27. Maeve
MAEVE
I manage to navigate the dinner with the Kingsley family’s friends—everyone loves the cookies and heaps praise on Lydia and me—and get through the night sharing a bed with Ford without any more spicy dreams.
Part of that is probably because I cave and set up a pillow barrier.
Ford smirks at me as we get into bed, but I steadfastly ignore him.
I know that building a wall of pillows is basically admitting that I’m attracted to him, but I have to sacrifice some dignity, I suppose.
He kissed me, after all. He started this whole mess. I’m just trying to survive it.
I actually sleep really well. The mattress is incredible, and I think my subconscious knows that Ford is next to me and instead of interpreting it as something sexual, interprets it as safety.
It’s been a long time since I felt safe.
Not like my life is in danger, but like I can actually relax and be taken care of, instead of always being on high alert and taking care of myself, doing everything on my own.
Not that Ford would really want to do that for me, but it’s nice to pretend, I suppose, at least in my dreams.
Today’s big activity is picking out a Christmas tree from the lot that’s run by the local Christmas tree farm. It’s in a high-end area of town, so Elaine also wants us to do some shopping.
I want to try and slip away to get some small presents for everyone.
I would normally bake something, but I don’t think I can get away with doing that without someone noticing, and I’d like it to be a surprise.
I can’t afford much, and I’m debating as we drive over whether I should give in to temptation and use the Black Amex cards.
I hope the men won’t mind if I use the cards to get each of them, and Ford’s family, something nice for Christmas.
I just don’t want anyone thinking I didn’t think of them.
I actually feel more centered this morning. I’m determined to do a good job and see this through. I’m going to fulfill my end of the bargain, damn it, and I won’t be caving to temptation or embarrassing myself or Ford while I’m at it.
The trees are all so gorgeous, I can feel my eyes going wide as we step into the lot. I can’t see what color they are, but I can certainly enjoy the smell and shape of them, and appreciate how tall and full they are. I’ve never seen Christmas trees this magnificent.
“If you’re not careful, your eyes are going to fall out of your head, Keller,” Hayden informs me.
“And if you’re not careful, your eyes are going to get stuck like that, if you keep rolling them constantly,” I shoot back.
Ford chuckles as Hayden glares at him. “Don’t dish it out if you can’t take it.”
“Thank you, Ford. At least my fake fiancé appreciates me.”
“Hey, if the fiancé is fake, maybe the appreciation is too,” Hayden points out.
“I would never fake my appreciation for Maeve,” Ford says seriously. “Or my appreciation for her lunches.”
“You’re not going to get to mooch off my lunches much longer,” I remind him. “Whatever are you going to do?”
“Suffer,” Gabriel says dryly.
I burst out laughing.
“Ford, having to pick out his own lunches?” Hayden shakes his head. “It’ll be a dark day in the office.”
“An amusing day, you mean,” Gabriel corrects.
“You’ll have to set up a camera so I can watch while I laugh evilly and eat my lunch beautifully uninterrupted from my yacht,” I say.
“Your yacht?” Hayden asks.
“Oh, yes, I’m buying a yacht with what Ford’s paying me, didn’t you know?”
“Yes, you definitely strike me as the frivolous type who would blow all her money on a massive yacht,” Gabriel says in a deadpan tone.
“Can’t you picture me on a yacht? Wouldn’t I fit right in?” I strike a pose.
“You would never be caught dead on anything as tacky as a superyacht,” Hayden insists.
“Agreed.” Ford shudders and I grin at him.
“Reliving some trauma?”
“I have been on superyachts. I do not want to be on another one.”
“Oh, I have got to hear this story.”
“Hey,” Liam calls sourly from down another aisle. “We’re all over here, if you’d like to join us and actually help.”
Yeesh, what crawled up his ass?
We rejoin the others and help decide which tree to get.
There’s actually a lot of debate that goes into it.
Liam and Ford end up on opposite sides of the discussion, and I’m a little worried that it doesn’t have anything to do with the tree at all, but with me.
Or maybe that’s just arrogant of me to assume, since they’re likely to be on opposite sides about everything.
But I can’t help but worry that my presence is making it worse.
Liam was being weird yesterday, and Ford has really staked his claim on me a few times pointedly in front of Liam now.
