The Playboy's Princess

by Joy Fulcher

  He patted her knee under the table.

  “Well, my playboy son brings home a girl for the first time; I’m going to make a fuss. You must really be something special, my dear,” Aaron said, ending his statement with a pointed look at Jade.

  “Aaron, please. This is a special night for Drew. Let’s not make it awkward for him,” Laura said.

  Aaron laughed. “If Jade hasn’t read about Drew’s many women in the tabloids, I’d be very surprised. I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know, am I?”

  “Err…” Jade didn’t know what to say. “Drew has been nothing but a gentleman to me.”

  Drew gave her an appreciative smile, and Aaron looked genuinely shocked.

  “A gentleman, hey? Well, I’m impressed, son. You might have picked up something from the old man after all.” He let out a strong belly laugh.

  “I’ve always known you were a gentleman, Drew,” Laura said, frowning at her husband.

  “Thanks, Mom.” Drew appeared thoroughly embarrassed.

  Clare came up to Jade’s side and hugged her from behind.

  “So, you’re Dream Guy, huh?” she said.

  “Ah, you’re the best friend.” Drew smiled and shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you. And I usually get my friends to call me Drew. I save Dream Guy for formal occasions.”

  Clare smirked. “Okay. I like you. My name’s Clare. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything?”

  “No, we were just talking about what a gentleman our son is,” Laura said.

  “I’ll say. A little too much of a gentleman if you ask me,” Clare said, winking at Jade.

  “What do you mean by that?” Aaron asked, looking interested.

  “Nothing. She means nothing. Clare, I think Stuart is trying to get your attention,” Jade said.

  That was a bold-faced lie. Stuart was quite happily devouring a bowl of pasta and wasn’t looking in their direction at all, but it was enough to get Clare to go back to her seat.

  “Fill me in later?” Drew asked, leaning over to whisper in Jade’s ear.

  She nodded and started to eat.

  “Can I get you anything else to drink?” a waitress asked.

  “I’ll have a gin and tonic,” Jade said.

  “Vodka on the rocks,” Drew said but, after a stern look from his father, changed his order. “Actually, make mine a Coke.” He frowned and shoveled food into his mouth.

  Jade squeezed his hand under the table and offered him a smile.

  Drew’s parents were friendly, even if Aaron was a bit boisterous. Jade didn’t really know how to take him, but she supposed when you were always the center of attention, you got used to playing that role. Laura was warm and chatty, and she seemed extremely excited to meet Jade.

  “Drew spends a lot of his time with girls like Tully. She’s a lovely girl, but her vision of reality is so skewed. I’m thrilled that he’s getting serious with someone who works for a living and pays her own way.” Laura beamed at her.

  Jade glanced over at Tully and found the blonde glaring at her again. She didn’t know what to make of it. She hadn’t had a chance to even speak with Tully yet. Perhaps she was also used to being the center of attention and didn’t like that everyone was talking about a nobody like Jade.

  “Drew!” Tully squealed, right on cue. She’d been knocking back the cocktails all night and was beginning to look quite disheveled.

  “Yes, Tully?” He sounded polite, but Jade could see that his eyes were tight.

  “Come and sit by me for a while. I’ve barely seen you all night.”

  “Not right now.” He turned to Jade and smiled. “Are you ready for your surprise?”

  “You mean you’re about to jump out of a cake wearing a dress?” she asked, smiling back.

  “You wish,” Drew said, smirking.

  It was surprising how comfortable she was with Drew and his family. They’d all made her feel so welcome. As Drew stood up and dug around in his suit pocket, Laura gave her a curious look, and Jade just shrugged her shoulders, unsure what was happening.

  Drew tapped his fork against his water glass. All the table chatter stopped, and heads turned in his direction.

  “Thanks for coming, everyone. I hope you’ve all enjoyed the food. Apologies to those of you I haven’t had a chance to speak with one on one, but I’ll try to mingle a bit more after the food is gone.” There was a round of chuckling from the table. “As you all know, we’re here to bring two families together. For my family and friends to meet Jade, and for Jade’s friends to meet me. It’s wonderful for both of us to see so many people we care about in one room.”

