“It’s not up for discussion,” Harrison interrupted her. “We’re simply informing you.”
Penny cast him a worried glance and took several large gulps of her tea, draining the cup.
“I see.” Patrice smoothed her dress. “Anything else?”
“Trent’s taking over the firm. I’m moving to Las Vegas with Penny.” He had trouble making the last part come out. “I’m opening a restaurant.”
Patrice looked like she’d swallowed a mouthful of toilet water. “Of course you are. With no regard for the firm and what’s best for this family.”
“The firm is in good hands. And what’s best for my family…” He took Penny’s hand and squeezed it. “Is up to me and my wife.”
Patrice’s cheeks grew red and she looked like she would explode. “You will not disrespect—”
Penny shot up out of the seat. “He is not disrespecting you! Respect has to be earned. I can’t believe you would want Harrison to be stuck in a job that doesn’t offer him any happiness. He loves to cook, and he’s darn good at it. He told me what you did for Antonio, and I admire that. You did a great thing. But I can’t believe you would hide your relationship because of a perceived social status. So what if he’s a chauffeur? People will get over it, and you’ll be happy together. If you truly love him, you’d do what would make him happiest.”
Penny stopped talking and stood there, her eyes wide as if she hadn’t meant to say all that. Harrison stood up as well. “I think we’re probably done here.”
Patrice blinked and turned a darker shade of red. “I think we are.” She stood, turned on her heel, and left the room.
Harrison let out a breath. “Well, that went better than I expected.”
“I can’t believe I said that.” Penny covered her mouth with her hand.
He chuckled. “I’m proud of you. It needed saying.”
“I don’t know. It felt awfully good coming out, but I still probably shouldn’t have said it.”
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, the warmth of her skin sending his heartbeat into overdrive. “Even after all she’s done to you, you still care enough to say something. You are an amazing woman. I can’t begin to tell you how much you mean to me. You—”
She silenced him with a kiss.
Epilogue
Penny snuggled her back into Harrison’s chest as she stretched out on the couch. This was the time of day she loved the most. The right-before-bed lazy time where she and Harrison could sit and watch television together and be close. He wrapped his arms around her.
“How was your day?” His deep voice made her heart flutter.
“Busy, with the dental appointment and the promotional shoot for my show.” She still had trouble believing it. Her very own Las Vegas show, with her name on it. It was amazing. “How about you?”
He ran his fingers up her arm and tingles shot over her skin. “A little stressful. We got word that Phillip Irving was going to be in the restaurant today.”
She turned to look at him. “The food critic?”
“Yes. The staff got all worked up.”
“The staff did, huh?” She grinned.
He chuckled. “Okay, maybe I was a bit nervous, too.”
“Did he come in?”
“He must have. No one knows what he looks like, of course, but this appeared on his blog this evening.” Harrison handed her his phone and she scrolled through the article.
“Aw, he loved it! That’s so great, honey.” She twisted to give him a peck on the lips, which lingered and turned into a deeper kiss. Her pulse quickened as the kiss grew more passionate.
He pulled back and placed his forehead on hers. “I missed you today.”
She held in a smile. He told her that every day. “I missed you, too.”
“You know, if you quit your job, you could come work for me. You’d be an amazing bookkeeper. You wouldn’t need a calculator.”
“As if.” She playfully whacked him. “Like I’d give up a singing gig to do math all day.” She made a face.
He reached behind his back and pulled a piece of paper out. “This came today.”
She took it from him and stared at it. “A check? Holy cow, that’s a lot of money.”
“Trent says it’s back pay for all the time I worked at the firm without taking a draw.”
She whistled. “They must be doing well, then.”
“Trent pulled the company around. They’re seeing phenomenal numbers.” He began running his fingers up her arm again, and she giggled.
“You’re distracting me.”
“Good.” His breath tickled her ear.
“I bet Patrice is thrilled.”
“She is. But I actually think she’s more relieved that Antonio is finally cancer free.”
“I’m still shocked they got married.”
He chuckled. “Even a secret wedding is a step in the right direction, huh?”
She waved the check. “So what’re we going to do with the money?”
He took her hand and entwined his fingers with hers. “I don’t know. I thought maybe we could look for a bigger house.”
They’d been living in a small two bedroom home for a couple of years now. It was modest and affordable, and she’d thought they had plenty of room. “Why? We don’t need anything fancy.”
“I know. I just thought maybe it was time to think about expanding our family.” He placed his warm hand on her belly.
They’d talked about having kids a few times, but Harrison had always wanted to wait until his restaurant was more established. An excited flutter went through her. “Now?”
He grinned that sexy smile of his. “Yes. I think it’s time.”
She squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him again. She’d wanted to start a family right away. She felt strongly that having children was important. And now that his restaurant was doing well and her singing career was stable, they could juggle her show schedule to make it work. “That’s great news.”
“In fact.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “We should probably get started on that right away.”
She laughed. “Oh, you think so?”
