20. Liz
Chapter Twenty
LIZ
On the way to Mick’s house, Kent and I review the day’s work.
“What about the branding pitch this week? Are you still open to adding a little English to your American brand?” he asks.
Isn’t that what I’m doing now in my life? Adding a little English, even if just a dash—dashing gentleman that is. What do they say? When in London? “Sure,” I answer, though the only way I’ll go for it is if they really wow me.
We pull up the private driveway, and it becomes very clear that this is more than just a house. It’s a real, live London manor. In the flesh. Or should I say brick? Kent’s driver opens the car door for me, and by the time we step up to Mick’s door, a spiffy butler opens it.
I don’t think I know anyone who has their own butler. I guess it’s first-class all the way with these billionaire brothers.
“Good evening, Earl.” Kent nods to the straight-spined man.
“Good evening, Mr. Bonnaire.” The butler sounds like the one on the old Grey Poupon commercials. Or maybe that’s just how I’m seeing all of this. We step inside the warm foyer, where Kent proceeds to introduce me. “Earl, this is?—”
“Liz?” A woman’s voice blurts, startling me. Wait . . . I know that voice. I look over, and there she is. Beau Donovan is standing right in front of me.
“Beau? What are you doing here?” It’s the first question I have, but there are so many more where that came from.
“What are you doing here?” Beau asks with a slight squeal, and her grin grows.
My mind races to put this puzzle together.
Mick steps up, offering a familiar smile.
His handsome face jogs my memory back to Kate and Drew’s wedding.
Garret, our mutual friend and publicist, assigned me to occupy Mick’s time in order to keep him away from Beau because she was on a sex fast. Just like I am right now.
But seeing as she’s standing by Mick’s side, it looks like I did a terrible job at that.
But then the pieces all fall into place.
Hold on. Mick’s newly engaged. So that must mean . . .
“Are you engaged?” Beau and I blurt at each other in unison. We don’t bother answering the question because the answer is obvious. We all met at the wedding, and now our big L.A. world feels really small. With Beau here, this whole thing just got a lot closer to home.
“Oh, my gosh!” Beau flings her arms open and brings me in for a hug. I feel myself melt a little in her arms. I had no idea how much I could use an old friend until this very moment. And I’m grateful. “I can’t believe it. You and I are both marrying Bonnaire brothers! How did this happen?”
I shrug, playing dumb. “I don’t know, but it’s crazy.” Which is the damn truth on my end. The reality is that only one of us will actually be walking down the aisle. And it’s not me.
Then, I remember something Dean Bonnaire said the other night about an unexpected pregnancy. My stare flies to Beau’s stomach. No indication she’s brewing a baby but I have to ask anyway. “Wait, are you having a baby?”
“Yes, I am!” Her grin is stretched out as far as possible and her freshly blushed cheeks grow pinker.
“Wow! Congratulations!” I throw my hands in the air and pull her in for another hug. Holy crap, Beau’s having a baby! With Mick Bonnaire! This really is crazy. Or mad, as the Brits say. I congratulate Mick as well and he squints his eyes as if he’s still placing me.
“We met at the wedding,” Mick says, finally recognizing my face.
“We did,” I say.
“Oh, that’s right.” Beau smacks her forehead. “That’s a really funny story.”
I think back to my poor attempts to flirt with the host. Though he is extremely good-looking, the task was harder than I thought.
The entire time, I really wanted to bat my lashes and giggle with Kent.
Mick may have some very cute twin dimples, but it’s nearly impossible to resist that dimple in Kent’s chin. So sexy.
“Oh, is it now?” Mick replies playfully to his fiancée, pulling her in by the waist. He touches his nose to hers, then kisses her sweetly. Kent and I trade quick glances. Maybe in another life, we could be doing the same thing. I know we both want to. But we can’t.
“Hang on,” Beau says the moment their lips detach. “I have to call Kate.”
Call Kate? Uh-oh. I knew going into this that this would probably have to happen sometime, but I was hoping that, by some miracle, I wouldn’t have to face her. But it’s too late. Kate’s beautiful face is already on Beau’s screen.
“You’re not going to believe who’s here?” Beau beams.
“Who?”
“Look!” Beau flips the phone my way. Kate, my dark-haired friend with the prettiest shaped eyes, looks all fresh and dewy despite the New York winter.
“Liz! Hey! Where are you guys?” Kate asks.
I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear wanting to curl into myself. “We’re at Mick’s having dinner.”
“How?” Kate tilts her head.
Beau’s brow knits. “She doesn’t know either?”
Kent steps up. “We haven’t shared the news exactly.”
“What news?” Kate asks on Beau’s phone.
Kent and I share a look. Like it or not, we have to confess. As if on cue, we both turn to Kate and say, “We’re engaged.”
Kate slaps her hand over her slack jaw. “Are you serious?” she asks, and we nod. “Drew! Get over here,” she calls to her husband. “He’s not going to believe this. I didn’t even know you two were dating. How did this happen?”
“Right? I want to know too,” Beau adds.
Drew appears on screen and takes a moment to orient himself as Kate explains what’s happening. I watch his expression shift from curiosity to surprise to intrigue.
“Hey, mate,” Kent says and takes Beau’s phone. “We were just sharing the good news that I’m getting married.”
“Holy fuck!” Drew blurts.
