Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
juniper
After meeting Mikey’s friends, I felt good about our fake-dating arrangement.
If it was believable enough to them, even if they were skeptical at first, then it would be believable enough for Ava and Brady this summer.
I could just imagine the looks on their faces, especially Ava’s, when they realized who I was with—the one-night stand who tossed my ex-best friend to the curb and who also happened to be my ex-boyfriend’s favorite bull rider.
Maybe it would all blow up in my face and they’d think I was just another hookup, but the idea that I could get the same man Ava had once wanted was enough to propel me forward with my plans.
Over the course of the last few days, Mikey and his friends would pop into Rudy’s bar when I was working, and even though I was on shift, our act never fell through the cracks. The old man himself even cracked a smile at the sight of the two of us.
“You look happy.” Liv sidled up next to me at the bar.
I quirked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
She gestured to me as a whole. “I don’t know, you just have this glow about you. Compared to when you started working here, you just look more content.”
Heat rose to my cheeks at the idea of Mikey actually making me happy in a romantic kind of way.
“See! This is what I mean. You’re literally blushing,” Liv pointed out.
I made a show of patting my face, if only to stop my lips from curving into a smile, and tried to come up with some excuse for my changed demeanor. “I—”
“It’s okay to be happy, June. I don’t know why you moved here or your reasoning for anything, but if I’m being honest, you looked kind of sad when you first started working here.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but quickly shut it because Liv kept going.
“I don’t know if it’s Mikey that’s making you this happy, but if he is, I won’t judge. I’m surprised, but good on him if he’s the reason. As long as he doesn’t hurt you in the end, I’ll support whatever it is you two have going on. Even if it’s not my brother.” She chuckled.
“For what it’s worth, Tommy seems like a great guy,” I offered.
“He’s all right for a big brother.” She winked as a customer called her over for drinks.
A group of college girls came up to the bar wanting white tea shots, so I started pouring them. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of Natalie’s dark-brown hair as she walked in the door. I gave her a nod of acknowledgment, and she waited behind the group I was serving.
I wondered why she was in the bar, but then I got a better look at the expression on her face.
“Five white tea shots. Open or closed tab?” I asked the girls as they thanked me for the shots.
“We’ll leave it open, please!” A pretty girl with dirty blonde hair and doe-like eyes handed me her card.
“You got it.” I kept her card, and they walked off with their drinks. When I came back to the bar, Natalie was leaning against it. “What are you doing here? Is something wrong?”
“You tell me, Juniper. You’ve been avoiding me for the past week. Since the bonfire.” She crossed her arms.
“I’m sorry, I’ve been busy.” I shrugged.
She cocked her head to the side, lifting an eyebrow. “What the hell are you doing with Mikey Tucker?”
I guessed we were getting straight to the point. I let out a sigh. “We’re dating.”
“Mikey Tucker doesn’t date.”
“I’d beg to differ. He’s dating me.” I put one hand on my hip.
Her mouth gaped. “You’ve known each other for a week and a half!” Her facial features pinched, and she shook her head. Forcing out a breath, she put her hands on the bar. “I’m sorry, I just worry about you.”
“I understand that. But I’m fine.”
“It’s just…your boyfriend cheated on you, June. You should be eating ice cream in the bathtub Aquamarine style, not jumping into a new relationship, much less one with him.”
“Ex-boyfriend, Nat,” I corrected.
“I know they say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else, but you couldn’t have picked literally anyone else?” She kept babbling on. “I mean, my God, Juniper, he’s got one of the biggest reputations in Montana, and not in a good way.”
“Nat—”
“You should probably go to the doctor, because God forbid—”
“Natalie!” I cut her off then leaned in. “Listen to me. You cannot speak a word of this to anyone, but it’s not real, okay?”
“Huh?”
“The relationship. It’s fake. I want revenge.”
She blinked a few times, as though she was processing the information I just gave her.
“Well, that’s healthy,” she muttered, and a twinge of regret for telling her the truth rose in my chest. “I suppose it’s better than you actually being in a relationship with Silver Creek’s notorious playboy but, again, you couldn’t have chosen anyone else? ”
I huffed out a breath. “Come on.” I gestured for her to follow as I walked behind Liv to the end of the bar and disappeared around the corner to the back office.
Rudy wasn’t in tonight, so it was the best place to have a private conversation with her.
“I needed it to be Mikey because of Ava. I can’t just have any fake boyfriend,” I explained.
“I’m not sure I’m following.”
“Ava and Mikey had a one-night stand last year. I recognized him when he came into the bar, so I made a move. Was it the most mature thing to do? No, and I acknowledge that, but neither was fucking my boyfriend—sorry, ex—behind my back.”
Natalie blew a raspberry. “Wow, okay, that’s…a lot. I can tell you’ve already made up your mind, but just be careful. I know I’ve said that before, but I mean it. He’s got a reputation bigger than his entire career. I’d hate for your heart to get broken twice in a year.”
I winced a little. “The whole purpose of this fake-dating arrangement is so neither one of us gets hurt. We have a whole set of rules written out. The system is in place so no one catches feelings.” Sure, rules could be broken, but they existed so we could check one another when things started to get out of hand.
Besides, I had no intention of breaking our rules.
My goal was to help Mikey with whatever it was he needed, and then get my end of the bargain. I’d be using him just as much as he’d be using me.
“All right. I believe you.” She raised her hands in surrender before laughing softly. “You’re something else, Juniper. Remind me not to get on your bad side.”
I smiled in response. “Come on, let’s get out of here before Liv comes looking for me.”
Tucker
So I have a request
I didn’t know requests were in our agreement
Tucker
This one’s kind of important…
What is it?
Tucker
The Houston Rodeo is coming up
I was hoping you’d come with me