Chapter 13
JESSE
Ihad an exceptional memory. It seemed like a wildly unfair trade-off for my complete lack of situational awareness, but I’d take it because it meant that, despite the fact that I’d been extremely intoxicated the last time I was here, I still managed to find Jacqueline’s apartment on the night of the investor dinner.
As I stepped out of the car, I checked my watch, smirking when I realized that miraculously, I was right on time.
“Look at me,” I muttered, straightening my jacket as I headed inside. “I’m a fantastic boyfriend already.”
The doorman let me up without question, a perk of him clearly recognizing me, and a few minutes later, I was standing outside her door, knocking before stepping back and sliding my hands into my pockets.
The soft buzz of the lock sounded and the door swung open.
As soon as she appeared, I briefly forgot how to speak.
Jacqueline’s dress unzipped halfway down her back and only one of her earrings was in, her dark hair falling in loose, slightly chaotic waves around her shoulders like she was still busy battling with it.
Once again, the first words that escaped me when I saw her made me wonder if I had a death wish. “Damn. I thought my fake girlfriend would be punctual.”
She gave me a look that could turn a man to stone. “I will call this whole thing off if you prefer?”
“No, no. What I meant to say was you look beautiful tonight.”
She rolled her eyes. “Get inside. I’m almost done.”
I walked in, turning to shut the door behind me. When I looked again, she was gathering her hair over one shoulder, exposing the line of her spine and the open zipper. “Make yourself useful and zip me up, would you?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said, reaching forward and trying not think about what was happening right now, but it didn’t work.
The soft brush of fabric, the warmth of her skin just beneath it, and the way she held still for exactly half a second before shifting slightly like she was just as aware of it as I was made me swallow hard.
Eventually, I dragged the zipper up in one smooth, fast movement. Day one of being my fake girlfriend, and there’s already some nice perks.
“There,” I said, stepping back immediately to put some much needed distance between us.
“Thank you,” she replied, already moving away like she was trying to do the same thing I was, but then she turned, her eyes frantically scanning the floor. “Where is it?”
“What are we looking for?” I asked.
“My earring.”
Of course.
I glanced down, looking around for just a few seconds before I saw it right there in the open. It wasn’t even trying to hide, just sitting there like it had been waiting for someone with functional eyesight.
Bending over, I picked it up and held it out to her. “This it?”
She frowned. “Yes, but it wasn’t there a second ago.”
I grinned. “It must like me.”
She narrowed her eyes and swiped it off my open palm. “Don’t start with me, Westwood.”
“Oh, I’m starting, middling, and finishing,” I said. “This is going to come up at least three more times tonight.”
She sighed, turning toward a mirror in the foyer to fix it, but I stepped up behind her before she could fumble. “Hold still.”
Taking it back from her, I secured it with practiced ease even though I was totally faking it. I’d never done this for a woman before, but it worked out alright. “There, see? I can be useful.”
She exhaled and flashed me a small smile. “Thank you.”
I gave her a nod, then leaned back against the wall, watching as she blinked hard, frowned, then did it again. “Are you okay?”
“My contacts are killing me,” she muttered. “My new health plan just kicked in and I haven’t been able to order new ones yet. These are dry as hell.”
I winced sympathetically. “Just wear your glasses, then.”
She glanced at me in the mirror. “To an investor dinner?”
“Yes,” I said simply, resisting the very strong urge to explain that this evening wasn’t nearly as big of a deal as she thought it was. Well, it kind of was.
Technically, but I’d been to a million of these things. As an investor. A guest. A problem. They were all the same. There was lots of talking, posturing, and showing off, but nothing really substantial ever happened.
“Trust me,” I said. “You’ll look great.”
She held my gaze for another beat before she caved. “Fine.”
Spinning on her heels, she took off and reappeared a couple minutes later with her hair now twisted into a bun at the nape of her neck and glasses perched on her nose. I nearly sucked in an audible breath, seeing her in them for the first time. Aw, fuck. This is really going to be a problem.
