Um, where is this coming from? I know I’m speaking the truth, but I’m acting pretty bold right now.
Slowly, he drops his hand, his eyes wide with shock. He keeps them locked with mine in the mirror, never letting them drop. “I didn’t mean to barge in.”
“The bathroom was too hot. It’s my fault for leaving the door open.” I left the bedroom door open too, whoops.
“Oh.” For the first time ever, I’m witnessing an uncomfortable Jared Gaines, and it’s kind of amusing. I didn’t put him on the spot on purpose, and I’m not trying to tempt him by parading around in only my underwear. I hope he doesn’t think that.
We’re adults. We can handle this. Right?
“Were you going to tell me something?” I ask when he remains silent. I continue curling my hair, knowing that time is ticking away and we’ll need to leave soon to meet his family for dinner.
That realization sends a fresh set of nerves washing over me.
“Will you be ready to go in about fifteen minutes?” His gaze still never strays from mine when he asks the question.
“Definitely. I can get ready pretty quickly.” It’s true. I’m not one to take forever and put on a ton of makeup. I don’t do a good job anyway, not like my little sister. She watches all kinds of YouTubers who give makeup tutorials, and she’s really good at it.
Me? I don’t have the patience. I’m always in too much of a hurry.
“Okay. Great. I’ll, uh. Leave you alone.” His gaze finally drops, slowly drifting down the length of me, and my skin tingles as if he actually touched me.
The moment he’s gone, I press my lips together, my eyes wide as I stare at my reflection. I may act like I’m playing it cool, but secretly, I wanted him to look at me. I wanted to see if I’d get any sort of response, and while he didn’t say anything, he definitely checked me out.
And I think he enjoyed what he saw.
I’m playing with fire, I know I am. And I’m either going to enjoy the heat this weekend or I’m going to get burned.
We’ll see.
We enter the crowded restaurant twenty minutes later, Jared sticking close by my side as he looks around for his family. Candice had texted me earlier, asking if we’d arrived yet, and I told her we’d made it to the hotel. She replied with an emoji-filled text saying she couldn’t wait to see us, and right now that’s who I’m searching for.
I need someone who’s going to make me feel normal tonight, and Candice has that ability. She already feels like an old, familiar friend. I know Jared is watching out for me—we discussed our plan in the Uber on the way to the restaurant, how we need to stick close and act like a giddy new couple—but he’s kind of a nervous wreck himself.
Even after our confessional car ride, I still feel like he’s hiding something from me. What, I’m not sure. Hopefully I’ll figure it out soon. Maybe I could even ask Candice…
But that might turn into me finding out something I’m not supposed to know. I definitely don’t want to put myself in that situation. Not right now.
“Sarah! There you are!”
I hear Candice’s squeal and I turn to find her coming at us, her arms open wide, a giant smile on her face. She embraces me tightly, pressing a sticky-with-gloss kiss to my cheek, and the overwhelming scent of her perfume almost makes me sneeze.
“You look beautiful,” she whispers in my ear before she pulls away and hugs her big brother.
“I don’t even rate anymore, do I?” he asks in a teasing voice I’ve never heard before. “You called Sarah’s name and didn’t even mention me.”
“She’s my new favorite,” Candice says as an older couple approaches, stopping just behind her. “Kevin’s running a little late, but he’ll be here soon.”
“He’d better,” Jared says gruffly as he goes to the man standing directly behind his sister. “Hey, Dad.”
“Jared. Good to see you.” They embrace in that typical manly way. Quick hugs, loud slaps on the back before they pull away. His father tilts his head, contemplating me with interest lighting his brown eyes. Eyes that remind me of Jared’s. “Is this your girlfriend?”
I stand a little straighter, keeping myself composed even though I’m shaken by the term girlfriend.
But that’s what I am, at least for the weekend. Jared’s girlfriend.
Wild.
“Yes, this is Sarah.” Jared returns to my side, nodding toward his dad as he makes the introduction. “Sarah Harrison, this is my father, Marcus Gaines.”
