Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Tristan
I was about to head into my engagement party, holding my fiancée’s hand. On the list of things I thought I’d never do, this would make the top three.
We reached the top of the stairs and I squeezed Parker’s hand as if to say, are you ready? But she didn’t respond. Instead she seemed transfixed by the people rushing in opposite directions below us. I was pretty sure she was going to bolt for the loo in three . . . two . . .
“You look beautiful,” I whispered, hoping to put a halt to the thoughts I could practically see racing through her mind. We were already a few minutes late to our own party. But there was no doubt what I said was true.
“You look fantastic,” she said. “But then again, you knew that already.”
“I did?” Living with Parker, even for only a week and a half, meant I’d gotten to know her probably better than any other woman I’d ever been in a real relationship with.
The more time we spent together, the more I liked her.
Not only was she a fabulous cook, she was honest and driven to make things better for people.
She rolled her eyes. “Of course you did. You always look fantastic.”
“You always say the nicest things to me.” If I was going to get married for real, Parker Frazer would make a really great fiancée. I always felt better when she was around.
I squeezed her hand. “Don’t let go. Together we’ve got this.”
She nodded like she wanted to believe me but wasn’t sure.
Tonight would be easier for me. My friends were here but they all knew what was really going on.
Okay, I had to deal with my mother—my father was away on business and couldn’t rearrange, which was an undisguised blessing.
My mother was just happy as long as I was happy.
All the pressure was on us to convince Parker’s family and friends that we were in love.
“Parker!” Lauren shot out of nowhere to meet us at the bottom of the stairs. “You look gorgeous. Your guests have started to arrive. Quickly, out into the garden.”
“I think we need a glass of champagne, Lauren. Do you know where we’ll find one?” Two shots clearly hadn’t been enough.
“Yes, yes. This way.”
We stepped out onto the patio and the smattering of people on the lawn all turned in our direction.
A waiter to our left held a tray of champagne.
Without dropping Parker’s hand, I handed her one glass and then took one for myself.
“Remember, this is for twenty-five million pounds,” I said under my breath.
She nodded. “Yeah. And the lucky thing is you’re a nice guy, so it’s not that difficult to pretend.”
“Nice guy?”
She didn’t hear me because someone enveloped her in a hug. “I’m so happy for you,” the woman said. “I never thought I’d see the day when you got married. Especially before me.”
I could tell the smile Parker wore wasn’t genuine. “Katie, this is Tristan. Tristan, Katie is my oldest friend from school.”
“Parker was always the groom to my bride when we were playing with her mum’s veil. She never wanted to be the bride.”
“It was a hard job trying to convince her,” I said. “But I won her over in the end.”
Katie’s grin was wide and genuine for her friend and she urged me on. “Tell me how you two met. This is quite the fairytale whirlwind.”
“I won a date with her at a charity auction,” I said.
“I saw her earlier in the evening and I thought she was beautiful, but she disappeared like Cinderella before I had the chance to win her over and convince her to come out with me. When she appeared on stage and people were bidding to take her out—well, I just knew I had to give fate a little helping hand.”
“Swoon,” Katie said. “That’s a story to tell your grandchildren.”
“Happy memories,” Parker said almost convincingly.
“I’m just so incredibly delighted for you,” Katie said. “After everything that’s happened, I’m glad you have someone who deserves you. Let’s double date. Can you do dinner soon? Tristan, you’re going to love my husband, Nick.”
“Sounds good,” I said. Luckily, Lauren interrupted us before Katie had us cracking open our diaries on the spot.
“Katie, my love, I have to have the happy couple circulate. You don’t mind, do you?
” Before getting a response, Lauren dragged me by the arm across the lawn to meet more people I didn’t know and would likely never see again.
During the following hour, we must have hugged seventy-five thousand strangers.
Parker was clearly uncomfortable with the congratulations and good wishes from all the people gathered here—and it was little wonder, as I was pretty sure Lauren hadn’t stuck to the agreed number of guests.