I don’t want to be the cause of friction in the family, even if I am also secretly pleased that Ford is getting one over on Liam. I know it’s petty, but it’s satisfying to get a bit of revenge after how he treated me.
What surprises me is when Elaine looks at me and says, “Oh, Maeve, what do you think?”
I’m figuring out that my three bosses might be more considerate about including me than I realized, but I’m taken aback by Elaine’s kindness. Between her and Lydia, they really seem to want to welcome me into the family.
“I agree with Ford, and trust me, I’m not saying that just because he said it.”
“Keller actually never tries to agree with any of us if she can help it,” Hayden says.
“Well, someone’s got to keep the three of you humble, with all the fawning yes-men surrounding you at work.”
Ford chuckles and Gabriel shoots me an amused look. Elaine beams at me, like she thinks I’m adorable. It makes my chest warm.
Finally, we all decide on a Christmas tree and arrange for it to be delivered to the house by the employees so that we can decorate it later. Everyone wants to do a little shopping, and we set off through the boutiques.
It really is high-end here. I scan the various windows and stores, seeing if I can find something small to give to everybody, something that will still seem personal.
I don’t know Ford’s family very well except for Liam, but I want to at least make it seem like I got them something they’d actually like, not something generic like a gift card.
We all sort of drift apart as we walk, and I pause in front of a shop that sells leather goods including handbags. Maybe the men would like wallets… or maybe I could get Charles a nice pair of gloves…
I step inside to take a look. Maybe I shouldn’t get anyone anything and just bake after all, help out around the house. I don’t want to use the money the men have given me.
Or… I could actually use my own money. I’m about to have a lot more of it once Ford pays me, and I trust that he will. I can actually afford to buy people things for once.
I peruse the various items and decide to get gorgeous handmade leather wallets Hayden, Ford, and Gabriel, each with a slightly different design.
I get a pair of leather gloves for Charles and then decide I should probably get something little for Liam too, just so it won’t be awkward.
I settle on a little leather shaving kit since he loves to take care with his appearance.
He was always pretty vain while we were dating.
The cashier informs me they have a gift wrapping service, and normally I’d be happy to wrap the presents myself, but I don’t know where anything is in the house and I’m not sure I’ll even have time. I’d hate to get caught by someone who’ll see their present, so I ask to pay for that service too.
While I’m waiting for the gift wrapping to be finished, I get out my card.
“That doesn’t look like a Black Amex.”
I jump about a mile and turn to see Hayden standing there, frowning. Ford and Gabriel are with him.
“We thought you’d fallen behind,” Ford explains.
“You can’t look!” I move to stand in front of the cashier so they can’t see what I’ve bought. “I had to get everyone presents!”
“And you’re going to pay for it with your own card?” Gabriel asks.
“Yes, of course.”
“After we gave you ours?”
“I’m not using your cards,” I retort. “You three made me take them, I didn’t ask for them. Just because I was forced to accept them doesn’t mean you can make me use them.”
The three men look at each other, apparently having to admit they’ve been outplayed. Hayden gives me a flat look. “Fine.” He holds out his hand. “Then I want mine back.”
That startles me, I have to admit, but I fish the three cards out of my purse, make sure to find the one with his name on it, and hand it over.
Hayden walks right up to the cashier and holds out his card. “Please charge everything to this card, thank you.”
The cashier glances back and forth between us, but clearly has reached that point in the busy holiday season where she’s not paid enough to worry about this kind of drama. She takes the card and charges everything to it.
Hayden winks at me triumphantly and pockets his card. I gape at him. That—that sneaky—I can’t even believe it. This must be how his business competitors feel when he’s outmaneuvered them.
I wish I didn’t find it so attractive.
Gabriel chuckles. “You’ve been outplayed.”
Then he plucks his card from my hand and walks over to the handbag section of the store. He sizes me up quickly, then scans the handbags, and selects a beautiful light pink one with both a top handle and a shoulder strap and an elegant black clasp. It’s classy and clearly high quality.
Gabriel walks over and places it on the counter. “This one, please.”
“What are you doing?” I hiss.
“You have had to make do with that oversized bag for far too long. You deserve something that matches the lovely, feminine, classic styles you wear.”