“Nice to meet you,” I tell him as I reach out and we shake hands, Jared’s dad nodding and offering me a warm hello. I assume it’s Jared’s stepmother who approaches me next, and I’m right.
“Lovely to meet you, dear. I’m Mitzi, Marcus’s wife.” She smiles, her eyes, her entire demeanor open and friendly.
I immediately like her.
We wait in the restaurant lobby for another ten minutes, until Kevin finally shows up. I’m a little dazzled when I first meet him, because he’s the younger version of Jared, no joke. They look so much alike, it’s a little disconcerting. Though Jared is taller, and he has brown eyes versus hazel, and Kevin is not as broad-shouldered.
Not as hot, not as sexy, not nearly as a commanding presence as my Jared. Ha, look how possessive I am.
Kevin has the potential to be just as hot, though. His fiancée is a lucky woman.
We’re seated at a table with a spectacular view of the city spread out before us, though I’m fairly certain I’m the only one who notices. I can’t help but sneak glances out the window when I’m supposed to be concentrating on the menu. But it’s hard to concentrate when the entire menu is written in French.
Unfortunately, I took Spanish in high school, so that isn’t going to help me. Though I can pick out a few words…
Jared leans over, his mouth right at my ear, his breath fluttering against my skin as he says, “Don’t worry. I’ll order for you.”
I turn to smile at him, startled that he’s so close. Kissing close, as I like to think of it. “Thank you. I like chicken, remember?” I also gave him a list of my food preferences while we took the Uber to the restaurant. I’m kind of a picky eater.
He chuckles, his eyes gleaming in the dim light of the restaurant. “I remember.”
“No seafood.” I hate the stuff.
“Funny, considering we live in an area that has some of the best seafood restaurants in the world,” he teases.
Yes, teases. He’s teasing me. Who knew he could act this way? Certainly not me.
“My loss, right?” I smile and he leans in even closer, his cheek pressed to mine as he whispers, “I think we’re pretty convincing as a couple, don’t you?”
My heart falls and I fight the disappointment that surely must be written all over my face. I compose my features, hoping he can’t tell since our cheeks are pressed so close together. “Definitely,” I tell him with all the confidence I can muster.
He pulls away, his gaze warm, his hand on mine for the briefest moment before he releases it. I return my attention to the menu, fighting the emotion that suddenly fills me. I swallow hard, pissed at myself that I can actually feel tears threatening to fill my eyes. I can only assume I’m having a major PMS moment.
I need to remember that this isn’t real. Jared and I are playing at a couple, and his only goal is to convince his family and everyone else who’ll be at the stupid party Saturday night that we’re together.
Why, I don’t know.
But I’m determined to find out.
Twenty-Three
“Can I confess something to you?” I ask Jared as we enter the dark suite.
Jared makes his way to an end table and switches on one of the table lamps. “We forgot to turn on a light before we left.”
“Yeah, we sure did.” That felt like him dodging what I asked him, which I don’t like. Did he mean to do that? Or did he not hear me? “Can I tell you something?”
He feigns a yawn, covering his mouth with his fist.
“Can it wait until tomorrow?”
He’s purposely trying to avoid my question. Whatever. I’m still saying it.
“Your stepmother is really nice.” I sat next to her during dinner, much to Candice’s disappointment. She wanted me to sit next to her, but I couldn’t leave Jared’s side. That’s the whole reason I’m here. And Mitzi was on the other side of me, who I was curious to get to know, so I stayed where I was.
Poor Candice. I’ll sit with her tomorrow.
“She’s all right,” Jared says dismissively, like he’s not even paying attention. “You want something to drink before we go to bed? There’s a fully stocked bar.”