“I do.” He kissed her again, and she ran her fingers up through his hair. He silenced the television and then reached over and clicked off the Elvis lamp, bathing the room in darkness.
Funny how the biggest mistake of her life turned out to be the best thing that ever could have happened to her.
The End
Volume Four
Blissfully Married
Blissfully Married
Chapter 1
Sidney’s fingers flew across the computer keys as she held her breath and tried not to get her hopes up. A woman in her thirties sat in the chair opposite her desk, fidgeting with her acrylic nails. The late afternoon sun poured in the windows that faced the street.
Sidney smiled to put her potential client at ease. “Don’t be nervous, Monica. I just have a few questions to ask.”
Monica pasted on a weak smile. “That’s fine. I’m just not used to doing anything like this. But Mia said you were the best, and I—well, I haven’t had great luck picking out men to date.” She twirled a strand of her dark hair.
“Most women who come in here are in the same boat. They want a committed relationship with a man who isn’t…” She tried to think of a word that wasn’t a put down.
“Weird?” Monica finished for her.
Sidney laughed. “I can understand why you’d say that.” She straightened her suit jacket.
“I don’t know what it is. I can’t seem to meet a normal guy.” Monica sighed. “I guess I attract the strange ones.”
Sidney shook her head. “It’s not you. Many women feel the exact same way. Here at Blissfully Matched, we take your dating seriously.”
Monica looked up. “We?”
Sidney swallowed. Why had she said that? Now she had to admit the truth. “Well, it’s just me right now. But I’m very dedicated to finding a
match for each one of my clients.”
“How many clients have you successfully matched?”
“Six.”
Monica blinked, and disappointment flitted into her eyes. “Only six?”
“Yes, well, that represents an eighty-five percent success rate.” She wished she didn’t have to count her sister, who had hired her to find Mr. Right but in reality just wanted more guys to string along.
The excitement seemed to drain out of Monica, like someone had pulled a plug. “I see.” Her gaze flickered to Sidney’s ring finger. “And what about you?”
And there it was. Her cheeks heated and she placed her hands on her lap under the desk. Maybe it was best to play dumb. “Me?”
Monica frowned. “Have you found your perfect match?”
Oh boy. This was where things always went downhill. Was it impolite to say, ‘None of your business?’ Sidney bit her bottom lip to keep the words from tumbling out. Instead, she shook her head.
Sidney’s potential client was quickly becoming her lost client as Monica’s frown deepened. “I see,” she repeated. “And how much do you charge?”
This was not going well at all. She was supposed to talk up the service, get the client excited about it, build up confidence in her abilities, and then reveal her price structure. But she couldn’t ignore a direct question. “You get up to ten matches for a thousand dollars.”
Monica’s eyes bulged and she stood. “Well, I’ll need time to think about it.” Before the words were out, she was half-way to the door.
“Of course,” Sidney called as she watched the woman bolt through the door and head down the street.
Great. Now how was she going to pay the rent? The business location she’d picked was perfect, right on the downtown strip with street parking outside her window. Lots of foot traffic. But the rent was tough to swallow. With a sigh, she closed the new client account she had started.
She was in trouble. And based on the report she’d run this morning, if she didn’t land a client soon, she’d be kicked to the curb.
The door swished open again and her best friend strode in. Mia always looked like she was about to step out on a runway. Today she sported thigh high boots and a mini skirt. The getup would look ridiculous on Sidney, but somehow Mia pulled it off.
“Hey, girlfriend. How’s business?” Mia took off her huge sunglasses and slid them into her clutch before plopping into the recently vacated client chair.
Sidney leaned back and let out a sigh. “Not good.”
“What? I sent you three customers this week. Didn’t any of them come in?”
“Yes.” Sidney pressed her lips together and blinked away the moisture gathering behind her eyelids.
Mia softened. “What’s wrong? They didn’t hire you?”
“No.” She looked down at the carpet. “I lost them when they found out I was single.”
A deep frown crossed Mia’s features. “What have I been telling you? You’re the best matchmaker I know. Why don’t you use those skills of yours to find yourself a man?”
Sidney fought the urge to snort. She was twenty-six. It wasn’t like she was an old maid. “I don’t need a man in order to succeed.”
Mia rolled her eyes. “I’m not saying that, and you know it. You’re smart. And funny. Men like you, but you push them all away. Maybe you should take your own advice once in a while.”
A hollow feeling squeezed into Sidney’s chest. The last thing she needed was another disastrous relationship. She’d sworn off men after the last one, Asher. Too good-looking for his own good. She’d thought they were on the road to engagement…a house in the suburbs…maybe two point five kids. Turns out he was on the road to Patty Mason. Her life had been a string of bad experiences with men, and she was through with it. “I’m fine on my own.”
Mia gave her a pitying look. “Don’t you think your customers would have more confidence in you if you had your own perfect match?”
She sighed. “Probably. But it’s not fair.” Having her own relationship had nothing to do with her ability to help others. But if no one would give her a chance, she might as well go back to waitressing. The hours stunk and it made her feet hurt, but what else could she do? She stared out the window. “I don’t think I can do it. My heart can’t take another horrible relationship.”