Jacque was a stunner without those glasses, but with them on? She was absolutely going to fucking kill me. I cleared my throat, straightening and trying to remind my body that she was my fake date and nothing more, but it didn’t work for shit.
I grabbed her hand. “There’s still time to back out.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ve already signed the NDAs. I’m onboard. As long as you pretend to be a good boyfriend. No cheating and no embarrassing me.”
“I can promise not to cheat on you, but there’s no way I can promise I won’t embarrass you. Do you still want to be my fake girlfriend?”
She laughed. “Fine, whatever. Yes.”
“The sweetest three words I’ve ever heard.” I smiled at her. “Ready?”
She nodded and grabbed a little navy clutch off the back of her couch, flicking it open to check that she had everything she needed.
I took the opportunity to look at her properly, trying to see past the way her dark blue dress clung to her curves and instantly knowing that this might actually work.
Together, we could totally pull this off.
Alex would get what he wanted, which was having the focus on me. There would be a shift in the public narrative, something clean for the press to eat up. Zach got some breathing room. This would definitely help keep the focus off him. And me? I got her.
I could find a real wife later.
It couldn’t be that hard. Everyone else in my family had managed just fine. I would too. Just not right now.
When she looked up again, I gestured toward the door. “Shall we?”
Those intense eyes met mine, holding for a moment before she took the arm I offered and followed me out the door. The investor dinner was being held in a rooftop restaurant that overlooked the whole city, the windows so wide and large that it made the skyline feel like part of the décor.
I sighed when we walked inside. “Well, this is casual. I wonder where we would’ve been if they’d decided to flex.”
Jacqueline elbowed me lightly. “Behave.”
“I am.”
“Okay, let me clarify,” she said, sending me a coy smile. “Behave like you actually care about what kind of impression you’re going to make tonight.”
“No one will even notice me, with you at my side.” I smirked, guiding her further in with a hand in the small of her back while I clocked the room out of habit.
Jane and Alex stood near the center, deep in conversation with a cluster of investors, while Nate lingered off to the side with a drink in hand, looking like he’d rather be literally anywhere else.
Colin Thayer was easy to spot, but this kind of event was where he shone. This was his arena. His deal. W&S had some stock in the building on the residential side, sure, and Nate’s team had been in talks with the investor’s company for a while now, but this had Colin’s fingerprints all over it.
As we stepped fully into the room, it didn’t take long for people to start noticing us. Jane was first, recognition sparking immediately. Her face lit up as she excused herself and crossed the space toward us.
“Jacque,” she said warmly. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Neither did I,” Jacqueline replied smoothly. “It’s good to see you, though.”
“You look wonderful,” Jane said.
Jacqueline nodded with a hint of shyness. “You’re too kind.”
Colin followed a second later, his smile easy as he shook her hand. “You’re from Ellis & Addeson, right?”
“Guilty,” she said.
He grinned. “That’s good. It means Jesse’s in capable hands.”
I watched the exchange with mild satisfaction, not surprised that she already knew them. Jane went way back with Miranda Ellis and she was in their offices at least every other week. I also suddenly felt eyes on me, though.
When I lifted my gaze, I scanned the room for only a few seconds before I found the source. Alex was watching me, not her, his expression skeptical and suspicion in his eyes.
I gave him a small, innocent smile, but it didn’t remove the doubting look in his eyes.
Jacqueline and I did the rounds, experts at doing the necessary introductions and working the room.
She stuck close, handling everything like she’d been doing this her entire life.
She was thoroughly involved in every conversation with me until the wives found her.
I shot her an apologetic smile, but she waved me off and fell in with them like she’d known them for years.
Every so often when I glanced at her, I felt a strange twinge of pride in my chest. It was potentially concerning, but I ignored it for now.
A couple hours later, I was talking to a man who owned at least three buildings in the city when Alex finally made his move. He caught my eye, tilted his head slightly toward the hallway, and walked off without waiting to see if I followed, but I did.
