One Hot Fake: An Accidental Fake Marriage Romance

by Sarah J. Brooks

  “That’s not a marriage; it’s a sham,” she hisses.

  I refuse to get riled up. “Think about what I said. Goodnight.” I disconnect the call and wait for the guilt to come. It doesn’t, and it feels good to know that I told my mother exactly what I think without feeling bad about it.

  I’ve let her get away with a lot, but that’s a thing of the past now. We’ll have to learn how to relate on an adult level whether she likes it or not.

  Marian leaves the house and goes to her car. When her headlights come on, I start my car and head toward home. I’m so relieved that we’ve worked things out. So relieved to have Marian back.

  I think about what she said about Leonard. That’s something to celebrate. Marian and I are legally married. I was worried that our union would turn out to be null and void, and Marian would not agree to marry me again.

  When we get home, I go straight to the kitchen and take out the bottle of the dry white.

  “Are we celebrating something?” Marian asks as she follows me to the kitchen.

  “Yes,” I tell her. “We’re still married!”

  She beams. “Yes, I almost forgot about that in the midst of all this. I feel bad for Samantha.”

  That name rings no bells in my mind. “Who is Samantha?”

  She looks momentarily startled. She waves a hand away. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll get some glasses.”

  She doesn’t want to talk about it. We shouldn’t keep secrets from each other; I see that now. But things are so good between us, and I don’t want to risk another falling out. I’ll leave it for now.

  She brings the glasses, and as I take them from her, our fingers brush, and suddenly, I can’t wait another moment to take her into my arms. I place the glasses on the table and slip my arms around her waist.

  “Oh, Declan,” she says before her words are swallowed by my mouth on hers.

  Her scent wraps around me like a hot blanket, igniting my senses and her hands go around my neck imprisoning me. This is one jail I’d be happy to spend a lifetime in.

  “I love you so much,” I say in between kisses. I drop my hands to her ass, and she lifts her legs and wraps them around my waist.

  We kiss each other hungrily, with Marian’s hands threading through my hair. I groan into her mouth as she presses her breasts against my chest.

  “Let’s go upstairs, Declan,” Marian breaks the kiss to say.

  I kiss her again and move toward the stairs. She giggles. “Are you going to carry me up the stairs?”

  “It won’t be the first time,” I tell her.

  I stop after every few steps to kiss her.

  “We’re never going to get there at this rate,” Marian says.

  “We have all night,” I tell her.

  She sighs deeply. Happily. Like a woman who is exactly where she wants to be. That makes me happy. We finally reach the landing, and I carry her into her bedroom and kick the door behind us.

  I lay her gently on the bed and strip off my clothes before joining her.

  “This is hot,” Marian says, wrapping her arms around my neck.

  “What is?” I murmur as I trail kisses on her neck.

  “Being fully clothed while my man is completely naked,” she says with a laugh.

  My man. The words keep replaying in my mind as I make sweet love to my wife.

  Chapter 38

  Declan

  One moment I’m dead asleep, and in the next, a light is burning my eyelids. I struggle to open my eyes.

  “Wake up, handsome,” Marian says from somewhere at my side. “Today is the big day.”

  The grand opening. I open my eyes and grin. I begin to move, and every muscle in my body aches.

  “What did you do to me in the night?” I ask as I reach for and pull her warm naked body close.

  She giggles. “Other than the usual, you mean?”

  “How can you look so fresh when we went to bed at the same time?” I groan.

  We had stayed at the pizza shop until midnight, ensuring that everything would be ready for the grand opening today. We’ll throw the doors open at eleven in the morning. All the hard work has culminated at this moment.

  “I’ve never been to a grand opening,” Marian says. “I’m so excited.”

  “You have work in the morning,” I remind her. She has a few appointments that she was unable to reschedule.

  “I wish I were coming straight to the shop,” she says.

  “We did everything last night,” I tell her. “You’re awesome,”

  “Thanks,” she says and sits up. “And now, we do need to get up. This day is going to be great.”

