Chapter 10. Time to Put Your Fake Relationship to the Test
CHAPTER 10
Time to Put Your Fake Relationship to the Test
At five to six on Saturday night, I paced back and forth in my room, slowly losing my confidence to proceed with the farce. For the umpteenth time in the past fifteen minutes, I smoothed the hem of my black wrap dress, wondering if I could still cancel everything. Plotting a fake relationship inside a tiny Indonesian restaurant was one thing; actually having to act it out at a massively important event was an entirely different matter.
He lived up to his end of the bargain , a small voice reminded me. It’s your turn now.
Alec had his back facing me when I went downstairs. He must have heard my footsteps, because he turned around, blinking twice when he saw me.
“Hey,” I said, hoping to disguise my nerves by sounding casual. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah.” His eyes slowly traveled my length from head to toe, then back up again. “You look great.”
My cheeks turned warm from his gaze. “You clean up pretty well, too.” He was wearing a dark gray suit paired with a light-blue shirt, with just the right amount of scruff on his jaw, looking like he’d probably skipped shaving this morning.
A corner of his mouth quirked up. “Glad you approve.”
Jacqui Goodwin’s home was in one of the most expensive areas of Port Benedict. Tall palm trees lined the street, and huge gated properties flanked it on both sides. The house was bathed in bright lights when we arrived, with the sounds of classical music filtering out of the windows, and rows of expensive European cars lining up at the front.
I whistled with appreciation. “Wow. Her house is incredible.”
“She doesn’t even live here.” Alec turned into an empty car spot. “This is her holiday house. One out of her many properties all over the country.”
Before I could unbuckle my seatbelt, he’d already gone around to my side of the car and opened my door. It was a silly thing, but coming from an Asian family, I’d never had men opening car doors for me. Of course I didn’t need anyone to—I was perfectly capable of opening my own door—but I found his gesture oddly endearing. He offered a hand to help me up, and I felt a tingle running down my spine as his warm hand gripped mine.
“It’s showtime, Ellie.”
I ignored the goosebumps erupting all over my body, chalking it up to nerves, because I was walking into a party hand-in-hand with a man I hadn’t even been friends with a week ago. Because a lot was riding on this for him, and I didn’t want to screw anything up.
Or was it because he was pressed so close to me, feeling and smelling incredible?
Taking a deep breath, I tried to refocus while pushing the thought of him out of my mind. And no, I wouldn’t screw anything up, because we’d gone through every plausible scenario in minute detail. We could recite each other’s quirks, likes and dislikes, even our SAT scores. I could even do it half asleep; that’s how perfect of a fake girlfriend I was. If there was a test on fake-girlfriendship, I’d score an A+, and probably even win multiple awards.
“Let’s find our host. I’ll introduce you, make some small talk, then we’ll leave.”
I nodded. “Good plan.”
He led me inside, and my eyes widened at the opulence. Marble floors stretched as far as the eyes could see, and the dining room walls were draped with strings of curtain lights, giving it an ethereal, otherworldly feel. Two long tables stood in the middle of the room, full of plates upon plates of food, all made brighter by the chandelier above. The place practically shimmered with glitz and glamor.
Plucking two champagne flutes from a passing waiter, Alec handed one to me, then downed his in one swift guzzle. He tapped his fingers on the empty flute, eyes darting around the room as he slowly exhaled, and I realized he was nervous.
“Hey, we got this.” I rubbed his arms, soothing him. “I got your back, okay?”
“Alec!” A melodic voice called from behind us. He tensed and tightened his hold on me, as if I were a buoy keeping him afloat. Fixing a bright smile on his face, he turned around and briefly disentangled his hands from mine to hug a beautiful brunette, who was probably in her late thirties. She was impeccably dressed in an elegant, lacy white dress, had legs for days, generously dimpled cheeks, and exquisite ocean-blue eyes with lashes I would kill for.
Alec must be out of his mind, because Jacqui Goodwin was drop-dead gorgeous.
“Glad you could make it.” The woman beamed at Alec. “Where’s Rob?”
“He couldn’t be here tonight. He sends his apologies.”
“Too bad. Maybe next time.” She switched her attention to me, those blue eyes curiously assessing. “You must be Ellie. I’ve been hearing so much about you.”
Hearing so much about me? I shook her hand, keeping a smile plastered on my face.
“Thank you for having us, Ms. Goodwin. Your home is lovely.”
“Call me Jacqui. It’s so nice to finally meet you. This one,” she gestured at Alec, “wouldn’t shut up about you. Now I know why he’s been turning down my dinner invites.”
I didn’t know how to reply, so I only smiled wider, probably looking like a madwoman. Nobody had warned me that being a fake girlfriend would be complicated. What was I supposed to do next? Pretend to be offended because she’d been hitting on my boyfriend? Act as if it wasn’t a big deal and laugh it off?
When this whole thing was over, I should write a handbook about it. Or start a business: a fake-relationship-planner-slash-coach, to guide newbie pretend couples, so they could avoid the pitfalls and awkwardness of being a fake partner.
