Fabricated Christmas

by Maynard , Glenna

  “I’m sure I can figure it out. It can’t be all that hard.” I bet Louise would be glad to give me a lesson in her kitchen and show Joni up at the same time.

  “I’m going to hold you to it.”

  We leave the diner, and he takes my hand in his again. Butterflies flutter in my belly. I do a glance all around us and drop his hand. “No one’s watching us right now.”

  “Right.” His mouth twitches like he wants to say something, but he leaves it there.

  Brina’s isn’t as busy as it was this morning when I stopped by to get my coffee and muffin. I didn’t bother getting one for Wilder since he tossed the others in the trash last week, grumbling about how he doesn’t eat the healthy shit. I grab us a table while he orders our drinks. The door chimes and Bodie walks in. He sees me and approaches the table. “Want some company?”

  “Hi. I’m actually here with…” I start to point toward the register where Wilder is, but Bodie helps himself to the chair opposite me.

  “How’s it going?”

  “Good. I guess. Just getting a coffee. On week two at my new job.”

  “That’s right Finnick hired you for the phones.”

  “Mhmm.”

  “You sure you know how to use one. You never called me.”

  “I’ve not had time to call you,” I tell him a white lie not wanting to hurt his feelings. He seems nice but I don’t want a boyfriend right now. I already have a fake one I can hardly juggle.

  “Well you should call me sometime.”

  “I don’t have a phone yet.” It’s not a lie. I didn’t get one hooked up yet since Wilder already had cable going to the apartment, so he said not to worry about switching to my own plan.

  A shadow looms over me as Wilder leans right in and plants a coffee breathed kiss on my lips. He looks over at Bodie. “Hey, man. Didn’t see you sitting there.”

  “Hey. Guess I’ll see you around, Maisy. Cuz.” he gives Wilder a chin lift and hightails it out the door.

  Wilder drops to the empty chair and slides a coffee across the table to me.

  “What was that about?”

  “You looked like you needed saving.” He shrugs and takes a drink.

  12

  —Finnick—

  “Dad, why are you being so weird?”

  I pause from dusting the Tv stand. “Just tidying stuff up.”

  “You’ve been running around like Gramma does when she’s in a tiff. Cleaning and muttering to yourself.”

  “Maisy is coming to dinner. She should be over soon.”

  “Is Maisy your girlfriend? This is the third time you’ve invited her for dinner.”

  “Um… she’s a friend.” Shit. I didn’t think about how I’d explain this to Auden. She’s a smart kid. Sometimes too damn smart. “Just want her to feel welcome and since she’s new she hasn’t made a lot of friends yet I’m being neighborly.”

  “Uncle Bran thinks she’s pretty. I bet he’d like to be her friend. Or Bodie. Gramma told him to take her to dinner.”

  “Go set the table,” I grumble, wondering why the thought of Bodie taking Maisy anywhere irks me. When he hit on her at the bakery, a few weeks ago I wanted to punch him and tell him to back off. Auden darts to the kitchen to grab the plates, and I take one more look at the living room. After the divorce Mom came in and redid everything. Said she wanted to clear out all the negative energy left behind by my failed marriage to Kenya. We compromised on the furniture. No floral shit.

  Ding dong.

  “I’ve got it, Auden.” I stuff the dust rag and can of cleaner into one of the bins on the entertainment stand while hoping I don’t have the orange scent of it clinging to me. Peering through the peephole, I spot Maisy. Fuck me she’s gotten even prettier since I last saw her only hours ago. I glance at my watch. Right on time. Clearing the tickle from the back of my throat, I swing the door open to greet her.

  “Hi.” Her wine-colored stained lips curve into a sexy smirk. Something shifts inside me as I stare at her standing on my front porch. The urge to kiss her overwhelms me. I’m in deep shit here. “Am I early or…?”

  I shake my head, not understanding the strong attraction that takes over me when she’s near. Something I’ve not felt in a long time. Not since I got with Kenya and maybe not even then. I don’t know if this was a good idea to keep inviting her over and letting everyone think we’re a couple. “Come on in.”