There looked to be seats for about a thousand people around the tables.
Lucky for me, she didn’t have access to my contacts or everyone I’d ever met would probably be here today, including the obstetrician who delivered me.
Things only got worse when Lauren guided us to our seats for dinner.
Neither Parker nor I had taken much interest in the seating plan.
We certainly hadn’t expected to be seated on our own, just the two of us, elevated to the rest of our guests at one end of the marquee.
“Is she serious?” Parker hissed from beside me as Lauren beckoned us up the three steps to our table.
“Isn’t it pretty?” Lauren said. “Very common in America to do a sweetheart table and with Tristan’s parents divorced, I thought it would be more comfortable than having the usual top table.”
“Please shoot me,” Parker muttered under her breath. “This isn’t a wedding,” she continued, loud enough so Lauren could hear. “We didn’t need a top table.”
There was no point complaining. We were here and we had to make the best of it.
“Lovely idea, Lauren,” I said, trying to hide the fact that Parker was freaking out beside me.
“Is it usual for these tables to be on a stage?” Parker asked.
Lauren’s smile blazed. “That was my idea. Thought you could see everyone much better from here. And everyone can get another look at the happy couple.”
I squeezed Parker’s hand before releasing it and holding out her chair. “Wife-to-be?”
Lauren took a couple of paces back, like she was enjoying a painting in a gallery, almost jumped for joy, and then left us to it.
“Can you believe this?” Parker asked. “It’s like we’re an exhibit at a museum.
You’re going to have to stop me from killing her.
Like, that’s your job today. Once I get my hands on the knife, we’re going to cut the cake with, I will have very little self-control.
If you don’t want to be married to someone doing life for murder, you’ll have to hold me back. ”
I chuckled, glancing out and down to our guests that filled the marquee. “It’s just a couple of hours. No one’s getting murdered. If I have to hold you down and feed you chocolate-covered raisins to prevent a bloodbath, I’ll do it.”
“Thank you. Your first duty as my fiancé—make sure I don’t kill anyone.”
“I had hoped taking your virginity would be my first assignment, but needs must.”
Parker laughed and warmth filled my ribcage at the sound of her laugh. “I hate to break it to you, but that ship has sailed.”
“Shame.”
The servers presented the first course. It occurred to me I had no idea what we were eating.
I glanced over at Parker.
“Don’t ask me,” she said, reading my mind. “I left it to Lauren.”
“I think it’s duck,” I said.
Parker started to laugh. “Never in the world have two people been less interested in their engagement party.”
“People say it’s stressful planning a wedding,” I replied. “I have no idea what they’re talking about.”
To anyone looking at us, we were thoroughly enjoying ourselves. Lucky for me, I genuinely liked my fiancée. At least I wasn’t faking that bit.
The meal was delicious and the sounds of chatter and laughter filled the tent. Even Parker seemed to relax. I managed to make her laugh at least three more times before we’d finished.
“I actually think just the two of us on this table was a great idea,” Parker admitted. “At least we haven’t had to keep up any kind of pretense between ourselves. It’s been a welcome break.”
“Every cloud has a silver lining.”
“The cake, my lovely couple. The cake. Everyone,” Lauren bellowed, “gather round. We’re going to cut the cake.”
Parker groaned beside me. “I spoke too soon.”
“Come on,” I said, standing and taking her by the hand. “The sooner the bit where you get your hands on a sharp knife, the better.”
Parker laughed and it lit up her entire face. I couldn’t help but smile. “Is it me or is it weird to have a cake cutting at an engagement party?”
“Just go with it,” I said through my grin. “No one else seems to think it’s weird.”
We stood by the two-tiered cake as people started to congregate around us.
“Thank God they’ve all agreed to a small wedding,” Parker said. “Can you imagine if this was a three-day thing? My mother would have people releasing doves and the Pope sending a message of congratulations.”