  He looked down at Jade, who nodded in agreement. She hadn’t realized Drew was such a good public speaker, but it was undeniable. Everyone around the room was hanging on every word that left his mouth.

  “But I’ve misled you all about the purpose of tonight.”

  People shifted in their chairs, and there was a murmur of confusion. Aaron began to stand up, but Laura placed her hand on his arm, calming him.

  “The reason we’re all here is more than what I’ve let on.” Drew turned to Jade and pushed his chair back out of the way.

  He dropped to one knee and fished into his jacket pocket.

  “Oh my God!” Clare gasped from the other end of the table.

  Jade wished she could look around to see if everyone else was as shocked as she was, but she couldn’t look away from Drew.

  “Jade, I know we’ve only known each other a few weeks, but they’ve been the best few weeks of my life. It might seem rushed to other people, but I believe that you know when you find the person you’re supposed to spend the rest of your life with, and for me, that’s you. I’m falling in love with you more every day, and I would be honored if you would be my wife.”

  Jade’s pulse thundered in her ears. The logical part of her brain told her to calm down. His words weren’t the truth. He was playing a part, reading a script. This was all part of their contract. He didn’t actually mean the words he was saying.

  “Will you marry me, Jade?”

  Gasps rung out around the room, and Jade was sure one of them had been from her. When Drew had said he had a surprise, she never would have guessed this. She’d thought when the time was right, they’d just start telling people they were engaged. She hadn’t expected a public proposal.

  “Yes…y-yes, I w-will,” she stuttered.

  He slipped a ring onto her finger and then stood, pulling her up into his arms and pressing his mouth to hers. She was aware of cheering and clapping, but she was lost in the kiss. This wasn’t like the practice kisses they’d had. This one felt real, even though she knew it wasn’t.

  “You should see your face,” Drew laughed softly into her ear.

  “That wasn’t fair. You should have warned me.”

  “And miss this priceless expression? No way.”

  The moment was broken by the sound of a scraping chair and a glass being knocked over.

  “Fuck this!” Tully slurred.

  Drew’s cousin shrieked as Tully’s martini spilled into her lap. Tully staggered between the tables, bumping into chairs, and then disappeared out onto the street.

  “Don’t let one jealous girl spoil your night,” Laura said as they sat down.

  Drew gave her a cheesy grin and squeezed Jade’s hand. “Don’t worry, Mom. Nothing can ruin tonight.”

  The ring felt hot on Jade’s finger, and it was heavier than she’d expected. She held her hand out, admiring the way the large diamond sparkled in the light.

  “It looks like several carats,” Laura said.

  “I wouldn’t know,” Jade admitted, staring in awe at the ring.

  “Don’t worry. You’ll get used to pretty things. Drew can be very generous, so I’m sure this won’t be the last bauble you get during your marriage.”

  Chapter Ten

  Paparazzi

  “OH MY GOD! Turn on TMZ right now!” Clare screamed into Jade’s ear through her cell
phone.

  Jade grabbed her remote control and flicked the stations until she saw a familiar face on the screen—hers.

  “What the hell?”

  She turned the volume up and sat down on the floor, feeling like she could listen better if her brain wasn’t concentrating on standing up.

  “…playboy Drew Malik, son of Aaron Malik, has asked a mystery girl to marry him. We got the scoop from Drew’s longtime friend and on-again-off-again girlfriend, Tully Whittaker.”

  The image changed to Tully, drunk and slurring, wearing the same dress she’d worn to dinner the night before. Tully looked into the camera and gave what she probably thought was a sexy smile.

  “It won’t last,” she said confidently. “The girl—I can’t even remember her name—isn’t his type at all. Trust me. This engagement isn’t even worth talking about.”

  Drew’s face, looking drunk and trying to hide from a camera, appeared on the screen as the reporter’s voice came over the top.

