Chapter Five
Piper
“Hello, honey.”
Benson’s deep, manly voice reaches my ears right when I push a binder into the bookcase of my office. He walks towards me, his arm snaking around my waist before I realize what’s happening.
“Missed me?” he adds with a wink.
I scrunch my nose. “ Honey ? Really? And get your paws off me, mister.”
He lets go, but he’s still leaning so close that his fresh breath tickles my ear. Goosebumps race all over my body, setting my skin on fire. It doesn’t mean anything, though. Benson annoys me, and my treacherous body will get the memo someday.
“Oh come on, don’t play dumb with me, Pip. I know you think I’m the best boyfriend a girl could ever wish for. Amazing and handsome.” He holds his hands up. “And I know I work too hard, but nobody’s perfect, am I right?”
I cross my arms over my chest to create more space between us. Any closer and I might spontaneously combust. “What’s going on?”
Benson grins. “Your mother is a nice lady, Pip. What took you so long to introduce me to her?”
The coin finally drops, and my jaw follows. “You met my mother?”
“Not only did I meet her, I also got instructions about my proposal.”
My mouth suddenly feels dry. “Your proposal?”
He shrugs. “Don’t worry. A grand gesture is all she expects from me. You deserve nothing less, of course.”
I motion towards the couch in my office and sigh. “Please, sit down, and I’ll explain everything.”
“You better hurry. Your mother is expecting us for dinner.”
“We’re not going to dinner with my mother, okay? It was one thing when I pretended you were my boyfriend. That required no facial expressions since it was done all over the phone. It’s an entirely different thing to act like I love you in front of my mother. I could never pull it off.”
“You think I’m that unlovable?” he asks with faux shock as we sit down.
I arch an eyebrow at him. “You know we’re not compatible. I only told her we were dating because she constantly tries to set me up with guys who are the exact opposite of what I look for in a man.”
“Does that mean I am everything you look for in a man?”
I grit my teeth. “No, your name was the first that popped to mind because I had just seen you act all annoying that day.”
“Sure,” he says with a wink.
“Yes, sure! We’re not going to dinner with my mother, okay? Besides, what’s the point of keeping this lie alive? I’ll just tell her we had a big fight after you messed up and it led to a break-up.”
“Excuse me, why would I be the one who messed up?”
I roll my eyes. “Stop arguing about technicalities.”
“Fine. If it’s nothing but a technicality, then tell her it’s your fault we broke up,” he says with a smug smile.
“Does it really matter whose fault it is? Point is that this is all a lie. My mother has a right to know the truth.”
He nods. “You’re right. Break the news to her, here and now. Just go for it. But don’t come crying to me when she tries to set you up with another Bitcoin enthusiast whose polo shirt is as stiff as his personality.”
“First of all, I would never come crying to you. And second of all…” I frown. “Do you really think she’d start her matchmaking scheme again right after I break up with you? We’ve supposedly been together for an entire year. That grants me time to grieve first, right?”
“If you were desperate enough to tell her I was your boyfriend, then her meddling must’ve driven you crazier than I do, so yeah, she’ll probably start again right off the bat. We could go to dinner together tonight, and then I’ll make sure she doesn’t see me again while she’s here. Save you the headache of having to deal with her matchmaking attempts.”
I narrow my eyes. “Why are you going along with this?”
That annoyingly handsome grin of his makes an appearance again. “Because I love seeing you squirm. And I enjoy the fact that you desperately need me more than I can express with words.”
“So you want to help me out because you enjoy seeing me suffer?”
Of course, he does. This is nothing but a weird kind of triumph for him. Exciting and entertaining. A game. He knows he’s got me cornered, and I hate that he has the upper hand.
“If you don’t like my suggestion, I could always tell your mother how you lied to her for an entire year. I wonder how she will feel when she finds out. Betrayed, probably, and disappointed in her daughter. I don’t know if she’ll ever be able to look at you the same again.”
I scoff. “You wouldn’t do that to me.”
His gaze softens, and the way he looks at me sends another wave of goosebumps over my body. “No, I wouldn’t. I’m not the horrible guy you think I am.”
He’s right. He’s not that horrible per se , but that still doesn’t mean I want to pretend he’s my boyfriend.
I groan, rubbing my temples. “Fine. We’ll go to dinner. But just this once. And after tonight, we’ll go our separate ways and never speak of this again.”
Benson’s grin widens, his green eyes sparkling with amusement. “Deal. But let’s make it convincing, shall we?”
I sigh deeply. “How do you suggest we do that?”
He leans back on the couch, crossing his arms behind his head. “Well, for starters, you could try not to look like you want to strangle me every time I say something.”
I roll my eyes. “I don’t want to strangle you. I just find you… insufferable.”
“And yet, here we are, fake dating,” he says, his voice teasing me mercilessly. “Life’s funny like that, huh?”
“Yeah, hilarious,” I mutter.
He chuckles. “Come on, Piper. How hard can it be? Just smile, laugh at my jokes, and pretend you don’t hate me for a few hours. Think of it as a challenge.”
“Fine,” I say again, my voice firmer this time. “I’ll play along as best as I can. But only because I don’t want my mother meddling in my life any more than she already does.”
“Good,” Benson says, standing up and stretching his arms.
“Pick me up at seven. And dress nicely,” I say, emphasizing the last word.
“Of course, I’ll dress nicely. I want to make a good impression on my future mother-in-law.”
I throw a pillow at him, but he’s already out the door, laughing as he dodges it.
As soon as he’s gone, I flop back down on the couch. I have no idea how I’m going to get through tonight without blowing my cover. Pretending Benson is my boyfriend won’t be easy.
I take a deep breath, mentally preparing myself. This is just one dinner. Just one evening. Only a few hours if you really think about it. It’ll be over before I can blink. I can do this.
For now, though, I need to figure out what to wear to this ridiculous charade that I brought upon myself. I need an outfit that’ll make Benson wish our relationship is far from fake.
That’ll teach him.