“Have you met Phil?” Jacqui gestured to the tall, bearded man next to her. “Phil is the founder of Anderson Real Estate. You’ve probably seen some of their offices around.”
“We spoke on the phone,” I said. “I’m the one who leased the shop at the back of the Plaza, next to the yarn store.”
“I remember,” Phil said. “It’s one of the best locations in the entire city. Close to the Plaza, to downtown, to the Waterfront. You were lucky to snap it up when it became vacant.”
“That’s what I told her.” Alec grinned at me.
“I’ve known Phil for a long time. We’ve worked with Anderson Real Estate for nearly ten years. One of the best in the business.” At this, Jacqui sent Phil a pointed look. “I’m a firm believer that we should work in an area that focuses on our strengths. I wouldn’t know where to start marketing a property for sale. That’s your area of expertise. Right, Phil?”
That’s weird. I wasn’t an expert in real estate, but her harsh tone, followed by the way Phil’s posture turned stiff, gave off a strange vibe that had nothing to do with properties or marketing.
“Sure.” Phil gave her a tense smile before turning his attention to Alec. “Anyway, heard you’ll be joining forces with GPG.”
“Hopefully, yes.”
“You struck gold, son. Couldn’t find a better partner anywhere else. And I’ve heard so many wonderful things about Mackenzie Constructions. Three years in a row!” He directed his next sentence at me. “You must be so proud.”
“Oh, yes.” I pasted a bright smile on my face, although I had zero idea what he was talking about, realizing I’d made a newbie fake girlfriend blunder: I knew everything there was to know about Alec, except his company. How could I recite his SAT scores but know next to nothing about his business?
I mentally added a line on my To-Do List: Look up Mackenzie Constructions.
“So,” Jacqui grabbed a champagne flute and took a sip, her eyes full of speculation, “how did you two meet?”
Okay, so she was a straight shooter. Maybe that was one of the qualities that helped her be so successful from such a young age. I should probably take notes so I could follow in her formidable footsteps.
Alec was the first to transform into his role of The Adoring Boyfriend Character. “Ellie is my best friend’s younger sister. She’s been following me around like a lovesick puppy since I was twelve, always trying to impress me and get my attention. Remember, babe?”
“Lovesick puppy?” I smiled at him through gritted teeth. “Aww, that’s cute, but that’s not how I remember it, darling.”
“Pretty sure it was, sweetheart.” He gave me a (fake) loving smile, as if the two of us were sharing a secret joke. “You even followed me into my college lecture once, didn’t you?”
“I was there to see Eric, honeybunch, not you.”
“Your brother wasn’t even enrolled in that subject, pumpkin. It’s okay. You can admit you’ve been smitten with me from the first day we met.”
Had I been that obvious? From the very first time I laid eyes on him, I’d put him on a ten-foot-high pedestal—this cool, aloof, handsome older boy, who was way out of my league. I’d watched him from afar whenever he came around to our house, hoping he would notice me. He never did, until one day, when I was having one of my low episodes. I was slumping on the sofa, quietly munching on some gummy bears, watching him defeat Eric in one of their racing games. He’d glanced at me, then came over and handed me a fun-size Snickers bar.
“You look like you could use one of these.”
Without another word, he walked away and resumed his game. And just like that, I was gone. One Snickers bar, and I was head over heels, madly and hopelessly in love with him. I was that pathetic. None of the guys I’d dated were ever memorable enough, and maybe that was the main reason things didn’t work out with George, too. Because I was always comparing them to Alec.
He had always been, and probably would always be, my unicorn.
“Oh, I adore childhood sweetheart stories,” Jacqui said, snapping me back to the present. “Was it love at first sight for you, too, Alec?”
“It was, but I was too stubborn to admit it.” His hand circled around my shoulder and started stroking my arm, as if showing affection. What it was doing, though, was short-circuiting my nerve endings. “She has this endearing habit of making a list for everything. If it was an important decision, she’d make a pros and cons list. If she had things she needed to tackle, it would be a to-do list. I swear, she couldn’t survive a day without making one. It used to annoy me at first, but that was one of the things that made me fall in love with her.”
I turned to stare at him, speechless. He noticed that?
The only people who knew about my list-making habit were my family and Naomi. It was something I’d started not long after I was diagnosed, because I used to feel like diabetes was dominating my life, telling me what I could or could not do. The lists were my way of establishing some sort of control over my otherwise overwhelming life.
“But even at the age of twelve, I knew I was going to marry her one day.”
Ooh, he was good , lying so effortlessly through his teeth. What I didn’t expect though, was how those lies were making my insides a tiny bit gooey. How my inadequately prepared heart was eating up every single word, along with his (fake) adoring look.
“That’s sweet,” Phil said. “How long have you been together?”
“Not long,” I replied, at the same time Alec said, “Two years.”
Three pairs of eyebrows went up—including my fake boyfriend’s.
Yikes. First test, and I’d already failed. This was why professional athletes put in countless hours of practice before competing in a match. Or why surgeons had to study for a million years before they were even allowed to come near a patient with a scalpel. The more often you do—or say—something, the quicker it gets ingrained in your muscle memory.
