Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Camilla felt tense as they were seated at the dining table. Jade was sitting next to her, looking stunning in her dark jeans and a black silk top with a low V that accentuated her cleavage. She wished she had made more effort herself, suddenly feeling underdressed next to her "fiancée."
The dining room hummed with conversation as her family caught up on the past year, as always, starting off with business, and Camilla watched as Jade effortlessly engaged in small talk with Aunt Lara, who was seated on her other side.
Jade's easy charm seemed to work its magic, and Aunt Lara had clearly taken to her.
"So, Jade," Lara was saying, "Camilla tells us you're an actress. What kind of roles do you usually play?"
"Oh, I've done a bit of everything. Theater, musicals... It’s more of a hobby though," Jade lied. “I dabble in investments, mostly.”
Camilla admired how smoothly Jade delivered it.
They’d agreed to stick to the actress story as it was easy to find Jade online, but they’d bulked the script out a bit by adding wealth management to Jade’s resume.
Their relationship had to be believable after all, and it was unlikely she’d date an out of work actress.
She reached for her glass of crisp white wine, taking a sip to calm her nerves.
The first course arrived, a beautifully presented tuna tartare. The delicate pink flesh was artfully arranged on the plate, garnished with micro-greens and a drizzle of wasabi aioli. As the family began to eat, conversation continued to flow around the table.
Uncle Robert's booming laugh echoed from the head of the table as he regaled everyone with a story about his childhood. Aunt Vivian, seated across from Camilla, kept shooting curious glances at Jade, clearly itching to ask more questions.
Theresa and her husband Mark sat further down the table, their children seated between them. The kids, who had met Jade before dinner, were delighted with her presence.
"Jade," Emma called out, her voice cutting through the adult conversation. "Can you do another magic trick?"
Jade chuckled and shot her a wink. "How about I show you one after dinner?"
Jack's eyes lit up. "Can you pull a rabbit out of a hat?"
“I can’t do the rabbit trick, I’m afraid, but I can pull a coin out of your ear.” Jade dropped a silence for effect. “Or, even better… I can teach you how to do it yourself.”
Jack shrieked with excitement and Camilla was laughing despite her nerves. She hadn't expected Jade to be so good with children, but it seemed to come naturally to her.
She became increasingly aware of Jade's physical presence beside her.
Every so often, Jade would lean in and place a soft kiss on her cheek, or gently rub her arm.
It was strange, pretending to be in a relationship, and even more so with a woman.
But at the same time, there was something oddly comforting about it.
Having a plus one, even if it wasn't real, felt supportive in a way Camilla hadn't anticipated, and she found herself leaning into Jade's touches, playing along with their charade more naturally than she'd expected.
Her mind was preoccupied with the warmth of Jade's leg pressed against hers under the table, the way Jade's hand occasionally found hers and gave it a squeeze.
It was all an act, she reminded herself, but part of her liked it.
"So, Jade," Aunt Vivian's voice cut through Camilla's thoughts. "Tell us how you two met. I'm dying to know the details."
Camilla tensed, but Jade smoothly took the lead.
"We met in a coffee shop in Beverly Hills, actually. Camilla and I got talking because we’d placed the exact same complicated order.
I was next in line, and she couldn’t believe it when I said I’d have the same.
She asked me why I was copying her – she’s convinced no one gets coffee right the way she does, and I retorted she didn’t have copyright on her ridiculous venti, half-caff, triple shot, ristretto, four-pump vanilla, no-foam, extra hot, light whip, caramel drizzle, soy milk latte, with a sprinkle of chocolate on top, served in a to-go cup.
” Jade laughed. “Little did she know that I’d noticed her before, and I’d been dying to ask her out but I had no idea how to strike up a conversation. ”
“But you like your coffee exactly the same?” Vivian asked.
“No. I normally drink my coffee black,” Jade said, resulting in laughter around the table.
The fabricated tale sounded so natural and believable that for a moment, even Camilla almost found herself believing it. It was her regular coffee order after all.
"It's true," she chimed in, surprising herself with how easily she fell into the role. "I was so amused by her boldness that we got talking while we waited for out orders. And then she walked with me to the office, and I couldn't resist giving her my number. I'm glad I did."
Jade smiled warmly at her, reaching out to squeeze her hand. The gesture felt surprisingly natural, and Camilla realized she was grinning.
"That's so romantic!" Uncle Robert said.
Theresa, however, looked less convinced. "And how long ago was this?"
"About three years ago," Jade said. "We kept things quiet because it took Camilla a while to come to terms with her sexuality."
Camilla nodded, grateful for Jade's quick thinking. "Yes… I’m lucky that Jade was so patient with me. I didn’t realize I was gay until I met her.”
“I have that effect on women,” Jade joked, resulting in more laughter.
Uncle Robert chuckled. "Well, I'm just glad you found each other. It's about time our Camilla had someone special in her life. When is the wedding?”
“In four months,” Camilla said. “We were planning on keeping it small and private, just a simple wedding in LA, which is why we haven’t sent out invitations yet, but I’d love it if you could all join us.
” The words were out before she’d thought them through, and she cursed herself for having missed out on such a crucial part of their preparation. Now she’d have to give them details.
Little Emma gasped. “Can I be a bridesmaid?”
Camilla felt a pang of guilt twist in her stomach. Lying to adults was one thing, but deceiving an innocent child felt much worse. However, she knew she had to maintain the charade.
"Of course you can honey," she said, forcing a smile onto her face.
Emma's face lit up with pure joy. She clapped her hands together and bounced in her seat. "Really? Can I wear a big dress? And flowers in my hair?"
Camilla's guilt intensified, but she kept her expression warm. "Absolutely. We'll make sure you look beautiful."
As Emma continued to chatter excitedly about her role in the wedding, Camilla caught Jade's eye.
Her "fiancée" gave her a reassuring smile, but Camilla couldn't shake the feeling that their lie was already spiraling out of control.
She took another sip of her wine, wondering how they were going to navigate this unexpected complication.
“So you’ve already set a date?” Theresa asked. “Because we all have full agendas. You need to let us know where and when.
Camilla’s heart rate quickened as Theresa pressed for details. She knew her cousin well enough to realize any vague answer would be immediately fact-checked. Taking a deep breath, she decided to commit to a specific date, hoping it would buy them some time.
"Actually, we've set the date for April 2nd. She caught Jade's eye, silently willing her to play along. "It's a Sunday, which we thought would be perfect for a spring wedding."
Theresa's eyes narrowed slightly, but she pressed on. "And the location? I assume you've booked a venue by now?"
Camilla managed a mysterious smile. "We have, but we're keeping the exact location a surprise for now. It's in LA, though. We wanted something intimate and meaningful to us both."
"A surprise wedding location?" Theresa raised an eyebrow. "That's... unconventional."
"Well, you know me," Camilla replied, forcing a light laugh. "I've always liked to do things my own way. Plus, it adds to the excitement, don't you think?"
She could see Theresa wasn't entirely satisfied with the answer, but before her cousin could ask any more probing questions, Uncle Robert chimed in.
"I think it's a wonderful idea!" he exclaimed. "A bit of mystery keeps things interesting. We'll all be there with bells on, won't we?"
Jade gave Camilla’s knee a reassuring squeeze under the table. Somehow, they'd have to find a way out of this mess, but for now, all they could do was keep the charade going and hope for the best.