8. Piper
PIPER
If I was going to pretend to be a billionaire’s girlfriend, I needed to get comfortable with fine dining.
Prentiss used to drag us to whatever new and trendy restaurants opened up, but those meals were always miserable—mostly because of the company but also because Prentiss had no actual understanding of what made a place classy instead of just pricey.
The meal I was enjoying at Aquavit with Vincent and his father, Richard, was on a completely different level.
The room was stunning, filled with bright teal banquettes and fancy folks.
And I could see right into the pristine kitchen, so if I ever got bored looking around at all the beautiful people in the room, I could watch the chefs in black striped aprons prepping the food.
Richard had made sure I was positioned so I could see all the action.
Unlike his son, Richard cared about my happiness and comfort.
I was surprised to discover the elder Forde was nothing like what I’d expected.
I’d assumed he was going to be an older version of Vincent, every bit as cold and dangerous, but to my surprise, he was a cheerful teddy bear of a man who pulled me into a hug right off the bat.
He was over sixty and still very handsome with white hair, Vincent’s cheekbones, and a close-cropped white beard, but so much more approachable than his son.
I liked him immediately, and thankfully, the feeling seemed mutual.
We toasted one another with a bottle of wine that was so expensive the price wasn’t even listed on the menu, and then Richard began his friendly inquisition of us.
“It’s rare that my son introduces me to his friends, so you must be special,” Richard said to me. “I need to learn all about the mystery that is Piper Doyle! Why don’t you start with how the two of you met.”
We’d made a rookie mistake: we never came up with an origin story. Vincent and I exchanged a nervous look, and I jumped on the chance to craft the narrative.
“Believe it or not, it was during a hot yoga class,” I said, opting for the most improbable meet-cute for a man who looked like he wouldn’t be caught dead doing a sun salutation.
Richard turned to Vincent and raised an eyebrow. “You? In yoga?”
Vincent gave him a tight smile. “Uh, yeah. I’m trying to branch out from just lifting.”
“And it’s a good thing,” I scolded him, laughing at his angry glare in my direction. “Because when he started, Vincent could barely touch his toes! The poor guy needs all the help he can get in the flexibility department.”
I smiled sweetly at him as he intensified his glare at me.
“I’ve been taking classes forever,” I continued, “so when I noticed he was having a tough time, I offered to help him. I showed him a few workarounds for beginners. I guess he liked my tips, because he asked me to grab a smoothie after class, and the rest is history.” I shrugged and made lovey-dovey eyes at Vincent, who ignored me.
“Ever since then, we’ve been inseparable. Lucky me!”
“Yoga,” Richard said, intrigued. “Do you think I could benefit from it?”
The question reminded me of the whole reason why we were at the dinner in the first place.
“Oh my gosh definitely! Come to the studio with me, and I’ll show you the ropes. Vincent can come too! You can check out how much he’s improved.”
“Would it help with my golf game?” Richard asked. “My swing is getting tight. I feel like a gear that’s off the track, you know?”
“Oh, you golf? I play too,” I said. “Maybe we can get out there together someday soon?”
“I would love that! I used to play nearly every weekend with Vincent’s mother, and I miss it.” Richard sighed wistfully. “Kathleen was quite the competitor.”
“She still plays,” Vincent offered gently.
I shut my mouth because I wanted to learn as much as I could about Vincent’s family life. Every tidbit was a key to unlocking my enigmatic boss. I saw tension in Richard’s face. What had happened between them?
“Have you heard from her lately?” Richard asked.
Vincent nodded. “Yeah, we talked just the other day. She keeps saying she wants to make a trip up from Miami to visit.”
“Wonderful, it’s been too long since she’s left Florida. I’d love to meet her for lunch.”
Vincent’s mouth went into a tight line. “Dad, I’m not sure if she wants to see you.”
“No, we’ve been texting!” he protested. “We’re in a good place now. Or, a better place. I’m just not sure I should be the one to suggest getting together, but if you do…”
Ah. They were moving past a contentious divorce. Interesting.
“We’ll see,” Vincent sighed.
“Maybe Piper could come along as well? I can guarantee Kathleen would love you,” Richard said as he glanced between us.
“Maybe,” Vincent said noncommittally.
The waiter brought out an appetizer we hadn’t ordered, which I learned was called an amuse-bouche, and it kicked off the most incredible meal of my life.