But I was nothing if not a quick study. And a decent improviser.
“I meant two years isn’t long enough ,” I smoothly corrected my blunder. “Let me tell you, two years of a long-distance relationship was hard. Thank God for video calls.”
“Do you fly back and forth to visit? Your frequent flyer miles must be piling up.”
Man. The Spanish Inquisition had nothing on Jacqui Goodwin.
“We take turns,” Alec replied smoothly, quoting our well-rehearsed answer. “Our rule is, never go more than two months without seeing each other. And this year, we finally decided it was the right time for her to move out here.”
I sipped my champagne, hoping for liquid courage to get me through the night, and only wriggled my eyebrows in agreement.
“Being so far from me was taking a toll on her. She couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, couldn’t work, too lovesick to function. Cried herself to sleep at night. Didn’t you, lovebug?”
I nearly spat out my drink. “I what ?”
His teasing grin was infuriating. “That was a joke, baby.” Pulling me closer, he planted a quick kiss on my cheek, sending tingles down my spine.
Phil chuckled, but Jacqui was relentless with her questions. “Alec tells me you’re starting a bakery?”
I nodded wordlessly, my brain still unwilling to move on from that kiss.
“Ellie bakes the most amazing things. All sugar-free, but you wouldn’t know it because they’re so delicious. When we were younger, it was one of the things I’d most look forward to whenever I went to her house.”
Huh. Was that true, or just another lie? I glanced at him, and my heart did a backflip when I saw him watching me with a smile, looking every inch like The Adoring Boyfriend Character he was so brilliantly portraying. He still had his hand wrapped around my shoulder, and I was acutely aware of his warmth on my bare arm.
And was it so wrong that I loved the way my name rolled off his tongue?
Jacqui gave me her first smile for the evening. “Let me know once you’re open. I might have some orders I could send your way.”
“That would be wonderful.” I gave her a grateful nod. “I appreciate that.”
As she turned to say something to Phil, Alec planted another kiss on my temple, while whispering into my ear, “You’re doing so well. Such a natural-born liar.”
I shivered a little, because even though I knew he did that for our audience’s benefit, the not-fake kiss felt so good. And maybe it was me being delusional, but I could have sworn he lingered longer than he should have.
Jacqui waved at someone from across the room. “I should go mingle. But I’m staying in town for the weekend. Maybe we could all catch up for brunch tomorrow.”
Recoiling, I glanced at Alec. Things had gone well so far, but if I had to do an encore performance within twenty-four hours with fewer people and far more scrutiny, I didn’t know how convincing I’d be.
“Don’t we have that appointment?” I said pointedly to him, hoping he’d play along. “That, uh, lunch thing with your friends?”
“They canceled.” Alec smiled, ignoring my low growl. “See you both tomorrow.”
As soon as they walked away, I hissed at him, “I can’t do two days in a row. She’s so nice, and I feel guilty lying to her face. She’s already convinced, right? So we can wrap this up. Tell her we’re not going.”
“We had a deal,” Alec hissed back. “Remember your store?”
We had a glare-off, although I knew he was right.
“Please, Ellie. You know how important this is for me.” He switched tactics, his eyes now pleading. “We’ve gone this far, and she’ll be expecting us both tomorrow.”
My biggest mistake before we started this charade was failing to give a heads-up to my na?ve heart, followed by a stern warning that we shouldn’t, under any circumstances, fall for Sir Grouchiness and his charms. Because right now it was begging me to say yes, since (a) what kind of heartless monster would reject his desperate, heartfelt pleas? And (b) a lot was at stake for him, so how could I live with myself if my refusal to see Jacqui tomorrow ruined his business deal?
“No more than one hour.”
“Two hours, and I’ll knock five percent off your rent.”
“Ninety minutes, and ten percent.”
He grinned at me. “Eight percent, and you have yourself another deal.”
“Done.” I offered my hand to shake on it.
Ignoring my outstretched hand, he pulled me in for a hug, wrapping his arms around me. My overexcited heart let out a thrilled whoop, while my nerve endings went on high alert and hummed with pleasure, because I could feel the sharp outline of his hard body molded against mine. My nose was nestled into his neck, and this time I inhaled his scent without shame.
“It’ll look suspicious,” he murmured into my ear, making me shiver even though the air inside the room was warm, “if they saw us shaking hands.”
He pulled away and gazed down at me. My heart was thumping loudly, because he was so close—all I had to do was tilt my head a little to the left, and I could be kissing him.
Whoa, wait. What the actual WHAT?
Okay, time for a hard mental slap, plus maybe ten roundhouse kicks for good measure. That reminder tattoo inside my eyelids was starting to look like a brilliant idea.
Nobody was going to kiss anyone, definitely not while I was alive and breathing, because none of this was real. It was all make-believe, and the quicker I could drill those cold, hard facts into my thick skull, the better it would be for all parties involved.
Especially for my gullible, unsuspecting heart.