A weird look came over Mia’s face. “My Aunt Sylvia!”
Sidney stared at her friend and wondered about her mental state. “What?”
Mia hopped out of her chair. “Ha, I don’t know why we haven’t thought of it before. After her divorce, Aunt Sylvia couldn’t go out without being hit on, so she decided to wear her wedding ring around. It worked. She could go out for the night and have no problems.”
“Um…Okay.”
“Don’t you get it? You need a fake fiancé. A photo of a guy to put on your desk. A fake engagement ring on your finger. Then people won’t hesitate to hire you.” Mia fluttered around the room like a little kid on a sugar high.
Sidney stood and rounded her desk, grasping Mia’s arms. “Settle down. I can’t lie to people. You’re insane.”
Mia grew serious. “Are you good at what you do?”
The question threw her off, and Sidney blinked. She was good at matchmaking. She loved searching for that perfect date for a client. She knew how to run background checks and what questions to ask to get to the heart of someone. And the thrill of seeing their eyes light up when they met was like nothing else. “Yeah, I am.”
“And do you want to see your business die?”
A heaviness settled in her stomach. “No.”
“Then isn’t it better to give the appearance of success to your potential customers? It’s like dressing for the right occasion. You’re just adding a man as an accessory.”
Sidney drew in a breath and let it out slowly. Maybe Mia was right. Maybe it wasn’t like lying as much as it was having the right appearance. Like buying a nice pair of shoes. Only it was a man on her arm.
The look on her face must have told Mia she was considering it, because Mia pressed on. “If I find someone willing to play the part, will you at least think about it?”
Sidney laughed. “I can’t believe I’m even talking to you about this.”
“It’s a good idea. You won’t have to do much. Take some photos together and have one on your desk. You won’t even have to really go out.”
The insane idea might work. If she had a photo, and maybe a fake engagement ring, potential clients would probably not even ask about her relationship status. They’d just assume.
Mia pulled out her phone. “My brother’s not busy today. Let me call him over.”
“What? Now?”
Mia gave her that pitying look she always had when she thought Sidney was being too cautious and deliberate. “Yes, now. Look, if you change your mind, you don’t have to keep the photos.”
Before Sidney knew it, Ted had pulled into a parking spot and gotten out of his smart car. He was the total opposite of Mia. A computer tech, Ted embodied nerd like Shaquille O'Neal embodied athlete. He wore glasses and a button-up shirt, and every move he made was calculated. But he had a kryptonite, and that was Mia. When she said jump, he asked how high.
The door dinged as he walked in. He gave Sidney a sheepish smile. “Hey.”
Sidney stood up from her computer chair. “Sorry to drag you over here.”
“No problem.” He pushed his glasses up with his index finger and rocked back on his heels. “I don’t mind.”
Mia grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the wall. “Come over here, Sidney. We’ll take the photos where there’s good light.”
Mia pushed them together and made Ted put his arm around her. “Smile like you’re in love.”
Could she do anything more embarrassing? Sidney ignored the heat assaulting her cheeks and smiled so they could get this over with. After several poses and about a hundred clicks, Mia pronounced them done. She waved her phone. “I’ll go get a few of these printed up.
”
Sidney faced Ted. “Thanks for doing this.”
He ducked his head. “Sure.” He stuffed his fists in his pockets. “See ya around.”
After they left, Sidney sank into her chair and put her head on her desk, a feeling of dread sinking in. It had seemed like a good idea twenty minutes ago. Not so much anymore.
She forced herself to sit up and take in a cleansing breath. This was not a new low for her. It was a positive step in a proactive direction. Nice pair of shoes. That’s all this was. She clicked to open a browser on her computer. Now all she needed to do was get a new customer.
Sidney spent an hour working her social media contacts and doing some soft advertising. When the door dinged and Mia waltzed back in, she was in a better mood. “Hey,” Sidney said without looking up.
“Hey yourself. Look what I’ve got.” Mia shoved a framed photo in front of Sidney’s face.
The image of her and Ted smiling at each other actually looked good. Believable even. “Not bad.”
Mia set the photo on her desk pointing toward the client’s chair. She adjusted it a little, then smiled. “There. You’re now in a happy relationship.”
She grabbed Sidney’s hand and slid a diamond ring on her finger. “And now you’re happily engaged.”
Sidney stared at the diamond on her hand. “Is this real? Where did you get this?”
Mia clapped her hands and bounced on her toes. “Isn’t it perfect? It’s totally fake but no one will know. It sparkles just like the real thing.”
“How did you know my size?”
Mia laughed and raised an eyebrow. “Girl, we’ve been shopping together long enough. Don’t you think I pay attention?”
Sidney stared down at the sparkling piece of jewelry. Another sense of dread settled in her gut, but she pushed it away. It was only a ring. And she didn’t have to do anything else. Just wear it at work. That was it.
A Fake Marriage Romance Collection Page 50