  “Thank you.”

  I move back only enough for Maisy to enter wearing these dark jeans that hug her hips. My mind flashes to digging my fingers into the dimples above her fine ass. Heat spreads down my neck. Her body rubs against mine as she struts past me smelling intoxicating. I groan inwardly and close the door. This is a terrible idea. I know better than to mix business and pleasure and yet part of me is glad she’s here. The other half of me wants to fire her and run her out of town. I know how this ends. It starts out fun and then the crazy or the drama will soon follow. Things are never simple when the opposite sex is involved.

  What the fuck was I thinking? Fake dating. I stare at her and deep down I know there is nothing fake about the way I feel. It’s insanity. I am still getting to know her, but it’s as though I always have on some deeper level I can’t explain.

  “Maisy, you’ve gotta sit here by me.” Auden grabs her hand and tugs her toward the dining room. “Dad dusted for you and everything.”

  Jesus. Way to call me out, kid.

  “You dusted for me?” her smirk returns.

  “No,” I growl and shoot my daughter a scowl. “What do you want to drink?”

  “What are you drinking?”

  “Dad always has a beer,” Auden volunteers.

  “Beer’s good with me.”

  “I’ll grab you one.” I enter the kitchen and let out a breath. I never invite women to dinner with the kid and me. I’m not used to having anyone around outside of family or the guys for poker night. Occasionally Sean would bring his woman over, but this is different. Maisy is becoming a permanent fixture, and I enjoy having her around more than I should.

  “Uncle Bran,” I hear Auden squeal with laughter. Great.

  “Hey, Bodie,” Maisy’s soft voice filters over my kid’s laughter.

  I grab a six-pack and return to the dining room. “I don’t recall inviting you. Either of you.” I put the beers on the table and fold my arms across my chest.

  “Bro, its taco night, and there’s going to be a game on,” Branson says with a shrug of his shoulder then grins at Bodie. Assholes.

  “Did someone say tacos. Ha. Ha. Ha.” My mother walks through the front door dragging my father behind her. “Don’t worry I brought extra food. I was making tacos too. When Bran said he was coming to your place I thought why not make it a family meal. Your father likes your Tv better anyhow.”

  “We do that every Sunday,” I mutter.

  “Oh dear. Maisy’s here. Are we interrupting a date? You say the word and I’ll take everyone back to my house including Auden to give you a little alone time.” She winks a few times, and I wish the floor would open up to take me on to hell.

  “No date. Only dinner. Just two people sharing a meal.”

  “Well then I guess Bodie has a shot after all. I thought there was something special between the two of you. Guess I misread that spark.”

  Maisy goes pale at her words, then glances to me with an expression that cries help.

  Fuck. Guess its time for me to uphold my end of this little arrangement we’ve got going on. She’s been great keeping Amanda away from me. “Maisy isn’t going out with Bodie or anyone else you’re thinking of setting her up with.”

  My mother plants her hands on her hips. “And why not?”

  Maisy stares at her shoes. Auden stares at her while Bodie and Bran grin at me. I scratch the back of my neck. “Because we weren’t going to tell anyone yet, but we’ve been talking online for months. I asked her to move here to give the real thing a shot.” I fire off the first lie that pops into my mind.
<
br />   “Hmmm.” My mother eyes me then Maisy. “Is what my son says true? The two of you were trying to keep things a secret?”

  Maisy licks her lips then grabs my hand. “Certainly is. I wasn’t sure if things would be different once I came here but to be honest my feelings are stronger than before. Wilder is all I hoped for and more. Aren’t you, honey?” she kisses my cheek.

  “Completely. Which is why…” I drop to one knee not knowing what in the hell is possessing me to be so damn stupid and change the terms of our agreement.

  13

  —Maisy—

  Dropping to one knee, taking my free hand in his Wilder stares up at me with this funny expression on his face.

  “Um…what are you doing?” My stomach plummets to my toes. What the hell is he doing?

  “Maisy, my love.”

  His what?

