Fake Love Rich Boss Series

by Peterson , Sloane

  I sigh.

  “Two more weeks and we’ll make it official. My mom comes out next week, so we’ll announce it after she leaves. Does that work?”

  “Whatever you need, Cassidy,” he says with a smile. “Just let me know and we’ll work on a press release.”

  “Isn’t that my job?”

  “Of course. We’ll work on it together though.”

  “Great,” I see Joan, the Windsor family assistant poke her head in the door. She offers me one of those kind smiles of hers and I take a step back. “I guess your meeting is here. I’ll get going. See you soon?”

  “Always.”

  As soon as we confirm that my mother is coming out, the days fly by a lot quicker than I would have liked them to. I have absolutely no idea how she’s going to react, to New York, to my pregnancy, to Oliver.

  All those worries disappear when I see my mom again for the first time in months. I’m waiting for her at the airport, knowing the Windsor family jet will touch down at any moment. When she steps into the room, I light up immediately. For the first time in months, I feel at home.

  I rush towards her and we embrace. She holds me out at arm’s length, a smile stretching across her face.

  “There’s my girl,” she says warmly. “I’ve missed you so unbelievably much.”

  “I’ve missed you too, Mom.”

  I look at my mom, realizing that she hasn’t changed much in the few months that I’ve been gone.

  Diana Hanson had me when she was young, so she’s still young herself. Her skin is just now starting to wrinkle from years of worrying and years of laughter. Her brown hair doesn’t have any grey streaks, yet, and I know that’s not because she dyes it.

  I reach down and take her hand.

  “Come on, we’re going to my place for a bit. We’ll have dinner with Oliver tonight.”

  “Don’t you want to show me around New York?”

  “I can fit that in,” I smile, walking her through the airport.

  I can’t bear to tell her that I haven’t had the time to explore New York myself. I’ve been here for months now and I haven’t had the time to check out all the tourist destinations on my list.

  Oliver never got around to showing me around before we split the last time. This time, we’ve just been caught up in writing our fake love story and living my very real pregnancy.

  I lead her outside where a shiny black car is waiting. Standing on the curb, next to the door to the backseat, is Edward. Edward is the Windsor family valet, and a close personal friend. I like to think he was my first real friend when I arrived in New York. His face is a blank slate until he sees my mother and me through the throngs of people. It breaks into a semblance of a smile.

  My mom quirks an eyebrow at me as we move in his direction. “Miss Hanson,” Edward greets me with a grin. He turns to look at my mom, raising his eyebrow. “And Mrs. Hanson?”

  “Just Ms.,” she corrects him.

  Edward nods before opening the door and allowing us to climb into the backseat. He closes the door, and my mom turns to look at me.

  “You’re pulling out all the stops for my first visit, aren’t you?”

  “Me?” I shake my head. “This is all Oliver. He regrets not being able to be here with me to pick you up, so he sent Edward.”

  I think that Edward’s in the loop of knowing Oliver and I aren’t actually back together. He’s never said anything about it, but Edward seems to know everything going on with the family. Even the things that I don’t. He’s been loyal to them for years now.

  “Oh? That’s nice.”

  Edward pulls away from the curb and starts to drive us through the city. Silence settles in the car as we drive, except for when I point something out to my mother. We drive past the Windsor Publishing building, and I make sure to point it out. The tall, shiny building that kisses the New York skyline. It has been both a blessing and a curse in my life.

  “I didn’t realize it was that big,” my mom says as we drive past it. “It looks smaller on television.”

  “I thought the same thing when I first saw it,” I tell her with a small smile.

  We drive through the rest of the city until we reach my apartment building. Edward helps the two of us out and promises that he’ll be back in the evening to pick us up for dinner.

  I help my mom with her bags, despite her objections, and we head up to my apartment.

  I let her in, and she sucks in a deep breath.

  “Beats living over a bakery,” she says as she steps inside. I watch as she scans the entire apartment. “I didn’t think you’d be living like this in New York.”