“Okay,” I tell him, lifting my chin, determination steeling my spine. Maybe I can get a couple more drinks in him and use the alcohol like truth serum. The man is so close-lipped. He doesn’t want to talk about anybody or anything personal in his life, beyond his confessions in the car earlier. At dinner, he’d made small talk with everyone, even his brother, who he hadn’t been face to face with since last Christmas. And I’m not talking the holiday that happened five months ago, but the one that happened the year before.
They don’t live that far apart, so that’s a long time.
He talked business with his father but avoided or diverted all of the personal questions his dad asked him. Mitzi would try to make conversation with him, and he shut her down with short, one-word answers. The only one he was kind to was Candice. Oh yeah, and me. But that’s all bullshit.
He’s super frustrating.
“What do you want to drink?” Jared asks once he’s at the bar that’s tucked away in the wall. Unbelievable. This suite is full of surprises. “Vodka? Tequila? Whiskey?”
“No, no and no.” I shake my head. “Is there any rum? I’d take a rum and Diet Coke.” I shouldn’t even be drinking. I should go straight to bed.
But I’m too curious to sleep.
“Done.” He starts making me a drink and I wander around the living room, stopping at the window so I can stare out at the glittering city below. It’s a beautiful night, clear with the stars twinkling in the sky, and I press just my fingertips against the glass, taking it all in.
I may be spending the weekend with an extremely frustrating man, but I’m going to make the most of it. And if I’m lucky, I’ll break him down a little bit more and get him to tell me what’s really going on.
“Here you go.” He’s standing right next to me, a drink in each of his hands, and he lifts the one closest to me, offering the glass. I take it from him. “Toast to tonight being such a success?”
I lift my glass and clink it against his, and then we both drink. He mixes a delicious rum and Coke, I’ll give him that. The liquor isn’t too strong, but I can definitely taste it. A couple more sips and I’ll be good and warm and ready to go to sleep.
“I’m pretty sure I convinced my dad we’re the real deal, and I was worried the most about him,” Jared continues. “He’s way too perceptive. That’s why I couldn’t get away with shit when I was a kid. He always figured me out.”
His dad still has time to figure him out, but I don’t bother pointing that out. There’s no need to freak him out tonight. He’s pretty skilled at doing that to himself.
“You think Candice believes us?” I ask.
“Definitely,” he says after he takes a healthy sip from his glass. He seems rather…excitable. On a high from pulling one over on his family? I suppose that could be it.
“What about Mitzi?”
He grimaces. “I really don’t care what she thinks.”
“Really?” I lift my brows. “Maybe you should.”
“Why?” he asks incredulously. “She doesn’t matter.”
“She’s the closest person to your father. No one else has his ear like her, you know what I mean? I’d guess she wields major influence over him,” I point out.
“Doubtful,” he scoffs. “My dad is his own man.”
He’s not going to listen, no matter what I say. He’s determined to hang on to his hatred for Mitzi. “She’s really not that bad,” I say softly. “I mean, I know I just met her, so what do I know? But it’s clear your father loves her. She dotes on Candice. And it seems like she has a close relationship with Kevin.” I don’t need to continue talking. He can assume what I was about to say.
Everyone seems to like Mitzi except for you.
“We’ve never been close,” he says with a shrug. “After my mom died, I moved out of the house. Kevin and Candice were still at home, and within a year of our mom passing, Dad had a girlfriend. Mitzi. How was I supposed to accept the woman who replaced my mother so easily?”
I understand what he’s saying but…
“She’s very close to both Kevin and your sister,” I tell him.
“She is,” he says, pushing away from the window and making his way over to the couch, where he collapses on it, his almost-empty drink dangling from his fingers. He lifts his head, his gaze meeting mine. “Mitzi knows how to put on a good act to get everyone to like her. She’s been working on it for years.”
Most people do put on an act when you first meet them. We’re all trying to be on our best behavior to make a good impression.
But there was something so warm and genuine about Mitzi. How she seemed to want to get to know me, asking me lots of questions, but none of them too intrusive. She kept a polite distance and I appreciated that.