  “The moment I first kissed you I knew you were the woman I’ve been waiting for. I can’t go another day or a single moment without asking you one very important question.” Mischief glitters in his eyes. My pulse races. Heart stuck in my throat. Stomach dropping to my feet as he says, “Do me the honor and make me the happiest man alive. Be my wife.”

  “What are you doing?” I hiss between my teeth then plaster a fake but uneasy smile on my face. I think I’m going to vomit right here. “Is it hot in here? Can someone open a window or something?”

  “Ladybug, don’t leave me hanging here.”

  He’s insane. That’s all there is too it. Did he really call me one of those disgusting bugs? They stink. I told him no pet names. Marry him? Ladybug? I must be dreaming. Any second now I’m going to wake up from this I mean wouldn’t call it a nightmare. Wilder is sexy and great in bed. I could have worse prospects, but I don’t even know that guy that well. ‘But you had sex with him already,’ the devil on my left shoulder whispers. ‘And you loved every hot, sweaty, orgasmic second of it too.’

  I did. I so would do it again if I thought it wouldn’t make things worse.

  “I…” I glance around as sweat beads on the back of my neck. His family stares at me waiting for me to answer. I have two choices here. I can humiliate Wilder who drives me insane or I can go along with his crazy whatever this is to keep Amanda from harassing him and his mother trying to set me up for marriage, but if I agree I am putting myself into the exact situation I am trying to get away from.

  I meet Wilder’s gaze. God, he looks so damn sincere. Like a damn puppy dog. Granted he’s probably having some weird alpha macho dominant reaction to his mother suggesting I go out with Bodie and this is his way of peeing on me to mark his territory because I did sleep with him. I let out a big breath. He’s going to owe me big time for this. “Yes, Finnick Wilder, I’ll marry you.” He comes up and pulls me into a tight hug, choking the air out of me, planting a sloppy kiss right on my mouth. Oh. My. God. What did he just get me involved in? Why did I say? What is wrong with me? I should pack my bags and go running back to New York first thing. I need to check myself into a psych ward. There’s got to be something wrong with me.

  Louise claps her hands together.

  “Well isn’t this wonderful. Harold.” She smacks his father in the chest. “Go get the food.” Harold rolls his eyes but forces Branson to help him. Bodie takes a seat and Louise points to the kitchen.

  “I should go help her.”

  “Okay. Should I come with you or…? I feel like we should talk.”

  “Probably.” We go to the kitchen to salvage the rest of our lie.

  “Lying to your own mother.” She shakes her head at Wilder. “Why didn’t you say something?”

  “Like Maisy said we weren’t sure if this would work out or not.” The lies keep coming. He’s really digging us into a pile now.

  “I suppose not and there is Auden to consider. But why have her over the garage and not living with you since you brought her here?”

  “I’m not ready for that much commitment.”

  “Her moving here to a new town and Shamrock of all places sounds serious to me. And now you’ve proposed. I’m so happy I could burst.”

  “Me too.” I smile but not in the way she thinks. I’m going to strangle him the first chance I get.

  “Can I have a minute alone with Maisy?” he kisses his mother on the cheek and gives her a hug.

  “My son.” She rolls her eyes. “Do you even have a ring, you silly goose?”

  “I hadn’t got that far.”

  “Men,” she mutters.

  “All right. Just so you know I like Maisy a lot but no more secrets. You can’t build a future based on lies.”

  “Got it. The secret is out. No more pretending.” I glance at him and try not to glare. I can’t believe this.

  We leave Louise to handle the food and Wilder takes me out back through a patio door that leads to a deck that overlooks the water of Shamrock lake. “Wow this view is gorgeous.”

  “Yeah it is.” I turn toward him, but he’s not staring out at the water. So cheesy. He thinks he is so smooth.

  “Want to tell me what the hell that was in there?”

  “I don’t know.” He shakes his head and leans over the balcony. “I didn’t know what else to do to convince her that this…that we’re the real deal.”

  “But we’re not.”