  “Oliver made sure I was paid enough to live wherever I was comfortable,” I tell her. “Before we were dating.”

  I feel the need to add that, just to make sure she doesn’t think I’m using my relationship for more pay. Not that I think my mom would. I know other people might though.

  “It’s nice,” she tells me as I put her things in the bedroom. “Now, do we need to talk?”

  “About?”

  She narrows her eyes in that very mom-like way. It’s the way a mom looks at you when she knows that you’re trying to avoid the subject.

  “Cassidy.”

  “I’m fine, mom,” I say as I sit on the bed. “We’re going to do a public announcement after you leave. I’m taking care of myself. I have a great doctor.”

  She sits next to me.

  “Cass, I was a single mom. I was a young mom. I know how scared you are. I know you’re questioning a lot of things. I wish you would have come to me sooner. I would have been here to help you out.”

  “I’m not going to be a single mom, I have Oliver.”

  I’m thankful that that’s the one thing I can be sure of. No matter how this plays out, Oliver will be there to help me through. We’ll be great co-parents because we both want the best for this baby.

  “I know I should have told you sooner, but we wanted to keep it private until we were sure everything would be okay.”

  She nods slowly., “I understand that...”

  “I was going to tell you before the announcement. I didn’t expect you to find out through the news,” I admit, and she nods her head.

  “I know you didn’t. I’m just glad you’re okay. I just want you to know that I’m going to help you as much as possible. I may be a ways away, but I’ll fly out here as much as you need me. Nothing else matters,” she says, leaning over and kissing my temple.

  I sigh, shaking my head.

  “I know, Mom. I appreciate you and you know I’m going to be depending on you.”

  I’m actually nervous when Edward picks us up that night. We drive in silence to the restaurant that Oliver chose. It’s a nice one, but not one that seems too expensive. We decided the last thing that would impress my mom would be dropping money on dinner.

  When we arrive, Edward lets us out at the front door. As soon as we step out, Oliver is waiting there.

  He’s dressed in a suit and it reminds me of the first time that I met him. His hair is fixed, not messy from running his fingers through it. He looks cool and calm about this, which I’m surprised about. When I told him, and the week leading up to it, Oliver was freaking out the entire time.

  As soon as we step out, Oliver reaches out and loops an arm around my waist. He pulls me to him and kisses the top of my head in greeting. It makes my heart pound.

  I realize just how much I wish this all was real.

  When we part, he turns to look at my mom. He smiles, his charming smile that everybody falls for. I know it won’t work on my mom though.

  “Ms. Hanson,” he offers his hand. I can tell he’s unsure how to greet my mom and I know that inside she has to be absolutely loving it.

  “Diana,” she says, taking his hand. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Oliver. Cassidy has told me so much about you.”

  “All good things I hope,” he says, taking both of our arms and leading us into the restaurant.

&
nbsp; “Eh,” she tilts her head from side to side. “Mostly.”

  Now I regret ever venting to my mother about our breakup. She doesn’t know a lot of the details, of course. All she knows is that he wasn’t who I thought he was. That has to raise questions inside of her head and make her doubt what she’s seeing. Oliver leads us to a table in the center of the room, and I’m shocked.

  Alan is sitting at the table as well, dressed just as nicely as Oliver. I turn to look at Oliver, eyes wide. I want to bring up that we didn’t talk about his father being here. Now my mother is not only going to meet Oliver, she’s going to meet Alan.

  And Alan is a hell of a lot more challenging than his son.

  He stands when we reach the table, a smile on his face.

  “Cassidy,” he leans over to kiss my cheek.

  “Diana, I presume?” He kisses my mom’s cheek as well and I breathe a sigh of relief when she doesn’t look uncomfortable. “I’m Oliver’s father, Alan. It’s so nice to meet you.”

  As we all take our seats, he adds, “Cassidy is such a pleasure. You did a fantastic job raising her, I have to say.”

