by Lauren Wood
“Wow, thanks. I wasn’t…I wasn’t expecting…”
“Oh, sorry. Yeah, I didn’t know if getting them for you would be weird or inappropriate.” I nervously smoothed my palm along the back of my neck. “I just wanted to thank you. You didn’t have to agree to do this tonight, and it’s a big help. So, yeah. Thanks.”
Her face lit up with the soft spark in her eyes and the gentle smile that I needed to see to feel calm again. “Don’t mention it.”
She got the flowers put away in a vase inside and then followed me out to the car. I did my best to give her the rundown of everyone on the way out to Dominic’s place. I was talking too fast and giving more information than she could ever remember, but I needed to make sure all of this was believable. I had this creeping fear that they would somehow figure out that this was an arrangement through the agency, and if that happened, I would never hear the end of it.
My ranting made the drive go by too fast. Before I knew it, we were walking up to the front door, and I hardly felt ready.
“Wait,” I stopped suddenly, tugging her hand. “They’re going to ask how we met.”
“Oh, right,” she exhaled. “Okay, well, how do you usually meet girls?”
“At the club. At galas. Sometimes at fashion shows when my buddies and I go to scope out models.”
“Okay.” She flew up a hand to stop me as if she didn’t want to hear another word of it. “None of that’s going to work. Let me think.” She pursed her lips and looked around. “An art gallery! We’ll say we met at an exhibition opening. That’s more believable.”
“Hardly. They know I never go to things like that,” I scoffed.
I noticed a tinge of disappointment flash across her face. “No, but one of those models you were chasing after might have dragged you to one. You showed up with one of them, but couldn’t keep your eyes off me. It’s romantic. They’ll love it.”
“That’s definitely more believable,” I answered sincerely, taking in the sight of her.
I probably wouldn’t have been able to keep my eyes off of her if we had met organically, but that was beside the point. I nodded in agreement, and we started back towards the door.
“Oh, wait,” I stopped her again. “They’ll want to know what opening it was. Sometimes they go to things like that.”
“There was an opening at the Rodale gallery about six months ago. It was a pretty big deal. Jam-packed with people. Even if they had gone, it’d be possible that they wouldn’t have seen you there. But only if they ask. If we start spewing off too many details, it’ll seem suspicious.”
“Perfect. Thanks, Maya. For all the ways this whole matchmaking thing could have gone, I’m glad I ended up with you.”
“It’s going to be fine.” She smiled, squeezing my hand tightly.
We braced ourselves and rang the bell. One of the house staff answered and showed us in to take our coats, but I could see all of my brothers and their partners watching carefully from the next room with their mouths open wide. We walked in to greet them, and the room was silent with disbelief.
“Hey,” Dominic said finally, his mouth still gaping. “Uh, sorry. Hi.” He shook his head, snapping himself out of shock, and marched forward to shake my date’s hand.
“This is Maya,” I beamed proudly.
The rest of them followed suit and tried their best to stammer their way through proper introductions, but once all of that was settled, an awkward silence fell over the room again.
“Engaged!” Vanna shouted suddenly. “Congratulations!”
It was just enough to break the ice. Everyone started laughing, and each of us was swept up into a whirlwind of questions being fired off all at once. When? How? How did this happen? Why didn’t I say I was seeing anyone? When’s the wedding? How did I propose? And on, and on, and on.
We did our best to answer each one carefully, but somehow, we had been pulled off into separate lines of interrogation. I could only hope our answers matched up without any discrepancies. We both tried to keep things vague enough to keep any holes from forming in our stories.
I was relieved when it was time to sit down for dinner. I knew the questions would keep coming all night, but at least there was food and drink to distract everyone a little. I watched Maya from across the table as she interacted with Vanna and Tara. Liz stayed mostly quiet as she ran her hands along her pregnant belly, but her eyes lit up with intrigue as she listened.
Catching trails of what they were saying, I was starting to realize just how interesting of a person Maya was. She told them all about her life as an artist and all the fascinating people she had met on her travels. It was something I started to learn about the first time we met, but I was so wrapped up in the idea of the arrangement that I didn’t give her enough credit.
As we dug into dessert, Eric leaned over and whispered in my ear with a thumbs up, “I like her.”
I smirked back at him, trying to hide just how much that meant to me. Out of everyone’s opinion, his was the one that mattered the most. My heart flinched with a strange sensation. I almost felt guilty for deceiving them. I started to wonder if I should have just been honest about what was going on, but they would have tried to talk me out of it.
I found Dominic and Jason treating me more like an equal that night. Their eyes were empty of the hints of judgment and disappointment that they usually shot my way. Between that and how radiant Maya looked as she laughed and talked with everyone, I was hit with all sorts of weird and conflicting emotions.
Everything felt more whole than it had in a long time. I started to wonder, was I cheating myself by not holding out for the real thing? Part of me wanted to be experiencing all of this, but with someone who I truly loved and wanted to spend my life with. It was a yearning I never had before until that night gave me a taste of what it could feel like.
