Natalie’s melodic laugh, the way that black dress hugged her curves, the spark in her eyes when she smiled...
“It’s all part of the plan, Miguel.” I kept my voice light, belying the tension thrumming through me. “Natalie doesn’t suspect a thing. As far as she’s concerned, this is just business.”
“Sure,” Miguel agreed. “But you said Natalie did well?”
“Yes. She was perfectly pleasant. She didn’t even blink when Isaac slipped up and mentioned it was a shame so much of downtown Fox Creek was protected from being knocked down by historic preservation codes.”
“You sound bothered she didn’t mind.”
“No,” I said. “It’s just that if I had been the one to say that, she would have probably arranged for my car to be towed by claiming I broke some obscure parking law.”
“She must really want your families to get along after all. The poor dear,” Miguel said. “She has no idea what’s coming, and your insistence on all this subterfuge is going to make your little plan blow up in your face.”
“You were congratulating me when I first announced Natalie’s proposal.”
“I was,” Miguel agreed. “Because I thought you would make your move faster than turtle speed.”
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. “I’ve got this handled.”
Even as the words left my lips, a flicker of doubt crept in. I was good at my job. Warner Print was my family’s legacy, and I intended to live up to it. But this deal with Natalie… it did strike me that it was perhaps a little cruel to have her working so hard for our families when I had an ulterior motive.
“I suppose you haven’t bungled anything yet,” Miguel said, breaking into my thoughts. “I thought for sure Natalie would see right through you, but you’ve been fine so far.”
I chuckled. “Ye of little faith. She hasn’t caught on despite all these years.”
“Are you so sure about that?” Miguel asked. “You really think she doesn’t suspect anything? She’s dangerously smart.”
“I’m positive.” I thought of the way she’d bristled in this very car on the way to my mother’s house. “And by the time she realizes the truth, it’ll be too late.”
Miguel cleared his throat. “Fine, great, but once again I urge you to consider moving faster . Since secrecy is required for this, I haven’t even told Kyle. He is going to be upset when he finds out about it.”
“I know, I know,” I grumbled, navigating the Porsche through the downtown traffic with practiced ease. “But I can’t afford to rush this. One wrong move and it all falls apart, and I won’t get a second chance.”
Miguel gave me a look of pity. “I understand.”
A moment of silence stretched between us, the hum of the engine and the muted sounds of the city filtering through the car’s soundproofing. Then Miguel spoke again, his voice taking on a more businesslike cadence.
“With that fun topic over, shall we discuss tomorrow’s schedule? You have back-to-back meetings in the morning to discuss finances with Isaac before you make your presentation to the company board, followed by a luncheon with them.”
“Sounds thrilling,” I deadpanned. “No wonder Isaac stuck me with the CEO role. He wanted to get out of the endless meetings.”
“He knew you were better for this job, but you’re also not wrong,” Miguel said. “Charlotte told me Isaac took the CFO role because he wanted to see people only when absolutely necessary.”
“How giving of him.”
“Indeed. So after the luncheon you’re scheduled to walk the printer floor…”