I wasn’t suicidal and I knew there was a chance he might actually kill me if I left him hanging. As soon as we were out of earshot, however, I pursed my lips and cut straight to the chase. I’d done what I’d been told. He had zero reason to be cornering me right now. “What’s wrong now?”
Alex turned to face me, his arms crossing not so casually over his chest. “How did you find her, Jesse? What kind of vetting did you do?”
I slipped my hands into my pockets and arched an eyebrow at him. “You mean Jacque, my girlfriend of several years? Soon to be my fiancée? I know it’s been in the off-again phase for a while, but wow. I’m surprised you forgot about her so fast.”
Alex’s expression didn’t change and I shook my head at him, my head cocking as I tried to suppress a smile. “Should I be worried about you, Alex? Your memory seems to be slipping. If you can’t handle being in charge, I’ll be happy to step in.”
For just a second, I thought he might actually lose it right here. I saw the retort forming on his lips and the frustration radiating from him, but then he reined himself in and sighed. “Just do not fuck this up, okay?”
I smiled. “Stop worrying, big brother. She’s great. You couldn’t have chosen a better match for me. I’ve got it completely under control.”
As he held my gaze, some of the tightness eased from his jaw. It was subtle, but there was definite relief crossing his features as he nodded. He didn’t seem entirely certain about Jacque, but at least I hadn’t dragged a model in here by her spindly ankles.
We made it through the rest of the night without incident.
All the investors who needed to see us had done so.
I did what I needed to do, introducing her properly to the right people.
We focused especially on those with wives who talked, and those same wives loved her.
They would definitely remember her when they spoke to their friends who weren’t here, which was completely in our favor.
By the time we left, the narrative was already starting to change. In just one night, I’d gone from playboy to potential husband. I could practically feel it, see it in the way people looked at us as we said our goodbyes.
When we stepped back into the cool night air, I opened the door of my car for her, waiting until she slid inside before circling around to the driver’s side. The moment the doors shut, I glanced at her and grinned.
“You did a great job in there tonight.”
She snorted softly. “It’s not like it’s hard.”
“It’s not?”
“You’re a man,” she said simply.
I frowned. “Okay?”
“All I had to say was that we met, you saw everything you’ve ever been looking for in my eyes, and I moved to Chicago to be closer to you.”
I stared at her. “That’s your story?”
“That’s their favorite story,” she corrected. “All I had to do was give them the basics and they took it from there.”
I huffed out a laugh, shaking my head as I pulled away from the curb. “Remind me never to underestimate you.”
“Too late.”
We drove in comfortable silence for a minute until something nudged at the back of my mind. I glanced at her and decided to just ask. Holding back wasn’t exactly my style, and if we were really going to do this, I needed to know. “What would your family back home think about this?”
She didn’t even flinch before she was shrugging. “They’d probably be happy for me.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. It’s been a while since I’ve had fun and that’s all they want for me, to start fresh here. To get out and live a little. This counts, right?”
Something warm settled in my chest as I processed her response. So I was right. She does feel the same way I do when we’re together. Well, maybe not quite the same, but she is definitely having fun.
I pulled up outside her building a few minutes later, shifting the car into park as she reached for the door, but I stopped her before she could climb out. “Hey, you might want to start packing.”
She paused and looked back at me, a confused furrow appearing between her eyebrows. “What?”
“We leave Thursday morning,” I said. “That only gives you four days.”
“Four days until what?”
I grinned. “Just pack a swimsuit.”
She arched an eyebrow at me. “You haven’t even told me where we’re going.”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Jesse—”
I shook my head. “A surprise is a surprise, Jacque. Good night. Thanks again for everything. You really were amazing.”
She finally sighed and got out of the car, and I pulled away from the curb before she started questioning me again. Looking in my rearview mirror as I drove away, I caught one last glimpse of her through the glass, annoyed, incredulous, and, unless I wasn’t imagining it, she was also smiling.
Yeah. This is definitely going to be fun.