[Anthology] A Clean Fake Marriage Romance Collection

by Victorine E. Lieske

  “No, sweetie, I’m good. Just wanted to check up on you.”

  Typical. She was so tired she could barely speak, but she called to see if he was doing okay. “Thanks. I just have a few things to put away.”

  “Have you heard from Melody?”

  The familiar ache spread throughout his chest. “Not since the divorce settlement, Ma.” That had been six months ago. His mother was still hoping for reconciliation. Blake didn’t want to disappoint her, but it was obviously over.

  “You should call her.”

  He sighed. “All right.” He didn’t add, ‘Once hell freezes over.’

  “I just hate to see you alone.”

  “I know, Ma. Look, I gotta go. You call me if you need anything, okay?”

  “I will.”

  “Love you.” He hung up and stared at the wall. What could he say to her to make her understand? Melody had left him. There was no going back.

  METAL HANGERS SCRAPED as Sidney pushed through her wardrobe, searching for something to wear. She hadn’t found anything the first three times, why did she think the perfect outfit would pop out now? Sighing, she settled on a blouse she’d purchased last month. It was red, which wasn’t her favorite color, but it looked good with her dark hair and fit her nicely. She chose a pair of black slacks and comfortable yet dressy shoes. She didn’t want to get too dressed up and send the wrong message.

  After she dressed, she paced the living room floor, glancing out the window for Blake’s car. This was just a client meeting. Not a date with Blake. She started repeating the mantra not a date, not a date in her mind until the knock on her door startled her. How had she missed him pulling up?

  Her nerves jumped as she pulled the door open. Blake stood there looking like he’d walked off a photo shoot for men’s casual wear. His blue button down shirt with rolled up sleeves looked perfect with his khaki pants. He raised one eyebrow, which probably meant something but all her brain would register was her mantra, which had turned into, don’t drool, don’t drool.

  “Hi,” she said, hoping her nervousness didn’t show in her voice.

  He smiled and held out his elbow, then seemed to think twice about it because he withdrew it and stepped back. “Where would you like to go?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she imagined sitting in a dark, romantic atmosphere and blurted, “How about Sue’s?” Bright. Fun music. Lots of people. Perfect.

  Blake seemed surprised at first, but quickly recovered. “Sure. After you.” He motioned to a truck sitting in the parking lot, and Sidney took the lead.

  Before he could open her door for her, she rushed ahead and climbed into the passenger seat. She didn’t know why, but it felt like a triumph. He slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

  Sue’s was a 1950’s style diner with old-fashioned ice cream and the best hamburgers in town. Blake managed to get to the door first despite Sidney hopping out of the truck before he fully had it in park. He held the door for her and she covered a glare. Whatever. Still not a date.

  “So, tell me about yourself,” Blake asked after they sat down. “What have you been up to since high school?”

  Ugh. Like she really wanted to talk about her pathetic life. “Went to college. Got a degree. Started a business. But we’re not here to talk about me.” She pulled a small notepad out of her purse. “Tell me what’s been going on with you.”

  Blake fiddled with his menu, not meeting her eyes. “I guess I should tell you I’ve just gone through a rough divorce.”

  This was news to her. She’d tried to push all things Blake out of her life. She must have succeeded if she didn’t even know he’d gotten married. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” His face didn’t look like it was okay. He swallowed hard. “It’s in the past. I need to move on.”

  A heavy feeling settled in her chest. “If you’re not ready to do this, we can wait—”

  “No,” he interrupted. “I’m ready. At least I want to be.”

  The server, dressed in a poodle skirt and saddle shoes, strode over to their table and took out her order pad. “What can I get for you tonight?”

  Blake motioned for Sidney to go first.

  “I’ll have the cheeseburger meal, and can you substitute a vanilla malt for the soda?”

  The server jotted something down on her pad. “Of course.”

  “I’ll have the same.” He folded his menu and handed it to the woman.

  “You were always a chocolate shake fan.”

  He studied her, a slight smile on his face. “That was a long time ago. People change.”

  He was right about that. A lot had changed since they were kids. She nodded and handed over her menu as well.

  “It’ll be right out,” the server said before disappearing into the crowd.

  Blake sat there staring at her, so she picked up her pen. It was best to get this interview over with. “What brought you back to Bishop Falls?”

  His eyes grew sad. “My mother’s health isn’t the best. I took a job here to be closer to her.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.” Blake’s mother had struggled with her health for years. At one point when cancer was diagnosed, Sidney had thought she wouldn’t make it, but she’d survived. Blake always said he wanted to be a doctor. Sidney figured it was because of his mother. He wanted to fix her.

  “It’s okay.”

  Sidney wasn’t sure how to lighten the conversation again. She stared down at her pad of paper.

  “What about your parents?” he asked. “Are they still around here?”

  She smiled. “Yes. They’re still living in my childhood home. And Natalie’s got an apartment over on Broadway.”

  His eyes lit up at the mention of Natalie. Great. Why did she bring up her sister? She might as well pair them up and be done with it. “In fact,” she said. “I should set you up with her.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Do you think Natalie would be a good match for me?”