Kent’s skin begins to burn red. Is he embarrassed? Or does he feel bad about lying to his brothers? Could we tell the truth and still get away with it? “Can you believe it? I’m engaged to Kate’s friend Liz.”
“No way. I never thought I’d see the day.” Drew sounds as incredulous as he should be. “Since when?”
“It just happened,” Kent says. “We’re about to sit down to dinner. Can I ring you later?”
“Sure. Congratulations, brother!” Drew offers with a warm smile as if he’s really, really happy for us. “And you too, Liz. Welcome to the family.”
“Sisters-in-law!” Kate hollers and Beau wiggles with a youthful excitement.
There it is again. More acceptance into the Bonnaire clan. And it makes me wish I could truly accept the invitation.
“Thank you,” Kent and I reply and end the call.
Okay, we told everyone. My shoulders relax a little. It wasn’t as painful as I thought. Except very soon, we’re going to have to untell them. Will that be painful?
“C’mon, let’s eat. We’ve got a lot to talk about,” Mick says, gesturing for us to follow him.
The wine Kent brought goes down easy. The alcohol surges through our systems enough to help us settle from the shock.
Except for Beau, who can’t indulge. So she’s still riding high on the news—hers and ours.
The four of us sit down to dinner as if we’re old friends because, between all of us, we are all old friends in one form or another.
Beau proceeds to tell the story about how she attempted to dodge Mick at Kate and Drew’s wedding. I chime in about how I thought I met Mick in the elevator when it was really Kent.
“Does that mean you were just pretending to flirt with me?” Kent asks playfully but also with a hint of sincerity. I want to reassure him. I want him to know that we may be faking it with everyone, but that day in the elevator was all real.
“No, I liked you immediately,” I admit.
“Of course, she did. You two are getting married!” Beau adds, and we’re reminded of the roles we’re playing tonight. “So, tell us how this happened.”
Kent’s blue freckled gaze flashes my way, and he sets down his wine glass. “Well, after we met at the wedding, I couldn’t stop thinking about this amazing woman.” Why does it feel so good to hear him call me amazing? “So I rang her up, and the rest is history.”
Beau’s gaze goes gooey. “Aw! That’s so sweet.”
“This is quite a surprise. You and I getting engaged at the same time. I didn’t realize you were even thinking of getting married,” Mick says like he’s trying to make sense of it all.
If it wasn’t for the fact that Beau and Mick’s romance is as much of a whirlwind as our supposed romance, there would probably be a lot more questions.
“I wasn’t. But you know how it is. You experienced it with Beau.
There was just something special about Liz.
” Kent offers me that winning smile, and my heart flutters in my chest. You’d think having a crush on your fake fiancée would be a good thing, but it’s really not.
Kent continues, “Then you came over that day, Mick. And you were talking about how Beau was the one. And I asked you how you knew for sure, and you said you couldn’t know, you just knew you had to take a leap of faith.
So I took one too.” Kent reaches for my hand, resting on the table, and gently takes it in his.
Our eyes meet in a moment that feels so sincere, even though I know we’re putting on the perfect couple show.
It’s one of those perfect moments that I know I’ll think back to over and over again when I’m alone in my bed in San Francisco.
Mick and Beau are totally buying it. I wish I could let myself fall for it too.
Mick places his hand over his heart. “That’s beautiful.”
“It really is!” Beau adds sobbing. We all look at my friend who has fresh tears in her eyes.
“Are you all right?” I ask.
“Yeah, I think I’m just hormonal or something,” she says. Mick lovingly rubs her back and plants a comforting kiss on her temple.
“Well, since you’re here, why don’t you come to the ballet with us this weekend,” Mick says and takes a sip of his red wine.
“Ballet?” I ask.
“Yes, The Nutcracker. Kent didn’t tell you about it?” he asks, and I look at Kent, recalling our conversation on the sofa a couple of nights ago.
“Oh, right. The family tradition,” I say, feeling like I’m up to speed.
“That’s right. It was our mother’s favorite. We go every year. Or we used to. Kent seems to have caught a cold the last couple of seasons. But you seem quite well now.”
“Yes, you have to come,” Beau chimes in. “It’ll be so much fun.”
Kent lends a small smile as his eyes fall to his plate. Why does it suddenly seem like he’s so far away?
“That sounds nice,” I say, playing my role.
We spend the rest of dinner listening to the two lovebirds regale us with their movie-like love story, their fall wedding plans, and their excitement for their newborn arrival this summer.
They had so much to share, and I loved soaking up every moment.
Plus, it took the focus away from us and our big fat lie.
Finally, the evening comes to a close. Beau, who used to stay out until sunrise, is now yawning at ten o’clock. My sleepy friend and I have a moment alone as I slide into my coat.
“I can’t believe we’re going to be sisters-in-law. And with Kate too,” Beau says.
My gaze falls as I feel the pain of the truth. “Yeah.”
Beau frowns. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.” I quickly dress up my face with a solid smile. I can do this. I can fake it for a good cause.
“You sure?” she asks.
“Yeah, I think I’m still jetlagged or something.”
“I know all about that. You go home and get some sleep. If Kent will let you.” Beau winks, reminding me that these Bonnaire men certainly have a reputation for their bedroom skills.
I glance up at Kent, who’s chatting with his brother.
If only we weren’t engaged, I would know by now what all the fuss is about.