  Oh, he’s laying it on thick. I can’t tell if my mom is buying it or not.

  She smiles in his direction, “Nice to meet you as well, Alan. And thank you. I think she turned out pretty great.”

  Oliver and I are sitting next to each other, exchanging glances. I hope he realizes that I’m silently cursing him for not telling me Alan was going to be here. I didn’t have time to mentally prep myself or warn my mother.

  Luckily for me, my mother seems not to mind Alan. Either way, they take to each other quickly, chatting as the waiter appears with a bottle of wine. He fills Diana and Alan’s glasses while Oliver abstains with me. We just sip our water. Halfway through appetizers, he places his hand on my thigh. Nothing too high or obnoxious, just a gentle, possessive touch. One that I enjoy.

  While Alan chats up my mother, Oliver and I chat quietly between ourselves. Nothing serious, just idle chatter and plans for the rest of my mother’s visit. We lean into each other, just like lovers would, acting like we’re the only two people in the world. For a moment, it feels like that. I see my mother look over at us and smile. I can’t help but wonder if she approves of our relationship, which is all I find myself wanting. If she buys it, so will the rest of the world.

  But maybe I really want her approval for another reason...because my feelings toward Oliver have never changed.

  After appetizers, the conversation moves away from the pairings and into a group effort. Everyone seems to get along without a hitch, a surprise to me. My mom is great. She’s lovely and kind and can vibe with any group of people you put her with. But she’s also brash and unafraid to speak her mind.

  “You’re telling me you worked two jobs to put Cassidy through college?” Alan seems amazed by this prospect like he didn’t realize that that was what some people had to do.

  “Well, I lucked out that she received a scholarship or two, so that helped. But yes, I did whatever I had to to make sure she had a better life,” she says proudly, and for what isn’t the first time, I find myself admiring her. Her shoulders are back, head held high.

  Alan Windsor could pay to put half of America’s children through college without an issue, yet he seems impressed by my mother’s efforts.

  Alan’s gaze turns to me. He smiles in my direction and I immediately see that it’s not one of his fake ones. This is a real smile; one I don’t often see from him.

  “Cassidy, your mother is amazing. You should be putting money aside to pay for her retirement.”

  Before I can respond, my mother laughs.

  “I’d appreciate the effort, but since we have a grandchild on the way, I want her to save all her money for them,” she takes a quick glance at me. “It’s them still, right? No idea about the gender?”

  “Not yet.”

  “I think it’s going to be a boy,” Oliver says with a gleam in his eyes.

  “I just have this gut feeling.”

  “I have to agree with Oliver,” Alan chimes in.

  My mother looks at me for just a bit longer before shaking her head.

  “You both are wrong. It’s most definitely a girl.”

  Alan’s brows wrinkle in the center, attention landing fully on my mother again.

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “She reminds me of me when I was carrying her. I think it’s a girl.”

  “I’m not budging. It’s a boy,” Oliver says, and we all laugh.

  We finish our entrees and Alan orders dessert for the table, a chocolate mousse that he swears is to die for.

  “You’re going to love it, Cassidy,” he says and it scares me. Something about him speaking to me directly feels ominous. Just slightly out of line for Alan Windsor.

  The waiter returns with four dishes of the mousse, setting one in front of my mother, one in front of Alan, and then Oliver. He seems to hesitate with mine for a moment before slowly putting it down in front of me.

  I realize what’s happening almost immediately.

  This is a surprise baby shower, isn’t it? We’re announcing the pregnancy here, and now, in front of a restaurant full of strangers.

  Chapter Ten

  My plate looks different than everyone else’s. The mousse is off to one side instead of centered. Written in chocolate sauce next to the mousse is, ‘Congratulations’ with a strawberry off to the side of that. It’s elaborate and fancy, and I’m confused.

  This is the weirdest baby shower ever.