  The question threw her, and she stared at him. Since when did he care about that? He’d crushed on Natalie all through school. But of course, they were nothing alike. “Um...” What could she say that wasn’t offensive? “Don’t you want to go out with her?”

  His lips pulled up in a half-smile. “Maybe she’s changed, but when we were growing up, I’d invite her to go fishing with us, or bike riding. She always declined, saying she was more of an ‘indoor girl,’ as she put it.”

  “Right. But your eyes popped out of your head each time she walked into the room. I swear you left drool everywhere following after her.”

  He didn’t deny it, and his laugh washed over her. “Your sister ran with the popular kids. She was a cheerleader. To a high school kid, she was the equivalent of a super model.”

  “You only liked her for her body?” She hissed, her voice low.

  “I was seventeen.”

  She huffed. “You weren’t seventeen when you thought you were kissing her.” The words flew out before she could stop them, and the instant they were out she wished them back. Why had she brought up her humiliation? Couldn’t she have ignored that? Pretended it hadn’t happened? She could have gone the whole rest of her life without saying that.

  Blake’s smile widened. “Twenty isn’t far from seventeen.”

  “So you were a pig.” Boy, the word vomit just kept coming, didn’t it? Maybe if she kept going he’d drop the service and they’d be done.

  “I was young. Immature. Now I’m looking for a serious relationship. I want someone who isn’t afraid to experience life. I want someone who would be willing to...” His voice trailed off and he looked up. “Go skydiving with me.”

  She looked at him sideways. “Skydiving?”

  “Sure, why not? It’s fantastic. So freeing. There have to be adventurous women out there.” His gaze traveled over her. “Like you.”

  “Me?” How had he gotten on the subject of her? “No.”

  “What? The
twelve-year-old you would have jumped at the chance.”

  She took in a breath and let it out slowly. “The twelve-year-old me didn’t have any inhibitions. I’ve changed a lot since then.”

  He squinted at her. “You seriously wouldn’t go skydiving?” Throwing her a challenging stare, he paused. “Even on a dare?”

  Oh no. Not the dare thing. “That might have worked on me when I was a little kid. But you hold no power over me now.”

  A wicked grin overtook his face. “Sidney Lane Reed,” he said, and she rolled her eyes at the use of her full name. He used to blackmail her with it. She hadn’t liked the fact that she was named after Grandpa Lane. However, she’d long since gotten over that. “I dare you to jump out of a plane.”

  She gave him a flat look. “No.”

  “I double dog dare you.”

  “What? Not the double dog dare. I’ll have to do it now.”

  “Ha!” He smiled as if he’d won.

  “I was kidding. Get over yourself. I’m not going skydiving just because you dare me. I’m not twelve.”

  Folding his arms across his chest, he huffed and leaned back in his chair. “You’re no fun.”

  The server brought their food and Sidney took a big bite of her hamburger. She couldn’t quite keep the smug smile off her face as she chewed.

  “Maybe you need to go skydiving with me so you can gain experience in the kind of woman I’m looking for. That way, you can find me the perfect match.”

  She picked up a french fry. “Nice try.” For some reason, the harder he pushed, the more she wanted to do it, if not for any other reason than to see the look on his face when she said yes. Plus, it might be kind of fun.

  “It would help you get to know me better.”

  She smiled and dipped the fry into ketchup. “I’m getting to know you better right now.”

  He frowned. “Come on. What do I have to do? Beg?”

  “You’re just mad because you can’t boss me around anymore. I no longer cater to your every whim.”

  He seemed to take that in. “Maybe.” His gaze traveled over her, and he grinned. “Or maybe I just want to hear you scream as you fall a hundred and twenty miles per hour.”

  “Ha, like I’d scream.” She probably would.

  “Only one way to find out.”

  The urge to give in to him grew, and she stared down at her hands. Not a good idea to spend any more time with him. She could easily fall for him again. And it took a long time for her shattered heart to feel whole after the last time he broke it. She held up her hand. “Sorry. Engaged.”

  “Give me your phone,” he said as he motioned. “I’ll call Ted and make sure he’s okay with it.”

  She sighed. No way was she having Blake call Ted. “Fine, I’ll go with you. Ted won’t mind.”

  It was Blake’s turn for the smug smile. “Great. I’ll get something scheduled.”

  Chapter 5

  Blake had no idea why he had pushed Sidney into going skydiving with him. Maybe because when they were kids, Sidney would be the first to do something daring, but now she seemed to be...what was the word he was looking for? Timid?

  Where was that adventurous attitude she used to have? Somewhere along the way she’d become cautious. He missed the old Sidney.

  And maybe a part of him wanted to show off. He’d been skydiving since college and had gotten his instructor’s license. He knew Sidney would love it—if she would give it a chance.

  He picked up his malt and took a sip, studying the woman sitting opposite him. She glanced everywhere except at him. She was uncomfortable. Must be because of her fiancé. He didn’t want her to feel like he was pursuing her. Best to get her talking about her business. “So, about your matchmaking service. Explain how it works, exactly.”

  “After answering all the questions, I hand select someone to be your date. You get to meet them face to face. Think of me as your dating concierge. I look at more than what a computer would. If you feel sparks with someone, I put the service on hold for you while you feel out the new relationship.”