  I love Marian’s outlook on life. She’s completely back to herself now. A couple of weeks ago, she was stressed, but that’s all gone now, and she seems happy with our lives.

  We shower together and afterward, go to our respective bedrooms to dress. I put on a company-branded button-down shirt and black trousers. Marian whistles when she comes into the kitchen where I’m making coffee.

  “I love that look,” she says. “I want a branded top as well.”

  “I’ll have one custom made for you,” I tell her. “Two. One to wear only at home.”

  She giggles as she takes her coffee. “And what will be the design for the home one?”

  “Mmm, for starters, it will be tight,” I say. “I’d like it to come up to here.” I draw an imaginary line across her chest, just below her nipples.”

  She laughs and cocks her head. “I love how cool and calm you are about such an important day. Does nothing faze you, Mr. Carter?”

  “We’ve done the very best we can, and everything’s in place. That’s not to say that nothing will go wrong, but we’ll deal with whatever comes up.”

  We chat a bit more about work, and then it’s time to go. We stand outside the front door to hug, and then Marian goes to her car, and I go to mine. Ace calls while I am on the way. He wants to know if I need him and Lexi to come in early.

  “Everything’s under control,” I tell him. “Thanks for the offer, guys.”

  Adrenaline flows through me as I near the pizza shop. I catch sight of the decorations already put up at the entrance. I park in my usual spot and hurry to the front, where I pause for a few seconds to revel in the moment.

  I remember the grand opening of the pizza shop in Santa Monica. Ace had been in Afghanistan, and my father had not had the stroke then. My parents had attended the opening as well as Park and Rachael.

  Lexi had been heavily pregnant, and Ace had not even known that he had a baby on the way. How things changed in just a few years, I muse.

  I don’t expect my parents to attend the opening. My mother and I haven’t spoken since I threatened to cut her off from my life. Park and Rachael will be here, of course, and so will Ace, Lexi, and Vanessa. As well as the guys from the fire station.

  I’m greeted by the usual chaos of an operational pizza joint when I step through the doors. I grin at the colorful red, yellow, and white balloons and decorations hanging from the roof.

  “It’s finally here, boss,” my manager says.

  I grin and playfully punch his shoulder. “We did it.”

  It had been a journey. Finding the perfect location, getting permits, hiring, and training staff …

  For the next three hours, I’m all about overseeing the prep work of the pizzas. It’s going to be a madhouse later if our estimates of the people who’ll come are correct.

  I take a final look around. It’s exactly as I envisioned. The seating arrangements, the décor, the scent of baking crusts. My staff stands near the doors, and when I peer out, there’s already a small crowd. When I throw the doors open, cheers ring out.

  And the madness starts. I feel as if I’m walking on air as I greet everyone and welcome them into the store. Ace, Lexi, and Vanessa get to work as the crowd grows and my staff starts to get overwhelmed.

  The guys from the fire station come in minutes later. I spot the Deputy Chief, Lucas, Michael, Jas
on, Collins … almost the whole crew is here. Park and Rachael come in next, and I spend some time chatting with them. I work the room, making sure everyone is comfortable and that they’ve ordered what they want.

  I glance at the door just as Judy and Josh walk in. I’m pleasantly surprised as I hadn’t thought they’d make it all the way from Arlen so early. I excuse myself and go to them.

  “Judy,” I say and kiss her cheek and then shake hands with Josh. “I didn’t think you’d make it.”

  “Nothing would keep us away,” Judy says. “We’re family.” She looks around. “Those are gorgeous colors.”

  “Thank you,” I tell her. We talk a bit about the pizza shop. “Marian is coming up to Arlen this coming week,” I tell Judy. “I’ll drive up with her.”

  She grows solemn. “You’d better if you want to keep her.”

  “What?” I say.

  “She never told you, did she?” Judy says.

  I have no idea what Judy is talking about.

  “Judy,” Josh says in a warning tone.

  Judy glances at him, defiance in her face. “He should know. I believe in openness in relationships.”

