12. Willow Delmont
Chapter twelve
Willow Delmont
Everything is happening too fast. Not long after I told Jason yes over text, he sent me a message saying that Brock needed a photo of us. Something to announce our engagement. So instead of him driving me to dinner from the facility, he’s going to pick me up at my apartment so that I have time to get photo-ready.
It’s not just the photo I wanted to change for though. Jason told me we’re going to Gianmarco’s for dinner. It’s a quaint little Italian restaurant that’s reservation only. I’ve never been, but I’ve heard it’s amazing, and I don’t want to walk in wearing leggings.
As soon as I got home, I rushed through a shower and shaved my legs. Then I pulled out one of my favorite dresses–a little black number that emphasizes my waist–and a pair of flats to match. Since Jason is so tall, I know I won’t have to worry about looking taller than him, but my ankle is still too sore to wear heels. It’s nice to know I won’t have to worry about it in the future though. Maybe it’s superficial, but I’ve always wanted to be shorter than the man I marry.
Marry . I’m getting married . I almost swipe the berry-toned lipstick I’m applying across my cheek at the thought. This is not how I expected this part of my life to go. I thought I’d meet a nice man, date for a while, bring him to meet Granny Mae. Once she approved, I’d video chat my parents. Everyone would love him–as would I. Then he’d propose to me under the big willow tree in Granny’s back yard that I was named after, the one my dad proposed to my mom under years ago. We’d have a small wedding and a long honeymoon. Buy a big farmhouse out in the country and fill it with animals and kids. I had it all figured out…minus the groom.
Now I have the groom, but all of those plans are thrown out the window. My surprise announcement to Granny Mae and my parents will almost ensure they don’t approve. My proposal happened in a conference room and I said yes over text. Our wedding will be small, so I guess that’s something. But there will definitely be no honeymoon of any kind, and as far as our living situation goes…I’d rather avoid that train of thought for as long as possible.
I glance at the time on my phone. My stomach flips. Looks like I’ll have to address things soon, since Jason should be showing up in ten minutes. My reflection makes me look much more put together than I feel. My makeup is simple and elegant. A wash of silver shimmer on my eyelids to complement the gray color of my irises, a berry lip color that’s perfect for fall, and my beautiful black dress that manages the perfect balance of sexy and classy. Or at least that’s what I think.
What will Jason think? I shake my head and turn away from the mirror. It doesn’t matter what he thinks. None of this is real. This isn’t a real date. It’s more like a business meeting. Somehow, that mindset only increases my nausea. I don’t know if I can do this.
A knock sounds at my door and my pulse skyrockets, racing away like a wild horse. I head to answer the door. I’d thought he might text me that he was here, but no, he has to show up early and come to my door. Jason was here just last night, but it feels different having him come by like this. I’m not half-asleep and injured like I was last night. My hope was that I’d sleep the events of the night off. Instead, they followed me into the day and disrupted my entire life.
I pull open the door. My mouth goes dry at the sight before me. Jason is standing outside my door in olive-green dress pants and a white button-down with the top two buttons undone. He’s in the process of rolling up his sleeves, exposing tan, muscular forearms. His head lifts and I watch his forest-green gaze darken as he takes me in.
“You look beautiful,” he rasps.
My face warms at his compliment. “Thank you. I was about to slip on my shoes and grab my bag.”
“Don’t rush on my account. I know I’m early.”
I hesitate. He seems to be content where he’s at, but… “Would you like to come in while I finish up?”
He raises his eyebrows in surprise. “I don’t mind waiting out here.”
I shrug. “Either way is okay with me.”
“Then I’ll come in.”
He walks through my front door and I watch as he looks the space over. My apartment was dark last night, and he didn’t stay long. I’m sure he didn’t notice much. Now he can see everything in the light.
I twist my engagement ring around my finger. It’s quickly become a habit in the few hours I’ve worn it.
“I like how you decorated everything,” he says, looking over at me.
I’m sure he’s wondering why I’m just standing here, but a part of me wanted to know what he thought. “You do?”
A faint smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. “Yeah, it’s cozy.”
I let out a breathy laugh. “That’s another word for small. I’m sure it’s different from whatever bachelor pad mansion you live in.”
I walk past the kitchen toward my room, listening as his footsteps sound behind me. I don’t particularly want him in my bedroom, but it would make things more awkward than they are for me to tell him to stay in the living room.
He chuckles. “What does a bachelor pad mansion look like?”
“Something with too many TVs and not enough blankets,” I say as I walk into my bedroom. His laughter follows me. I’m glad he can’t see the smile on my lips.
“I’ll be happy to prove you wrong. I may have been a bachelor, but I have plenty of blankets and only one TV, though it’s a fairly large one.”
My eyebrows raise at his admission. Interesting, and not at all what I expected. His use of past tense when talking about his single days isn’t lost on me either. It has my abdomen tightening.
“Either way, I’m sure it’s bigger than this place,” I say as I grab my black flats out of my closet.
“Sure, but when I said cozy, I didn’t mean small. You’ve made this place a home, and it shows.”
His words catch me off guard again. He seems to be doing that a lot lately.
“Thank you. I did my best to make it feel like a sanctuary.”
After sliding on my shoes, I look up. Jason watches me from the doorway, leaning against the frame. My heart flutters in a way I don’t appreciate. Just because he’s pretty doesn’t mean what happened in the past is erased. I might be marrying him, but I have no plans of falling in love or even having a crush on him.