  “Does Tully know Drew well enough to think this is going to fizzle before it even starts, or should we be expecting celebrity wedding bells?”

  “Can you believe this? You’re practically famous!” Clare squealed.

  “They don’t know it’s me,” Jade reasoned. “Thanks for letting me know, Clare. I’ll call you later.”

  She hung up the phone and dialed Drew.

  “Hey, Ariel,” he said.

  “Have you seen the news?” she asked, not bothering with a greeting.

  “No. I’ve been at school training the kids. I only just got home. What’s going on? Is it the end of the world?”

  “It might be the end of my normal world. We’ve been found out.”

  “That didn’t take long,” Drew said, chuckling.

  “You think it’s funny? Tully was just on TMZ telling the world that I’m not your type and that our wedding will never go ahead.”

  Drew sighed. “Don’t worry about it. Half the things you see about me in the tabloids aren’t true. You’ll get used to it. Just try to ignore anything you hear. You and I know the truth, and that’s all that matters.”

  Jade felt the panic in her chest lessen, and she began to see the humor in the situation. “The funny thing is, though, that Tully was right. I’m not your type, and our marriage isn’t what you would normally want.”

  “I never said you weren’t my type.”

  “Oh, so, you’re highly attracted to women who have no direct career path, can’t pay their electricity bills, and often eat leftovers?”

  “I’m getting hot just thinking about it.”

  “You loser.”

  They both laughed. It was a shame they’d met under the circumstances they had, because they actually got along very well.

  Jade did as Drew asked and put the media out of her mind. No one knew who she was so her life wouldn’t be affected for a while yet. She’d just be more aware the next time she and Drew met up for a date to watch out for photographers.

  She didn’t have to wait long, though. Drew seemed eager to increase their dates and asked her out for dinner the following night.

  She peeked out her window and saw him pull up on the street. His car looked so out of place next to all the rusty cars that barely ran. It was nice for her to get to see him when he didn’t know she was watching. He had a bounce in his step as he walked up the driveway. He glanced at her window, and she quickly ducked behind the curtain, hoping he hadn’t seen her watching.

  She’d gone with a more casual approach tonight. He’d said he wanted them to have some fun together, so he was taking her to Six Flags. Jeans and a sweater were perfect attire for that.

  She pulled her front door open and saw Drew standing with his hand raised, ready to knock.

  “Good timing,” he said, smiling.

  “I might’ve seen you coming.”

  “I have a feeling I’m going to have to keep an eye on you. You’re sneaky.” He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss.

  She was caught off guard, not because she didn’t want to kiss him, but because they were in private.

  “Can I ask you something, Drew?”

  “Of course.”

  “Why did you just kiss me?”

  “It was a hello kiss. Is that okay?”

  “I guess I’m just feeling like the lines are blurred. I was under the impression that we only had to be intimate when in public.”

  Drew leaned away from her, his eyes pained. “Can we talk inside?”

  “Sure.” She stepped back into the apartment as he entered and then closed the door.

  They sat on the couch, and Drew reached for her hand. She let him hold it and waited for him to start talking.

  “I like you, Jade. I feel close to you in a way that I’ve never felt with another girl. For me, it’s always been about sex. I’ve never been in love, and if I’m being honest, I haven’t been looking for it.”

  Jade felt her body tense up.

  “Calm down,” he said, smiling. “I’m not saying I’m in love you with you. Just that I care about you. I haven’t had that with a girl before. I feel comfortable with you, and I enjoy touching you. It feels nice to just hold your hand or to kiss you. I’m sorry if it makes you uncomfortable.”

  Jade opened her mouth to speak, but Drew continued to talk.

  “When we met, we both signed an agreement to marry for money. And I’m still on board for that. I’ve just come to believe that maybe that’s not all we have to be. If feelings naturally develop between us, would that be so bad?”

  “It could get very messy.”

  “In what way?” His thumb was stroking the back of her hand in a hypnotizing rhythm.

