Chapter 3
THREE
GIGI
I’m in very real danger of sweating through my top as I check my reflection in the vanity mirror one more time.
I’m so nervous, I can’t even appreciate the fact that this is one of several new mirrors to grace the walls of my brother’s place now that Selena has moved here.
But it’s no wonder, considering I’m minutes away from facing my demon. Also known as seeing Brad at the welcome ice cream social that he and his fiancee have scheduled for today.
At least I won’t be going alone. After Justin and I crafted a backstory and hashed out a tentative plan of attack for the next few days, I was in relatively good spirits when I went to bed last night. Unfortunately, my dream mind decided to go into overdrive imagining every possible thing that could go wrong. I ended up tossing and turning.
I squint at my reflection. Did I put enough concealer on to cover the dark circles under my eyes? I wonder if Selena has a gel mask I can borrow to depuff them a little more.
I pick up my phone to text her the question, but before I can even open our thread, there’s a knock at the door.
Oh God. Aaron is here.
Maybe I should change my top. My gut twists. Maybe I should call this whole thing off. The rumors are bad enough. Wouldn’t this all be so much worse if we’re discovered to be frauds?
Before I can decide whether or not I’ve lost my mind, I throw open the door and my heart hitches. There, looking as if he’s just stepped off of an outdoor wear runway, is Aaron. He’s wearing a flannel shirt and jeans that fit him well, accentuating his broad shoulders and chest. His brown hair is pushed back in a carefree, windswept way that men back in Manhattan would pay top dollar to emulate. His thick beard has been brushed and he’s wearing that signature smirk of his that carries more swagger than even a top model’s strut.
And his eyes… Those sage green eyes of his have a glimmer of daring that is entirely too tempting.
I swallow hard and open my mouth to form a greeting. The only sound that comes out is a garbled squawk.
“Hey.” Aaron’s brow furrows and steps toward me. “I… I… I…”
“Hey,” he says again, taking me by the shoulders. “It’s okay.” His strong fingers start to massage my shoulders. Lowering his head so he can stare straight into my eyes, his voice is calm. “I need you to breathe, sweetheart. Can you do that for me? Can you take a deep breath?”
I shake my head.
“I know that’s not true.” His lips curve up reassuringly. “Come on. Let’s breathe together.” He takes a deep breath and waits for me to follow his lead.
We take several lung-filling breaths together, his stare never leaving mine. His fingers dig deeper, undoing every knot that has been forming in my shoulder.
One of his thumbs brushes past the collar of my blouse, touching the smooth skin at the nape of my neck. A shiver ripples through me, taking the last bits of anxiety with it.
“You okay?” he asks.
“Yeah.” I take one more deep breath and let it go. “Thanks to you, I am. I bet you didn’t think you’d be on calm-down duty today.”
“Meh.” He releases his hold on me. “We’ve all been there.”
I grab my purse and we make the drive into town.
"So…” He glances at me. “What have you been up to the past few years?"
I give a short laugh. “That’s what you want to do right now? Make small talk?”
“It seemed like a fair conversation starter.” He lifts a shoulder. “Besides, if we’re going to pretend to be madly in love with each other, it seems like I should know what you’ve got yourself up to in New York.”
I can’t help but smile at that logic.
“Okay.” I shift in my seat to face him. “I’ve been working my ass off.”
“You’re a clothes designer, right?”
“An assistant fashion designer.”
His brow knits together. “What’s the difference?”
“I work for another designer’s label.”
He nods. “Is that what you want to do forever?”
“Well, ideally I’d design clothes under my own name.” I lift a shoulder. “But this isn’t bad in the meantime. Still… some day”
“I get it. I get wanting to be your own person.”
I cast him a sidelong glance. “Are you your own man?”
“I like to think so. Besides volunteering with the fire department, I’m my own boss.”
“You do carpentry, right?” When he nods, I ask, “What kind?”
“Building mostly.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “Have you built anything I’ve seen?”
“Oh, maybe. For starters, I did the new vanity in the guest bathroom.”
“Seriously?” If possible, my brows rise even higher. “I was just admiring that.”
“Before or after the panic attack.”
I shake my head at him. “You’re very talented.”
“Yeah, well.” For the first time in our acquaintance, Aaron’s cheeks flush.
Interesting. The man who oozes confidence and ruggedness can’t take a simple compliment. I’ll have to tuck that away for later.
Aaron parks a block away from the gazebo in the town square. Unbuckling his seatbelt, he hops out of the truck and rounds to open the passenger door before I can reach for the handle.
“Look at you, Mr. Chivalrous,” I tease as I accept his hand. A fresh shiver of delight runs through me.
“Hey, I can make a good impression as a fake boyfriend for a weekend.”
“You sure can.” I slide my arm through his, but only to play the part of an infatuated girlfriend. Not because it feels as natural as breathing to walk arm-in-arm with him down a street.
As we near the ice cream social set up around the gazebo, some of my earlier anxiety returns.
Seemingly sensing my nerves, Aaron covers my hand and gives it a squeeze. “We’re in this together, gorgeous.”
I give him a tight-lipped smile.