  Josh sighs. “Excuse me; I’ll go order a pizza.” He disappears.

  “What’s this about, Judy?” I have a bad feeling about this.

  “Do you remember when Marian came to Arlen a few weeks ago?” Judy says.

  I nod, and she proceeds to tell me an unimaginable tale. I try to reconcile the Marian I know and the one Judy is telling me about. As I was worrying about Marian and hoping that Leonard was not making life difficult for her, she was contemplating going back to him.

  I feel cold and then hot. My eyes dart around the room, but I take nothing in. I feel as if I’ve been dipped in a tank full of ice. My dreams melt at my feet as Judy talks.

  She pats my shoulder, bringing me back to the present. “Leonard is an evil man, and he seems to have some sort of hold over Marian. I don’t understand it.”

  I hear the sound of her happy laughter before I see her. Something tightens in my gut. I hear her voice as she talks to people and makes her way to where Judy and I stand.

  She takes my hand and goes on tiptoe to kiss me. I ignore the softness of her lips and her sweet familiar scent. I say hello to Brooke. Judy wants to introduce Brooke to Josh. They go off, leaving Marian and me alone.

  “So many people,” Marian says.

  I nod. “Yes.”

  She narrows her eyes at me. “Are you all right? You seem different.”

  “I’m fine, just busy. I have to check how things are going in the kitchen.” I turn around and leave her standing there.

  I’m fuming. I feel like a fool. An idiot who believed that his wife was over her ex-husband.

  In the kitchen, I grab a knife and start dicing peppers. I can’t quite remember whether Marian stayed in Arlen for two or three nights. Did they have sex at that time? Agonizing pain rumbles through me at the thought of Leonard touching my Marian. I correct myself. She’s not mine. She’s never been. She has always been Leonard’s.

  I can’t think about Marian’s treachery now. There’s too much at stake. The new branch has to be a success. More so now. My business is all I have left now, and I intend it to be a roaring success.

  The PR company we hired did a great job with the media. I sit down at the corner table for several interviews. One with the local TV station, a couple of radio stations, and two magazines.

  I catch Marian’s gaze a few times, and I can see the worry in her eyes. I don’t get her thinking. No one is forcing her to stay in our marriage, so why is she still with me?

  The baby is not enough of a reason. She can get pregnant with Leonard if she wants.

  “We need some promotional pictures, Declan,” my manager says, bringing the photographer with him.

  “Sure,” I say. “How do you want to do this?”

  “I’ll take a few of you in the kitchen with the backdrop of the employees and the pizzas being prepared, then I’ll take another with your wife and then friends and family,” he says.

  We make for the kitchen and take the pictures that he needs. Marian and I stand outside at the entrance. I drape an arm around her and smile at the camera.

  “You’re not yourself,” Marian whispers to me.

  “What do you mean?” I have no intentions of having that discussion here. I’m not even sure that I’m going to. The beginning of a plan is beginning to form in my mind. My pride is at stake here. This marriage has stripped me of all the things that protected me from the kind of pain I’m feeling now.

  The one thing that I cannot show Marian is how badly she has hurt me. Now I know that she wants out of this marriage, I’ll go along with it and find a way to show her that it’s a mutual decision. I smile down at her as if everything is fine. She looks momentarily confused, and an almost hurt look comes over her features. I know it’s not real. She would rather be in Arlen with that ex-husband of hers.

  “A few more with friends and family,” the photographer says.

  “Sure,” I say and shepherd Marian back in.

  We take the necessary pictures and later, after the customers and the media have left and it’s just family, friends, and the staff, we bring out the wine. We’re closing early today and will start a proper schedule the following day.

  “I’m so happy for you,” Marian tells me when we find ourselves standing alone.

  “Thank you,” I tell her. I steer clear of the wine as I intend to drive home to Santa Monica. The days of playing house with Marian are over. It’s time to get back to real life.

  People start trickling out at nine, and by ten, everyone’s gone. Marian, the manager, and I are the last to leave. Marian and I go to the parking lot at the back.