  I turn to Oliver, to ask him what it’s all about, but before I complete my turn, I hear my mother gasp next to me. I whip around then, needing to see what’s going on. Next to me, on one knee, is Oliver. There’s a small, black velvet box in his hands.

  It doesn’t click for me immediately, not until he starts speaking.

  “Cassidy Amber Hanson, my life changed the day you walked into my office.”

  No. He can’t be doing this. What is he even doing?

  “You’re like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Each day I find myself more and more captivated by you. Your strength, your tenacity, your resilience. I admire you and strive to be a better person each day because of you. I know this is sudden, but I don’t want to wait any longer. Cassidy, will you marry me?”

  He opens the box and inside is the most gorgeous diamond ring I’ve ever seen.

  My cheeks are hot. I feel like I’ve downed a bottle of wine way too quickly. My heart is pounding in my chest, emotions flooding through me. I don’t know what to say. This is all fake, right? But wouldn’t he have run it all by me first? Why is he doing this without a warning? I feel more put on the spot than I ever have before.

  Suddenly, hot tears are stinging the corners of my eyes. Isn’t this the moment most girls wait their entire life for? This should be perfect, but it isn’t real, and it stings. Without having to look, I can feel Alan’s steel eyes boring a hole into the back of my head. If I mess this up, I know there will be hell to pay.

  I nod slowly as I look down at Oliver.

  “Yes.”

  The words leave my lips, and the tears start to fall.

  My emotions are torn. I don’t know how to feel.

  The whole restaurant is looking at us as Oliver stands up, sweeping me into his arms. He holds me close and we share a kiss. Like so many times before, I feel myself forgetting that Oliver and I aren’t actually together.

  It’s a painful reminder that none of this is real.

  But I wish that it were.

  We sit back down to finish dessert. Next to me, my mother is beaming. I expected her to have some objection to it, but I guess Oliver and Alan really won her over during dinner. When we stand to leave, I realize that I need to speak to Oliver. I shoot him a glance and he seems to immediately pick up what I’m trying to convey.

  “Diana,” he turns to address my mom as we walk out of the restaurant. “Would you mind if Edward takes you home and I spend s
ome time with Cassidy? I understand if you’d prefer not, so feel free to say no.”

  She looks between the two of us for a minute before slowly nodding her head.

  “Take her. I’m pretty tired from my flight so I doubt I’d be good company tonight anyway.” She hugs me and whispers in my ear, “Congratulations.”

  Alan has another dinner meeting to get to, so it leaves Oliver and me, standing together, fingers entwined as the valet brings his car around. He helps me into the passenger side before going around to the driver’s side.

  As he starts to drive, I can’t help myself.

  “Oliver, what in the hell was that all about?”

  He sighs.

  “I realize that I likely blindsided you.”

  “Likely? Oliver, I had no idea you planned on pulling a stunt like that! We should have talked it over first!”

  “I know, I know. Father thought it would be best before we announce the pregnancy.”

  “Now it looks like we’re just getting married because of the pregnancy. How is that a good idea?”

  Oliver runs a hand through his hair, officially messing it up.

  “I don’t know, Cassidy. I guess it makes it look like we’re doing the right thing.”

  “Do you realize how old fashioned that sounds?”

  “I know, I know. Look, I would have told you but father said to keep it a surprise so it would all look genuine.”

  “You proposed to me tonight. And it wasn’t genuine. Do you have any idea what a stab in the gut it feels like?”

  His head whips to look at me as soon as the words leave my lips.

  “I didn’t say it wasn’t genuine.”

  That stops my rant in its tracks. I don’t know what to say or do now. All I know is that I’m more confused than ever. I let the silence settle over us for just a bit longer before I speak again, this time my voice is cold. I don’t turn to make eye contact, instead, I just look out the window.

  “Where are we going?”

  “I don’t know,” Oliver admits. “I just knew we needed to talk.”

  His voice matches mine. It’s quiet, distant. Neither of us really know what to say.

  “I guess we can go to our spot.”

  “Our spot?”

  “You know the one.”