“Are you Catholic?”
“No. But that wouldn’t stop my mother when she sets her mind to something.”
“I’m more concerned about Lauren. We’re going to need to keep an eye on her. I know everyone agreed on a twenty-five maximum for the wedding, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the guest list suddenly ballooned.”
“Already ahead of you. I insisted on a restaurant that had a maximum capacity of thirty.”
“Smart.”
“Thanks. We’re a good team.”
That’s exactly how it felt—like we were a team. Aside from my best mates, I’d never had that with anyone. Certainly no one I was dating. Or fake-dating. “Absolutely we are.”
People seemed to surge toward us like a bunch of hungry hyenas who had spotted their prey. Parker looked like she just knew she was about to get eaten.
I muttered under my breath. “Eyes on the prize. Twenty-five million.”
Lauren handed Arthur a microphone and my stomach plummeted into the earth’s core. What the hell was he going to say? He knew Parker and I were faking it. I knew that he knew. I hoped he wasn’t about to embarrass anyone.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming out this afternoon to celebrate the engagement of my beloved daughter, Parker, and the man who will soon become my son-in-law, Tristan Dubrow. I’ve known Tristan for around ten years now and during that time, I often considered introducing him to Parker.
I like to think I’m a pretty good judge of character, and I knew as soon as I met Tristan that he was a man who could be trusted.
A man who cared. Loyalty is at the core of who he is and I admire that about him.
When I invited him to Parker’s charity gala, I confess I hoped to do a little matchmaking between him and my daughter. ”
I wondered if it was Arthur’s plan all along that I be the winner of the bid for a date with Parker.
But it couldn’t have been; he hadn’t even mentioned her before the auction started.
“But I didn’t need to. Fate took the reins and without Tristan knowing Parker was my daughter, he made a scene-stealing bid to take her to dinner. ”
I couldn’t decide whether Arthur’s speech was genuine or whether he was just trying to help add meat to the bones of our super-speedy engagement. Either way, he was convincing.
I could feel Parker’s eyes on me and I turned to meet her gaze, which was full of questions. But about what? Arthur wasn’t saying anything she didn’t already know.
Arthur wrapped up his speech wishing us a lifetime of happiness and moved out of the way so we could cut the cake. At least no one had asked us to make a speech.
Parker took the knife and I clasped my hand over hers as we slid the knife into the cake. In a little under a month, we’d be doing this again with our wedding cake.
Lauren started clinking her fork against her champagne glass and everyone followed suit.
I couldn’t do anything but smile at the ridiculousness of the scene.
I wrapped my arm around Parker’s waist and pulled her close.
“Good thing we practiced.” The kiss back in the room had meant to relax her, or so I told myself, but as our lips touched, I’d stopped kidding myself.
There was no doubt about it—not only was Parker beautiful and clever and had an adorable addiction to animal print pajamas and chocolate-covered raisins, she was also sexy as hell and I’d wanted to kiss her.
I’d managed to convince myself that it was in her best interests that we have a practice kiss.
Who was I kidding? I just wanted an excuse.
As I dropped my mouth to hers, I paused, just for a fraction of a second, breathing in this moment in case it was the last chance I had to kiss her. Then I pressed my lips against hers for a little too long. She tasted sweet like summer and smelled of spice. My favorite combination.
She reached her hands into my hair and moaned quietly, so quietly that no one but me would hear. She was enjoying this just as much as I was.
As if she suddenly realized where she was, she slid her hand onto my chest and gave me a little push. As I stood, I realized we’d not only kissed in front of an audience, but we’d garnered enthusiastic applause.
I slid my hand around Parker’s waist and pulled her toward me.
I glanced over at my group of friends, who were smiling like this was really my non-fake engagement party and they were so happy for me.
Like I really had just kissed my fiancée and pulled her toward me.
Like they were overjoyed at finally seeing me in love.
I’d have to set them all straight.