CHAPTER 3
***
Annie
Julia and her husband, Ryan, pull up to the curb in a sleek SUV. The afternoon sun and snow glints off its polished surface, causing me to squint. The butterflies in my stomach do somersaults as the weight of my little white lie seems more daunting than ever. Sam stands by my side, his presence steady and reassuring, though I sense he’s a wee bit nervous, too.
As the SUV rolls to a stop, Sam flashes me a quick, confident smile and grabs my hand. My heart skips a beat as I stare down at our linked fingers. We’ve never held hands like this before, not under the pretense of being a couple anyway. Usually, our clasped hands mean Sam’s dragging me through a crowd or hurrying me along to something we’re running late for. Never just for the heck of it. Though I love the reassuring squeeze of his fingers wrapped around mine, though I remind myself that it’s all for show. None of this weekend is real, not for us anyway.
“Ready,” he whispers.
“As I’ll ever be,” I reply, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice.
Julia and Ryan emerge from the car with welcoming smiles. My nerves buzz beneath my skin, rattling my bones. Or maybe that’s just the chill in the air.
“It’s great to finally meet you, Sam,” Julia says warmly, extending her hand. “This is Ryan, my husband.” Ryan and Sam shake hands and move to the back of the vehicle to stow our bags.
“He’s more handsome in person than in the photograph.” Julia’s eyes sparkle as she nudges my shoulder like we’re teenagers. “We can’t wait to hear all about how you two met and fell in love.” She titters and my insides turn to ice.
I force a smile, dread creeping through my cold veins. Sam and I didn’t prepare for the third degree about our relationship. What if we screw everything up? Admitting the truth now would be disastrous. I’d likely lose my job or miss out on whatever opportunity Julia hinted at.
Sam meets me at the back passenger side door and opens it for me, a gesture that speaks volumes in the moment. He really is a gentleman. I glance up at him, meeting his eyes, and a silent understanding passes between us—we’re in this together. There’s no turning back now.
My confidence is shattered less than fifteen minutes into the two hour drive when Julia twists in her seat to chat, or what feels like the start to a game of twenty questions.
“Annie’s kept mum about you around the office, Sam.” Julia’s eyes twinkle with curiosity.
“We’re kind of private that way,” Sam says, giving me a playful look. He’s having fun while I’m having an inward crisis of epic proportions. “Keeps things feeling fresh and new, right, babe?”
I stifle a mortified gasp. Babe? We’re using pet names, now? Fine. I’ll roll with it, since I owe him big time for this.
“That’s right,” I pause and playfully punch Sam’s arm while giving him a wide-eyed what-the-hell look. “Babe.”
“Aww, don’t be shy,” Julia smiles. “We’re all friends here, and this is a couples’ retreat where we talk about our relationships and work on keeping the fire alive.”
What? Therapy is not what I thought Julia meant by couples’ retreat. I give Sam a heartfelt apologetic look, sorry I dragged him into this mess.
“So, how did you two meet? Who made the first move?” Julia asks, her curiosity clearly piqued and on a roll.
I draw a blank, and freeze, exchanging a panicked glance with Sam. We should have prepared so our stories would match. Sam doesn’t ruffle easily and quickly recovers, taking Julia’s rapid fire questions in stride.
“We didn’t have a typical meet cute like you see in the movies.” He grins, saving me from telling another lie that I’ll have to remember later. I should have brought a notepad. “It was more of an intervention, really. Annie was the new kid in school, and she had a knack for attracting nefarious characters. I saved her from a gang of disreputable hoodlums and have been dragging her butt out of trouble since.”
Julia laughs, clearly charmed by Sam’s rendition of how we met many moons ago. He seems quite pleased with himself. Honestly, I’m quite impressed. It’s exactly how we met, though he may have embellished a tad.
Ryan glances at the rearview mirror, his eyes widen slightly and his brows lift. “So, what about your first date? Standard dinner and a movie, or something else?”
My mind flies back to all the firsts Sam and I have shared. Our first kiss in the treehouse in my parents’ backyard when I told him I’d never kissed a boy before. Junior year when he took me to prom when no one else asked me. The night of my twenty-first birthday when he insisted we hit every bar in our college town, and we ended up shit-faced spewing no, I love you more to the tune of tequila shots until our clothes fell off and—
I stop myself, my cheeks heating at the memory. That blurry night is best forgotten.