  “No,” he agrees, and disappointment washes over me. I should be relieved, but I don’t know. There’s something kind of romantic about the proposal he gave me.

  “We should get inside. We’ll talk about this later.”

  “Right. Later.”

  We return to the dining room, and I notice Auden is sitting off to herself wearing a scowl.

  I nudge Wilder in the ribs. He frowns. “Hey, kiddo. Living room.”

  She shoots us a nasty look and sulks all the way there. I sit next to her on the couch and her dad drops to his knees to be eye level with her. “Hey, what’s up with you?”

  “You say we’re always supposed to tell the truth, but you lied and so did Maisy. You said she’s not your girlfriend and Maisy pretended not to know who you were when I first met her. You two both acted like strangers. And now you told Gramma that you’re getting married, so which is it?”

  She’s smart. I keep quiet because I don’t think it’s my place to intervene.

  “Listen, adult business is complicated. When you’re older you’ll understand. For now, all you need to know is that Maisy will be around a lot and if things take a serious turn, you’ll be the first to know, okay?”

  “Like getting married?” She scrunches her nose.

  “Right. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. This is all new to me and Maisy too.”

  I offer him a weak smile in support, but this is craziness.

  “Fine, but you owe me a sleepover with all my friends.”

  “You got it.”

  Can I go eat now?”

  “Right. Let’s go eat.”

  Shit just got more complex.

  14

  —Maisy—

  “Here. You’ll need to wear this.” Wilder places a blue velvet box on the edge of my desk.

  “What’s that?” I lick my lips and take a drink of water. I’m still not recovered from that stunt he pulled last week in front of his whole family. All we were missing was his ex-wife and Amanda.

  “Your engagement ring. And you’ll need to coordinate with me on your dress color.”

  Dress? Oh. God. He isn’t going to attempt to persuade me to marry him, is he? I mean I hear he’s a great lawyer but surely, he can’t mean we go through with this and so soon. “For?” I take another big drink. My head gets all fuzzy and swimmy inside. I need an aspirin.

  “Our engagement photo shoot.”

  “Don’t you think you’re taking this a bit too serious? And what the hell? Photoshoot? You only proposed last week.” Since then I have gone out of my way to avoid everyone. Burying myself in my new job, learning the ins and outs of working for a lawyer. Shopping for my new apartment. Anything that keeps me from sit
uations exactly like this one. Playing the loving girlfriend.

  “You’ve met my mother. She thinks we’re engaged. In her mind we’ve been a thing online for months. Once Amanda leaves me alone and my mother finds her next project, we’ll break things off. We’ll tell them whatever you want.”

  “But the truth,” I whisper, staring at the jewelry box. “Maybe the engagement will finally push Amanda to move on?” I scowl but curiosity has me opening the box. “This is your mother’s ring.” I only recognize it because she was showing it off to me that crazy night during dinner.

  “It’s on loan so take care of it.” He has this soft expression to his gorgeous green eyes that if this wasn’t pretend might make me melt.

  “I promise.” I slide the gorgeous princess cut diamond ring on.

  “Perfect fit.”

  “Yeah it is.” I frown, staring at the ring. His mother’s beautiful and perfect ring that fits me as though it was made for me.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” I shrug. “I just always thought that when I was proposed to it’d be real.”

  One Week Later

  “Remind me again why we’re doing this,” I grit through my teeth as the wind whips my blonde hair in my eyes.

  “I told you. My mother did this not me. She wants a photo for the announcements in the paper.”

  “You didn’t say anything about an announcement in the newspaper. Are you serious right now?”

  “It’s not a big deal and it will convince Amanda to stay away. She came by the office again while you were out on another one of your shopping excursions with Vina.”

  I may have bargained for a day or two off earlier than normal to get out of doing a family dinner with his parents. Twice. I hate lying to them. They are such nice people. And not to mention every time Wilder kisses me I like it way more than a lot and then my insides get all gooey and warm and I start thinking about his hands and mouth touching me all over and I get all hot and tempted to drag him into the copy room at his office and do dirty bad things like give him a blowjob.