  “Who will follow who?” she says.

  “Oh, I’m not coming to Pine Place,” I tell her. “I’m going home to Santa Monica.”

  “What? Why? It’s late; what’s the emergency?”

  I shrug. “I guess I just want to be home.”

  “Oh,” she says and looks away.

  My instincts are to wrap my arms around her and hold her close, but I remind myself that I’m not what Marian wants. The best thing I can do is to set her free.

  “Drive safely,” I tell her.

  She gets in her car, rolls down her window, and looks as if she wants to say something, but she doesn’t.

  “Drive safely, too,” she says.

  I watch her drive off. It’s a good thing that I’m alone because my eyes are wet.

  Chapter 39

  Marian

  It’s been a week, and Declan has not come home. When we speak on the phone, he’s cordial and polite, but he leaves no doubt as to how he feels about me. I’ve tried asking him by text and in calls if I’ve done something wrong, and he says no.

  I’ve gone over everything, and the conclusion that I’ve drawn is that he’s finished with us. His new restaurant is up and running. He doesn’t need me or our marriage anymore. What I don’t understand is why he came up with the idea of us trying to make it real. Or why he looked at me and spoke to me as if he loved me. I keep seeing his face telling me that he loves me. It seemed so real. How could he have acted all that out and for what?

  I hate nights now. My house and my bed are too big. I’ve even gone as far as sleeping in Declan’s bed just to smell him. Bad idea. I cried the whole night. Brooke and I have dissected the whole thing, and she doesn’t understand it either.

  It doesn’t help that I’ve taken to feeling nauseous and throwing up in the morning. I’m not foolish enough to think that I might be pregnant this time. I know it’s because of my worries over Declan.

  I make a one-day visit to Arlen to finalize the wedding arrangements with my mom and Josh. The good thing is that there’s no bridal party to speak of, and the ceremony and wedding reception will be in one location, the Resort.

  Nausea and general malaise are getting worse, and in the second week, I make an appo
intment at the clinic. Everything in me is screaming that I’m pregnant, but this time, I don’t make the mistake of doing a home pregnancy test.

  “Let’s do the pregnancy test first, and we can move on from there,” Dr. Ross says.

  A part of me longs for Declan, but I remind myself that I’m a stronger person now. My sessions with Dr. Frost have been wonderful. I understand myself a little better now. I know that the lure of a child is what messed up my thinking to the point that I even considered getting back together with Leonard.

  I was emotionally weak after believing that I was pregnant and finding out that I wasn’t. I miss Declan terribly, but I’ve accepted that our foundation was too shaky to begin with. To access a trust fund and to get a baby are probably not the best reasons to get married.

  I wait in the reception for the pregnancy test results, and after fifteen minutes, I’m back in the doctor’s office.

  She grins broadly. “Marian, the blood test shows that you are pregnant.”

  I go very still and just stare at her. When I finally get my power of speech back, I whisper, “Really?”

  She nods. “Really.”

  I cover my mouth with my hands. Tears fill my eyes. An emotion that I cannot describe fills my chest. I’m pregnant! My hands drop to my still flat tummy.

  “Congratulations,” Dr. Ross says. “I’ll fill out a prescription for you for folic acid and a few vitamins, and you can go and tell that handsome husband of yours.”

  Declan, Oh my God. I have to tell him that he’s going to be a dad. It doesn’t matter that we’re not together. I want us to co-parent. Declan will be a wonderful dad. A pang of sadness comes over me. I remind myself that I have the one thing that made me marry a total stranger in Vegas. I have a baby growing in my stomach. I don’t need anything else. I leave the clinic after grabbing my vitamins and folic acid. In the car, I fish my phone out and text Declan.

  Are you free to meet up today? We need to talk.

  I hit send and start the car. I drive back to the office and whistle all the way. I alternate between whistling and bursting into tears. Happy tears. When I get to my office and settle down at my desk, I find a message from Declan.