  She pulled her hand from his. She needed to think clearly, and she couldn’t do that while he was touching her.

  “We’re contractually bound to break up in a year. If we let feelings develop, real feelings, we could end up getting hurt. This was a business agreement in the beginning, and I think it’s best if we keep it that way.”

  “If that’s what you want.” Drew stood and walked to the door. “Should we go?”

  The car ride out to Six Flags was tense. Jade didn’t know what to say, and Drew wasn’t offering any topics of conversation either. Apart from the music on the radio, they remained silent for the entire drive.

  “Time to put our relationship act on. I’m sorry, but I am going to have to touch you while we’re in the park.” Drew’s voice was harder than she’d ever heard it.

  “I know. That’s fine.”

  He frowned at her and then parked the car, turned it off, and got out, slamming the door more forcefully than was necessary. When he opened her door, his face was completely different. He wore a warm smile and took her hand, squeezing it as he pulled her from the low seats.

  They walked to the ticket gates, his arm firmly planted around her waist. He paid for them both to get in, and then they were submerged in a colorful swirl of chaos. The smell of hotdogs and popcorn was overwhelming, and the terrified screams of people on the roller coasters filled the air.

  “Which ride would you like to go on first, Ariel?” Drew asked.

  Jade looked up at the roller coasters, huge iron snakes curling through the sky. A conflicting mix of excitement and fear pulsed through her. She loved rollercoasters. “Any. I don’t mind.”

  A group of teenage girls caught her attention. They were clustered near a trash can whispering and pointing in their direction.

  “What’s their problem?” she asked.

  Drew looked over and waved at the girls. A round of hysterical giggles broke out, and they ran away.

  “That happens sometimes. They recognized me.” He shrugged his shoulders as if it were no big deal.

  “Does that happen often?” Jade scanned the passing faces and saw recognition on about half of them. One lady even had her cell phone out and was unashamedly taking photos of Drew.

  “Just ignore them. It only happens when I go to a high profile place like th
is. If I’m just walking down the street, it’s less common.”

  “Wait…Did you bring me here as a publicity stunt?”

  Drew’s smile dropped, and he cricked his neck, politely asking her to follow him. Jade trailed him to a less populated area where people weren’t as likely to overhear their conversation.

  “That wasn’t my main motivation, but I knew it was possible.”

  “You should have warned me. I would’ve put on more makeup.” She put her hands on her hips.

  “Please don’t raise your voice.” He looked over his shoulder to make sure people weren’t staring. “I’m sorry if I did the wrong thing. I thought it would be good for us to get this out in the open. The press knows about us now, so hiding is only going to make them go on a manhunt. If we give them opportunities to photograph us, they’ll lose interest.”

  “You still should have warned me, Drew.”

  “Hey, it’s not as if I called Entertainment Tonight and asked them to come down and spy on us. There was a chance I would be recognized, but I take that chance every time I leave the house.”

  Jade let out a long breath, letting her anger fade. “Right. Sorry. I’m just not used to being stared at.”

  “You’re photographed hundreds of times a day by strangers.”

  “That’s different,” Jade said, laughing. “They aren’t photographing me; they’re photographing Ariel.”

  “Well, you’re my Ariel.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Let’s just get this over with.”

  “Hey, try and have fun, okay? I chose Six Flags because I wanted us to enjoy our date.”

  “All right. Let’s flush our bodies with adrenalin and ignore everyone else.”

  “That’s my girl.” He grinned and led her back out into the crowd.

  His words echoed in her mind as they lined up for the Apocalypse. Was she really his girl? As much as she’d put up the hard front of not wanting to mix emotions into their contract, she couldn’t deny that, in her heart, she wanted to be his girl.

  That thought was terrifying because it would only end in hurt. He didn’t want to change his lifestyle. This act was purely to get his inheritance. Once he had his money, she’d be worthless to him and he’d walk away. She had to keep reminding herself of that and not get attached.