“Our first date was kinda nerdy.” Sam glances at me, a playful grin playing across his handsome face. “Annie had this keychain that read, Waka-Waka.”
“Ms. Pacman! Doo-doo-doo,” Julia gleefully replicates the descending sound of a successfully eaten ghost. I’ve never seen my boss so animated. “I loved that game.”
“That’s the one,” Sam confirms. “My dad filled our basement with every arcade and pool hall game imaginable so all the kids would congregate at our house. So, I invited Annie over for a video game marathon and she brutally kicked my butt with some pattern she memorized.” Sam glances at me as he taps his temple with his finger. A playful, lopsided smirk streaks across his lips. “Brain like a steel trap. She’s great at figuring out patterns and puzzles.”
His compliment brings a warm flutter to my chest. I’m both embarrassed and appreciative of his compliment, but also keenly aware of the nuances he zeroes in on. He sees me—he’s always seen me.
“It’s what makes her so good at her job,” Julia says, and a fraction of the worry I have about the possibility of losing my job ebbs.
I manage a smile, grateful for Sam’s quick thinking and for knowing me so well. Listening to him recount our shared history, I realize how many memories I’ve taken for granted. The truth is, he makes our pretend relationship feel so genuine that I’m starting to believe it might be real.
***
Sam
As we near our destination, Ryan glances at us in the review with a wide, generous smile. “We plan the retreat in different locations every year. This year, our friends found a hidden gem on the outskirts of Snowflake Falls,” he explains. “They sent us pictures a few months ago. Julia and I fell in love with the place from the get-go.”
“The rental is an old grain silo, renovated by a local resident, Adrian Clausen,” Julia adds as she types in something on her phone. “He comes from a rather wealthy family in town, but our friends say he’s down to earth. They’d never have known by looking at him that he’s a regular guy like the rest of us working-class folk.”
“Internet’s a little spotty at the rental, but we have plenty of activities planned for that to matter much,” Ryan says.
I glance at Annie and mouth what plans . She shrugs her shoulders.
“Just look at this place.” Julia passes her phone over the seat to Annie, oblivious to our raised brows. “Isn’t it gorgeous?”
Annie leans to the center of the bench seat, and I lean into her. The road’s bumpy, jostling the phone. I place my hand over hers, steadying the phone, and our eyes lock for a moment longer than necessary. Annie’s gaze flickers to my lips, then just as quickly, refocuses on the phone. My heart pounds loudly enough, I’m sure everyone in the car hears it. But it happened so suddenly, I question whether I imagined the moment at all.
Annie swipes through the photos of the refurbished silo and its brief description.
“The renovated silo stands proudly on the outskirts of Snowflake Falls. The original metal panels have been carefully preserved with a fresh coat of weather-resistant paint. Custom windows wrap around the silo, allowing for a panoramic view and natural light to flood the interior.” Annie reads aloud. The corners of her mouth tick upward as she reads.
“The interior of the silo is both inviting and elegantly modern, featuring a spacious entryway that opens into a cozy gathering area where guests can mingle and relax. The open-concept design leads seamlessly to a fully functional kitchen equipped with stainless steel appliances and a charming breakfast nook. A semi-formal dining area sits adjacent to the kitchen, perfect for intimate meals or festive gatherings. The silo boasts three full bathrooms and one half bath, all stylishly appointed with contemporary fixtures.” She abruptly pauses reading and glances at me. Her cheeks tinge pink and her hands tremor ever so slightly. “Upstairs, the remaining floors house three comfortable bedrooms, each thoughtfully decorated to provide a restful retreat after a day of holiday activities.”
Annie passes the phone back to Julia. “Doesn’t it sound just delightful?” Julia sighs and settles back in her chair.
Ryan pulls into the property’s long driveway, and Julia begins chatting animatedly with him about the scenery. Their voices blend into the background as Annie tugs on my shirt. She shoots me a look of panic. I lower my chin, to hear her hushed voice.
“Three bedrooms,” she whispers discreetly, her voice tinged with apprehension. “We’re sharing a bed?”
I can’t help but smirk as a flicker of amusement overtakes me. As I mentioned before, Annie has a knack for finding trouble.
I brush my lips against her temple, appearing to give her an affectionate kiss in case Ryan glances in the mirror. “You should have thought your little white lie through before fibbing to the boss.” The thought of being this close to Annie, even as a charade, sends a thrill through me that has my entire body buzzing with anticipation. “You made your bed, Annie. Now you have to lie in it.”