It was too late to back out. Anyway, I was positive whatever I was feeling would fade—especially when the weekend came and I was ready to hit the town with Mark and Joey. Still, watching how stunning Maya was, I found myself thinking that if I was going to have a real wife, I would want them to be someone a lot like her. Maybe exactly like her, if that sort of thing was for me.
10
Maya
Dinner was winding down, and I offered to help Vanna and the girls in the kitchen with cleaning up. The Halsteads were not what I expected. I was teeming with questions by the time I found myself alone with the ladies, but I didn’t know where to begin.
“We’re so thrilled you’re here,” Vanna gushed as she started washing dishes.
I took over the drying duty while Tara cleaned off the countertops. Liz busied herself with eating the last of the snacks and desserts left out on trays.
“All of the Halstead brothers were supposedly unobtainable,” she continued. “I really didn’t expect Jesse to join in with the rest of them and settle down. How did you pull that off?”
With a contractual arrangement and a hefty lump-sum payment, I thought to myself, but I straightened with a smile and instead answered, “Oh, I don’t know. To be honest, I guess I wouldn’t have realized he was so out of reach. Everything happened so naturally.”
They all seemed so nice, and I hated lying through my teeth to them, but I did my best to channel my limited acting skills and push through.
“I guess that’s how it was with Dominic, too,” she shrugged. “I was guarded. I knew his reputation. I was certain I’d get my heartbroken, but I just couldn’t help myself.”
“Same,” Tara chimed in.
Liz leaned back with a tight smile, rubbing her rounded stomach. “I didn’t plan on giving Eric the time of day. Now, look at me.”
There was a look of genuine contentment and happiness gleaming in their eyes. It made me anxious for a change in subject. I felt like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. They had been so nice and friendly, but I was not what they thought.
“Dinner was amazing,” I said to Vanna. “For all of my creative skills, cooking has ne
ver really been my thing.”
“Thanks! I run a catering business. That’s actually how Dominic and I met. Jesse and I were friends for years, and he started hiring me for the family’s events. Tara worked with me before she started working as Jason’s nanny. We all know how that turned out.”
“You were friends with Jesse? That’s funny. He never mentioned it.”
Vanna’s face went blank as she cut her eyes over to the others. I quickly gathered that there was more to the story, and I regretted saying anything. It was obvious there was some sort of history I’d have to understand if I was truly going to be a part of this family. Or pretend to be, anyway.
“What?” I asked, noting the way they were all silent and staring at each other.
“It’s nothing, really.” Vanna waved, trying to act normal.
Tara appeared over her shoulder as they each stopped cleaning. “Oh, just tell her. She’ll find out eventually.”
“Tell me what?”
Vanna cleared her throat, avoiding my eyes as she spoke slowly. “I don’t want to make anything awkward or cause any trouble. Everyone’s over it by now, but Jesse did have a thing for me. I honestly didn’t even know until he started suspecting something was up between Dominic and me. He got jealous.”
“I think it was all pure jealousy,” Liz spoke up from her perch on the nearby barstool. “Not that I was there or anything, but working in law, you learn to assess people’s motives. I’ve heard the whole story a few times now, and I think Jesse was just trying to get what he couldn’t have.”
“Sounds about right,” Tara blurted.
I froze, unsure of how to respond. I didn’t care who Jesse used to like, or even who he liked now, but these women were under the impression that I cared a great deal. They were talking about my fiance, and he, apparently, used to have a thing for his soon-to-be sister-in-law. On top of that, he seemed to have the worst reputation of all the brothers, or so I gathered from the tone in Tara’s voice.
Liz wiggled down from her post and came over to comfort me. “Don’t listen to them. Eric was the biggest playboy of all time before he set his sights on me. They may be unruly and untamed, but another side to the Halstead name is that once they set their eyes on something they want, they don’t take no for an answer. I mean that in the most romantic way you could imagine. It seems like you and Jesse were the same.”
“Well, how did you and Eric meet?”
“At a coffee shop. He took me on a date, and it was terrible. I thought he was the most arrogant ass in the world. Then, I was assigned to do damage control on an investigation they fell under. We broke the rules a little. Okay, a lot. It was worth it in the end.”
“Investigation?”
“Long story,” Tara groaned. “That was after Vanna and I did our little stint of time behind bars.”
Vanna smacked her on the arm. “Don’t tell her that!”
“Behind bars?” I gaped.
“Thankfully, that’s all over with now,” she carried on as if she hadn’t mentioned it at all. “And I think they’re all being a lot more careful than they used to be.” Her eyes darkened with something that made me think that calling it a long story was a bit of an understatement.
“So, you were Jason’s nanny? And Vanna, you were a caterer? I mean, you are a caterer, but that’s how you met Dominic?”
“It’s a lot to keep straight.” She smirked. “But you’ll get it all.”
What was all this about investigations and jail time? What kind of lives had these people been living?
The women laughed and started exchanging funny stories and inside jokes from their early days with the Halsteads. They were less and less of what I expected with every minute I was around them. No wonder they cooked their own food and did their own dishes. I expected a whole team of chefs and maids to be tending to those things. They had a butler, after all.