“My bag is on the kitchen island,” I tell him.
He steps back so there’s room for me to pass by. When I do, his fresh-out-of-the-shower scent envelops me and I bite the inside of my cheek to distract myself. A man who looks good and smells good is a lethal combination.
I grab my bag off the counter. “Okay, I’m ready to go.”
“Are you sure?” he asks, his green eyes searching mine. I know his question goes deeper than me being ready for dinner.
“I’m sure.”
He dips his chin. “Then let’s go.”
The ride to the restaurant was quiet. I spent the whole time alternating between twisting my ring and playing with the strap of my handbag. Jason must be more nervous than I initially thought, because he didn’t attempt much conversation.
“Have a nice evening,” the valet driver says as he takes the keys to Jason’s car.
“Thank you,” Jason replies before joining me on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant.
It’s a small, unassuming brick building with ivy crawling up toward the simple sign. I step toward the door, curious what the inside will be like.
“Wait, do you want to take our photo before we go in? The sun will set soon, and the lighting in there is pretty dim.”
Dim might be good. It could cover up the unease swirling within me. Realistically though, I know that this photo will be everywhere. We should look our best, and beneath the golden rays of the fading sun is certainly the way to do that.
I shrug. “Yeah, let’s go ahead and take some. Do you want to take them or see if we can get someone to take a few?”
“Whatever you think is best. You’re the one with the experience in this area.”
“In faking relationships?” I ask.
He smirks. “In social media and photography.”
“Oh, yeah.” I think it over. “Let’s take a few selfie-style and a few with a person helping. It will be good for Brock to have multiple photos, and for us to share different ones on social media to make it look more authentic.”
“Okay, let me see if the valet guy can help before another car pulls up,” Jason says, then walks back over to the little tent the guy was standing under.
They have a brief interaction, then the guy comes over, Jason’s phone in hand. I set my purse on a bench nearby so that it’s not in the background of the photos.
“Where do you want us to be?” Jason asks as he walks over to me.
“Right here is fine. The brick wall with the ivy is a pretty backdrop,” I answer.
He steps up to my side, but I walk around him. The confusion on his face makes me laugh a little.
“I need to be able to show off the ring,” I remind him, positioning myself on his left side and gently laying my hand on his chest. The large diamond sparkles in the fading sun.
He draws in a breath. “Right. I’d almost forgotten about that part.” His voice sounds strained. Is being near me difficult? I’m sure pretending isn’t easy for him any more than it is for me. Flirting is one thing, but pretending to be engaged? That’s a totally different ball game.
I’m about to tell him how he should stand when he wraps an arm around my waist and draws me in closer, making me gasp.
“No one will believe we’re engaged if you’re ten feet away from me,” he murmurs.
I roll my eyes. “I was hardly ten feet. More like a few inches.”
Being pressed against him like this is dizzying. His clean scent is even more potent, and the warmth emanating from him is much too welcome in the October evening air.
“Ready?” the valet guy says and I blink a few times.
“Yes, we’re ready,” I answer and turn my head toward the camera.
I try my best to smile, but it feels forced. I’m uncomfortable and unsure. There’s no way I’ll be able to relax enough to be believable. Everyone is going to either think it’s fake or that I’m the most uptight bride-to-be in the world. Unfortunately, thinking about this only makes me more tense.
“Okay, I took a few,” the guy says.
Jason walks over and takes his phone, then presses a few bills into his hand. “Thanks, man.”
The guy grins wide when he looks down at the generous amount of money and thanks Jason profusely. The sight increases the warmth building within me. I’m sure the amount was nothing to Jason, but it clearly meant a lot to the man.
“How do they look?” I ask when he returns to my side. He hands the phone to me without answering.
They’re not as bad as I thought, but none of them are the photo. We need something believable.
“Maybe the photos we take will turn out better,” he says, confirming that he saw what I did.
I sigh. “I hope so.”
“Come here.” He draws me close to him again. His hand is warm in the dip of my waist, and I find it suddenly hard to breathe. “Look at me.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” I say, but look at him anyway. His green eyes are crinkled at the edges. In my periphery, I can see he’s holding up his phone, but it’s hard to think about that when he’s so close .
“You like to be in charge,” he states.
“No, I just don’t like being told what to do.”
He chuckles. “That’s the same thing.”
“I don’t think so.”
“I think you’d argue with me even if I said the sky was blue.”
I glance up at the pastel sunset. “Well, it’s rosy pink right now, so–” I cut myself off when I realize I’m proving him right.
Laughter rumbles through his chest, making the hand I’ve rested there tingle.
“Stop laughing at me,” I say, though my lips are turning up in a smile of their own. “I don’t argue with everyone.”
“Oh I know,” he says, looking down at me with sparkling green eyes. “You reserve all that sass for me.”
An involuntary giggle bubbles out of me. “Not all of it. I have much more than what I show you.”
He makes a faux shocked face. “I didn’t think you could have any left over.”
I swat his chest. “Shut up. I’m not that bad.”
“I didn’t say any of this was a bad thing, did I?”
My breath catches as our gazes lock. Just as the world starts to slip away around us, a car horn blares, making me jump back. Jason’s arm falls away.
He clears his throat. “I think I got a few good ones, but we should go inside before we’re too late for our reservation.”
I nod, grabbing my bag from the nearby bench I set it on. Jason holds the door open for me, and I enter on shaking legs. The photos proved to be a good distraction, but now reality is setting in once again. I’m about to have dinner with my future husband .