Every time we put our forks down, the next dome-covered dish appeared, and by the time dessert and coffee came, I felt like I’d need to be rolled out the front door.
Conversation throughout the meal was lively, and as we finished our coffee, I wrapped up a story about my strategy for our upcoming trip to Hawaii, just to sell to Vincent that I was making good on all my promises to him.
“You’re something else, young lady,” Richard said, his eyes twinkling. “I bet you give this guy a run for his money.” He nodded toward his son.
“Oh, you don’t even know,” Vincent answered with a snort.
Richard and I were debating the merits of various golf gloves when someone sidled up to the table. I gasped when I realized it was none other than Maya Russo, supermodel of the moment and my fake boyfriend’s very real ex, looking stunning in a tight brown dress.
Yikes. Things were about to get interesting.
“Well hello! What a fun little tête-à-tête!” she exclaimed. I’d never heard her speak, so I wasn’t expecting the British accent. She looked at me wearing an overwide smile. “Are you a reporter working on a story, darling?”
It didn’t sound like an insult at first, but her subtext was clear; I wasn’t of the right class to rub elbows with the Fordes, so I must be here on official business.
“Maya, no, this is my girlfriend Piper Doyle,” Vincent answered before I could respond.
She ignored the introduction. “Richard, my love, you’re looking well! It’s been too long.”
Maya leaned down to give him a kiss on either cheek, which he accepted with a quickly hidden grimace. “Good to see you.”
She scanned our table. “Well, well, look at that, dessert! How charming. Calories clearly don’t matter to you, do they, Piper? Looks like you’ve had more than your share.”
She pointed at the plate in front of me that held the remnants of my dessert.
What the…?
I opened my mouth to answer her, but once again, Vincent spoke up first.
“The benefit of an active lifestyle is that calories aren’t a sole focus, Maya.” His tone was clipped. “Food can be a source of joy, but I don’t think that’s your experience, is it? At least I can’t recall you ever enjoying a meal.”
The blow hit the bullseye, but Maya played it off. “When the way you look doesn’t matter, I guess it’s is okay to eat whatever you like. How lucky for you, Piper, that Vincent no longer cares about his partner’s size. How inclusive of him.”
She smiled sweetly at me.
I briefly considered accidentally knocking over my glass of wine on her. A little red stain to match that smug smile.
Vincent reached over to take my hand in his and raised it to his lips. My pulse quickened as he brushed against our joined fingers. “No, I’m the lucky one. In so many ways.”
He stared into my eyes, and I had to force myself not to look away.
I kept reminding myself it was all for show, but damn it, when he looked at me with that searing intensity, my heart picked up speed.
When I’d entered into the arrangement, I’d had no idea he was such a great actor. Even I was starting to believe him.
“It was nice seeing you, Maya, so sorry you have to be going,” Richard said pointedly.
Maya looked like she was considering another insult but wisely turned on her heel and left in a huff.
“What a bitch,” Richard mumbled as he watched her walk away. “I never liked her.”
My heart warmed at his excellent taste.
“Huh,” Vincent said. “You did a great job of hiding it.”
Richard frowned as he shook his head. “I didn’t have much of a choice. I want you to be happy, so I was willing to play along.” He turned to me. “This time I don’t have to! Piper is a much-needed breath of fresh air. Charming, funny, and she doesn’t take any of your bullshit, Vincent.”
I giggled.
“And such a natural beauty!” Richard continued. “You’re the total package, my dear. My son was right about being one lucky man.”
I glanced over at my fake boyfriend and was shocked by his soft expression. I expected he’d have a comeback ready to go, but Vincent looked like he believed everything his father was saying.
“I am,” he agreed.
He said it with such conviction that I almost bought it.
A quiet settled over the table until Richard broke the awkward silence and reached over to pluck the strawberry from his dessert plate.
“Talk about a natural beauty! There’s nothing I love more than fresh berries.” He took a bite of it.
“Is that a fact?” I asked. “You should come to the Broad Street Farmers’ Market with me some day.
I’m there every Saturday morning the minute they open.
They have the best local farm produce, and croissants to die for.
” I paused. “Which, since calories don’t matter to me, as Maya so kindly pointed out, I enjoy without hesitation. ”
The two men laughed, and I chuckled along with them. I wasn’t about to let a snotty supermodel ruin my night.