“Also,” he lowers his lips even closer to my ear, his breath tickling it, “your breasts look fucking incredible in that top.”
My jaw drops, and my cheeks are flushing as he guides me straight toward Brad, who is holding court with some of his former teammates. I nearly trip over my own feet when I get a look at the expression on his once-all-too-familiar face. The man is furious.
His reaction is just the fuel I need.
Biting back a grin, I tighten my grip on Aaron’s arm.
“Brad,” I practically purr. “Thank you so much for inviting me to your wedding. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
My ex’s eyes narrow. “What the hell is he doing here?”
“What do you mean what is he doing here?” I blink in faux confusion. “My invitation included a plus one. And who better to bring as my plus one than my boyfriend?”
“Your boyfriend?” he sputters.
“I know.” Justin releases a dramatic sigh. “Boyfriend hardly seems like a good enough word for how serious we are.” He raises one of my hands to his lips. “Partner? Lover?” His gaze goes completely molten. “Love of my life?”
My belly flutters. “I like the sounds of all that.”
“Mmm.” He kisses my knuckles again. “I just like the sound of you and me together in one place for a change.”
“Oh, you.” I giggle.
Brad looks ready to commit murder. Though, I’m not positive which one of us is his intended victim. His fiancee appears at his side before he can commit.
“Brad Baby.” Bianca links her arm with his, flashing her engagement ring as she does. “You didn’t tell me that Gigi and Justin are a couple.”
His jaw hardens. “I didn’t know.”
“Well, now we do.” She pats his arm and flashes bright smiles at both of us. “And don’t you two just look perfect together.”
Justin presses a kiss to my temple. “I couldn’t agree more.”
Brad is clenching his jaw so tight now, I wouldn’t be surprised if it locked up. “So, how does this even work?”
“How does what work?” I rub my hand in a circle over Justin’s chest and he slides an arm around my waist, pulling me closer. A shiver of delight runs up my spine.
We really are killing it with this whole fake relationship. Even my body is starting to believe it’s real.
“The two of you. Dating when one of you lives in New York.”
“It isn’t easy.” Justin releases a heavy sigh. “Of course, we spend hours on video chat. We must send a couple hundred texts every day. But nothing compares to being together.”
“Hmm.” Brad’s eyes narrow suspiciously.
“But, I suppose we’ll want to be in the same place when we have kids…” I trail off, beaming up at Justin.
“I can’t wait for us to have kids.” He returns my gaze, looking at me in adoration. As if I’m the only woman in the world. “I can’t wait to teach them to play hockey.”
“And what will I do while you’re teaching them hockey?”
“You’ll be making them little uniforms. We’ll need enough for the whole team.”
I giggle, pretending not to notice how red Brad’s face has gotten. It’s practically purple. “A whole team of kids? It sounds like I’ll be busy. I suppose I can make everyone some hot chocolate too.”
“You’re going to be the best mom.” He lowers his head and nuzzles the side of my neck.“Just thinking about you carrying my child gets me so hot.”
Another tickle flutters through me. This one settles squarely between my thighs. If Justin keeps this up, I’m going to need a cold shower. Who knew he was such a good actor?
Steam is practically shooting out of Brad’s ears now.
“It’s been a blast catching up,” Justin says. “But if you’ll excuse us, I think I should get my sweet some of these sweets.”
“Oh, yes, please do.” Bianca rests her head on Brad’s shoulder. “We’re just so happy to have you here celebrating our love.”
Justin pulls me away. Once we’re out of earshot, we both burst into laughter.
“Did you see his face?” he asks.
“I swear, he was practically turning purple.”
“And his woman could not stake her claim on him faster.” Justin beams at me. “You were incredible.”
I practically preen. “You weren’t so bad yourself.”
“Come on.” He squeezes my waist. “My girlfriend deserves a treat.”
“Yes, well I think my boyfriend does, too.”
We reach the table of coolers. Justin helps himself to a Drumstick and I exclaim in excitement when I see a cherry popsicle. “Oh, these are my favorites.”
“Then we’d better grab it before someone else does.” He plucks the package from the ice and holds it out to me. “Gigi, will you accept this popsicle?”
“Yes.” I take it and waste no time unwrapping it. “Yes, a thousand times, yes.”
He chuckles again and we step to the side to enjoy our treats. We exchange greetings with a few of our acquaintances, who are all buzzing at seeing us together.
When Aaron and Selena arrive, she pulls me aside for a moment. “You guys are killing it.”
“Really?”
Her head bobs up and down. “People totally believe that you’re crazy in love. It’s all they can talk about.” She lifts her shoulders and grins in excitement. “Keep it up.”
Relief washes through me. Thank goodness. Justin and I have really been selling it, but I’m glad people are buying what we’re selling.
Alone again, Justin turns to me, starting to speak, but he stops when his gaze lands on me. His lips part and he stares.
“What?” I frown. “Is something wrong?”
“No.” He clears his throat. “Your lips are red. Like a cherry.”
My heart skips a beat. I don’t know if I’m caught up in the ruse, or if this is real, but I can’t resist leaning closer to him. My body thrums in anticipation. “Do you think they taste like cherries too?”
Heat flashes in his eyes. “There’s only one way to find out.”