  “I see.” He picked up a french fry. “And what if I don’t like the match?”

  “Your feedback is very important. We’ll talk, and you’ll tell me what you liked or didn’t like about your match. With that information, I’ll be able to fine-tune what you’re looking for and we’ll try again.”

  As she spoke she relaxed, and he was glad he’d changed the subject. Her smile seemed more genuine. She liked what she did for a living. That pleased him, for some reason.

  After they finished their food and paid their bill, Sidney stared down at her note pad. “I still have quite a few questions. You got me talking about other things and I didn’t get through them all.”

  “Why don’t we head over to my place and we can finish them up?” The words were out before he realized how they sounded. She stiffened, and he quickly interjected. “I mean, unless you’d feel more comfortable staying in a public place. We could go to the park or something.”

  “The park will work fine.” She scooped up her stuff and headed for the door so fast she was a blur. Why was she in such a hurry?

  When they arrived at Pioneer Park, he was surprised when Sidney hopped out of the truck and started toward the old playground equipment. He was expecting to sit on a bench or maybe under a shade tree. He followed her to the sandy clearing. The sun had set, but it hadn’t yet gotten dark. The sound of crickets filled the air.

  She tossed her purse down and sat on a swing. “I haven’t been here since we were kids. Remember when you were showing off and you jumped from the swing when it was super high?”

  He chuckled as he sat on the swing next to her. “That was a new pair of jeans. My mom wasn’t happy I ripped the seat out of them.”

  “You were so funny, clutching at your butt like that. I thought we were never going to stop laughing.”

  Her face lit up at the memory, and she laughed without inhibition. Sidney was always like that. Going forward without any reservations. It was what he liked best about her.

  Still giggling, she took her note pad out and uncapped her pen. “What is the first thing people notice about you, besides your looks?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying I’m good-looking?”

  “And cocky.” She whacked his leg. “Be serious, or I’ll match you to Big Bertha.”

  “The lunch lady? Is she still around here?”

  Sidney laughed again. “I don’t know, but you’d better behave or I’ll find out.”

  “She’s got to be in her sixties now,” he said, trying not to laugh but failing.

  “Another reason not to make me angry.”

  “Okay, fine. Um, I guess people are always telling me they like how I talk to anyone, no matter who they are.”

  She gave him a sideways look. “You have always been nice to everyone.”

  He shrugged. “I like people.”

  She scribbled something down on her pad. “Okay. What are your best life skills?”

  “Man, you’re down to the hard ones, aren’t you?”

  A grin stretched across her face. “You have to ask the tough questions to get to the heart of people.”

  “Okay. Well, I guess I’m good at time management.”

  She frowned, gripping the metal swing chain. “You might as well say ‘I’m boring.’ Think of something else.”

  “Boring? It’s an important skill.”

  “Sure, for a job interview. Would you really want to date someone who thinks time management is most important?”

  Point taken. It did sound dull. “All right, then. What would you put down?”

  She pursed her lips in thought. “I would say, you have personal integrity. And the ability to laugh at yourself, as evidenced right here in this park.” She giggled.

  “You just won’t let me live that down, will you?”

  “It was the Spiderman underwear. You were, like, thirteen.”

  “I told you, it was laundry day
.” Her laughter prevented him from saying anything else. When she finally settled down, he said, “Why would you say personal integrity?”

  She grew serious. “You’ve always had this great sense of right from wrong, and you’re never afraid to speak up, even if it’s not the popular thing. Like when you told Ricky Harms to take a flying leap when he was picking on Angela at school.”

  He studied her. She’d seen that? He hadn’t thought anyone had noticed. Or cared.

  “It’s one thing I’ve always admired about you,” she said, her voice quiet.

  He didn’t know what to say. “Thanks.”

  She went back to her paper. “What’s something you can’t live without?”

  That was easy. “Classic rock.”

  “Ugh, not this again.” She rolled her eyes. “You and your obsession.”

  “It’s called taste.”

  “Well, your taste in music stinks.”

  He pushed her swing away from him, which just made it come back and collide with his. “You’re so judgmental.”

  “Judgmental? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. You’re the one who won’t listen to pop music, even though it borrows elements from classic rock.”

  “It hurts my ears.”

  She scoffed. “See? You’re a music snob.”

  “And you probably listen to Justin Bieber.”

  “Oh, jump on the Bieber-hate bandwagon. That’s original.” She pushed off the sand to start swinging.

  “So you do.” He laughed when she stuck out her tongue at him.

  He started his swing as well, even though his legs were too long and it was difficult not to hit the ground. She managed to swing higher, so he pumped harder. Soon they were in fierce competition.

  “Finally, I can beat you at something,” Sidney said as her swing rose a fraction of an inch higher, even though she was still gripping her notepad and pen.

  “Only because of my long legs and manly bulk.”

  “Oh, how do you swing so high with that large head of yours?”

  He laughed. “I’m just talented.”

  The cool evening breeze whipped through Blake’s hair as they tried to outdo each other. His heart pounded and he felt like a teenager again. It wasn’t just the swinging. It was...