“It’s okay to admit you didn’t like her because you thought your dad was replacing your mom with her,” I tell him as I go to the couch and sit on the opposite end, hating that I’m still in a dress. I’d give anything to dip out on the conversation and change into my pajamas.
But all of this needs to be said. I can’t leave now.
He completely ignores what I said. Instead, he finishes the last of his drink, rattling the ice in his glass as he asks, “You want another one?”
I shake my head, studying my mostly full glass. “I’m good.”
I watch as he stands and goes to the bar, mixing himself another drink. Whiskey.
“It’s a waste of your time, you know, holding on to all of those resentful feelings,” I remind him.
He sends me a dark look, pouring extra whiskey in the glass before he returns to his spot on the couch. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re mad at Mitzi for replacing your mother. A lot of time has passed, Jared. You should let it all go. The only one you’re hurting is yourself.”
“Are you trying to convince me she’s a good person? Because it’s not going to work.”
“She seems really nice.”
“Says you.”
“Says everyone in your family,” I counter, frustrated. “Your dad is so happy he couldn’t stop smiling through the entire dinner, and same with your brother, though we know why he has a permanent grin on his face, considering he’s celebrating his engagement this weekend. Candice is probably one of the most giving, well-adjusted people I’ve ever met, and you know who I think she can owe that to?”
“My father?” Jared asks with a frown.
“Well, yes. And your mother, of course.” I send him an imploring look, hoping I can get through to him. “But also Mitzi. She’s the one who helped raise Candice after your mom was gone. I’m sure she had some influence.”
His gaze is incredulous, like I’m speaking a foreign language. “Candice is just like our mother. Sweet and fun and willing to help anyone in need. She talks like her, looks like her, even makes little gestures like our mom. I don’t see how Mitzi had any influence with that.”
“She did—she nurtured those traits in Candice. She was there for her when your father couldn’t be, and that was a lot, considering the nature of his business. He was out of town all the time, he said so himself at dinner. So Mitzi stepped in and she was a mother to a young girl who wasn’t even hers. That takes a lot of guts.”
Jared’s gaze is flat, his cheeks ruddy—from the alcohol, I’m sure. He’s either not comprehending what I’m saying
or throwing up a wall so my words won’t penetrate.
And we know how much he loves throwing up walls…
“If you could just let go of that giant grudge you’re holding onto, you’d see I could be right,” I tell him as I rise to my feet. “I’m going to bed.”
“You didn’t finish your drink,” he accuses as I walk over to the bar and pour out my drink in the tiny sink.
“Wasn’t thirsty after all.” I start to leave and I hear him get up from the couch, hear his footsteps sprinting across the room and down the hall toward my bedroom to catch up with me.
He places a hand on my arm, stopping me, and I whirl on him, hoping he realizes I mean business, but he’s the one who speaks first. “You act like you know so much about my family when you just barely met them.”
“Sometimes it takes is an outside observer to see what’s really going on.” I point a thumb at my chest. “And that’s me.”
He stares at me for a moment longer, taking a deep breath before he exhales raggedly. “You’re saying this is all my fault.”
“No. Not at all. You clung to what you believed, and I understand that.” I lower my voice. “Better than anyone else.”
He nods slowly, his hand going to his jaw where he rubs it absently. “It’s hard, tearing down resentment.”
“I know.”
“You’re right. I know she’s not so bad, I just—that was my mom, you know? And it felt like my dad replaced her so damn fast. Too fast.” He drops his head into his hands, running his fingers through his hair before he lifts his head once more, our gazes meeting. “I forgave him because he’s my dad. To me, Mitzi is just a stranger. I didn’t have to forgive her.”
He didn’t want to either.
“If you start getting to know her, she won’t be a stranger any longer,” I point out with the gentlest smile I can muster.
“That’ll take time.”
Hope sparks within me. His words are a good sign. “Are you saying that you’ll give it a try?”
“I can’t make any promises.”
“You can,” I say firmly. “You’re just not ready to with this one. Right?”
Fake Date Page 16