But come to find out, they were just like me. They worked normal jobs and certainly weren’t billionaires. How did guys like the Halsteads, who, by reputation, were so full of themselves and spoiled on their wealth, end up with such down to earth people? It begged the creeping thought, just how well could I fit into this world? Apparently, better than I thought, but could I do it without falling prey to something more, some kind of hope that what Jesse and I have might grow into something real?
A gentle hand on my shoulder made me jump. I whipped around to see Liz standing there with a kind and concerned smile. “Are you doing okay? I know it’s a lot. We’re kind of an odd bunch.”
“Of course! No, you’re not odd at all. Quite the opposite. You’re all so nice.” I felt my cheeks blush as I looked across their intent faces. I wished I knew how much I could trust them. Everything in me wanted to spill the whole truth. It felt like if there was anyone in the world who could help me navigate the reality of my situation, it would be them. Instead, I took a deep breath and stuck to my story.
“I’m really excited to be a part of your family.”
They erupted in a series of gushes and surrounded me in a big hug, which was promptly interrupted by the baby kicking in Liz’s belly. She jumped back and had each of us place a hand on her to feel it.
An indefinable feeling washed over me as I felt the baby moving inside of her. Her eyes were filled with a longing to meet her child. Tara and Vanna seemed like they were bursting with love that they couldn’t wait to share with the new addition to the family. I couldn't help but feel something myself around all that love.
“Have you and Jesse talked about kids?” Liz asked me.
“No, not really,” I replied softly, suddenly finding it hard to speak.
I had never wanted children of my own. My lifestyle was always too unstable to support anyone other than myself, and I didn’t want to give up my freedom, but being that close to an unborn life stirred a new kind of yearning in me, one that I couldn’t quite place my finger on. I felt confident in my decision that there was no such thing as the one. I wouldn’t really be missing out on anything by going into this with Jesse as far as men and relationships went. What about kids, though? Would I regret giving up at least five years of my life to this crazy scheme?
“I never wanted to be a mom,” Liz sighed, breaking me out of my rabbit hole of doubts. “Not until I was one. Now, I can’t imagine it being any other way. It was meant to be.”
They all nodded in agreement, and I felt a surge of annoyance with them. I hated this idea that we all ended up exactly where we were meant to be regardless of the decisions we made. I needed to be positive that I was making the right choice with Jesse. By agreeing to come here tonight, had I dug myself into a hole? There was no contract yet, but being here, surrounded by the warmth and love of his family, there didn’t seem to be any way out now.
11
Jesse
I let out a big gushing exhale as Maya and I climbed into the back of the car after dinner. I felt as if I had been holding my breath the entire time. Maybe I had been.
“They liked you. I think they bought it.”
“I think so, too,” she replied, but she seemed distant. She was quiet and stared out the window.
I expected her to be as excited as I was and that we’d rejoice with celebratory high fives. Maybe there was still some way to put her in good spirits.
“Drinks?” I proposed. “Convincing a family like mine of such a big…”
“Lie?”
“Something like that. Anyway, it’s no easy feat. We should cut loose. Blow off some steam.”
“Sure,” she shrugged. “I could use a drink.”
I told the driver to take us to one of my favorite spots in town. She remained distant the whole way there, and I could only hope she wasn’t starting to get doubts. I was afraid to ask. There was no contract in place to protect our secret yet. If she backed out now, I’d have to face everyone and try to explain what happened.
I kept quiet and hoped once we started winding down over some drinks, she’d perk up. I knew the r
est of the night wouldn’t be as easy to navigate as I thought when I saw Mark and Joey sitting at the bar, though. I didn’t expect to see them there that night. I flinched and considered turning around to walk right back out, but Maya was already striding ahead of me.
I tried to stay hidden behind her as we ordered our first round, but of course, they spotted me. They didn’t hesitate to march right over.
“Hey, man! We’ve been trying to get a hold of you,” Mark said with his eyes darting between Maya and me. “But I can see you’ve been busy.”
I froze. He was waiting for an introduction, but I didn’t know what to say. I had planned out everything for my family but not my friends. I could see the wheels in his brain turning until he started piecing it all together.
“Oh shit! Is this—”
Joey, being a little more in the dark, innocently cut him off. “Aren’t you going to introduce us to your new friend?” He looked over our shoulders for any accompanying guests. “And do you have any other lady friends with you tonight?”
“Hi,” Maya smiled wide with an almost defiant look. “I’m Maya. Jesse’s fiance.”
Their mouths dropped open, and their eyes bulged.
“So, you did it?” Mark gaped. “You really did it?”
“Did what?” Joey looked us over, trying to figure out what he had missed. Maya turned to me with a questioning glare.
“They know,” I finally told her with a sigh. “Or Mark does.”
He set himself to trying to clue poor Joey in. “Remember that one night we were all hanging out, and we were talking about the matchmaking service?”
“No way.” He gawked at Maya as if she were a fake person rather than just a fake fiance.
“They know?” she asked.
I nodded, and she let out a huge breath of air. “Thank god. I didn’t know how much more pretending I could handle for tonight. I’m sure I’ll get used to it, but it’s a lot, at first.”