A Fake Marriage Romance Collection

by Victorine E. Lieske

  “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…

  He stopped his swing and hopped off, the realization hitting him. He started across the sand toward the bench. He couldn’t feel like this toward Sidney. It wasn’t right. He could not be attracted to an engaged woman.

  Sidney called out to him. “You giving up?”

  “Yep,” he said without turning around.

  She bounded off the swing and jogged over to him. “I guess you admit defeat.” She was smiling and trying to catch her breath, and he forced himself to look away.

  “Yes. You beat me.” He sat down on the bench, as close to the edge as he could get.

  She joined him and gave him a sideways look but didn’t say anything.

  “Are you done with your questions?”

  “Nope.” She flipped to a new page and poised her pen. “What are you most passionate about?”

  “My career. But that’s a terrible thing to say on a dating questionnaire.”

  “You’re right. Let’s explore your answer.” She squinted at him. “Why are you passionate about your career?”

  He stared at the grass. “I want to help people. If I can make them healthy, and prolong life, I’ve not only helped them, I’ve done something for their whole family.”

  Sidney spoke as she wrote. “Saving lives.”

  He wrinkled his nose. “That sounds cheesy. I’m not superman.”

  “But that’s what you love about being a doctor.”

  “I’m just a general practitioner. I’m not a brain surgeon.”

  �
�All right.” She scribbled out the words on her pad and started writing again. “Helping people live healthier lives.”

  Blake slowly nodded. “I guess that’s right.”

  “Okay. Just one more. What is your most important goal in life?”

  He looked out at the setting sun. “I could say all kinds of things, like having a family, or being financially stable, but I think my most important goal is to live my life with no regrets.”

  She wrote on the paper. “That’s a good one. Okay, we’re all done.”

  Relief washed over him. Now he could take Sidney home and stop feeling guilty for the way he was starting to look at her.

  Maybe she would find him a match soon, and he could get Sidney out of his head.

  Chapter 6

  Sidney typed away at her keyboard, putting in the information she’d gathered the previous night. Blake was looking really good on paper. Too good. She had a ton of women in her database who would love to go out with him, and about a hundred of them matched up closely. The last part was finding someone with whom he’d have chemistry. He’d be in a solid relationship within a month.

  So why didn’t that make her happy?

  She sighed and pushed away from the computer. Blake had waltzed back into her life yesterday, and her school-girl crush had picked up exactly where it left off—with her drooling and tripping all over herself when he was around. Why couldn’t she get over that? What was wrong with her?

  She needed to get him out of her head. If she matched him up quickly, she could push all thoughts of him away and move on. It was the only way to be rid of him for good. She clicked on the icon and scrolled through the matches the computer found.

  Hannah Parsons. Too perky. She’d drive him nuts. Emma Thatcher. Too short. They’d look weird together. Chloe Michaels. Now there was a possibility. Chloe was cute, but not too pretty. She was nice but not too sweet. And she liked classic rock music, and outdoor sports.

  A sick feeling overcame Sidney. Chloe was perfect for Blake. She should make the call. Why was she hesitating?

  She picked up the phone and stared at the buttons. One call. That’s all she had to do. Taking a deep breath, she plunged ahead, punching in the number. Chloe answered on the third ring.

  “Hey, Sidney, what’s up? I haven’t talked with you in forever.”

  “I know. This being an adult thing sure gets in the way of our fun.”

  Chloe laughed. “So, what’s up?”

  “I have a client looking for a relationship. I think he’s a potential match for you.”

  “Ooh, what’s he like?” Chloe’s voice dripped with curiosity.

  “He’s athletic. An outdoorsy type. And he’s got a good heart.” Even though he’s moody sometimes, she bit back, thinking of the way he’d hopped off the swing after she beat him.

  “What does he do for a living?”

  And this would seal the deal. “He’s a doctor.”

  Chloe sucked in a breath. “Are you kidding me? Why isn’t he already married? Is there something wrong with him?”

  No. He’s perfect. Sidney shook those thoughts away. “He’s divorced. I don’t know the details of the split, but I’ve known him for years. He’s a good guy.”

  “Great!” Chloe sounded excited. “I’d love to meet him.”

  “Wonderful. Let me know your schedule and I’ll set it up.”

  After she hung up, Sidney sat back in her chair and exhaled. There. She’d done it. Now Blake would be off the market and she could force herself to forget about him. Again.

  Blake was surprised when he checked his phone and saw a message from Sidney. She’d already found him a match? Wow. She was fast. He set his lunch down on a table in the break room and punched in her number. “Hey, it’s Blake.”

  She hesitated. “Hi.”

  She didn’t say anything else, so he went ahead. “You said in your message that you found a match for me.”

  “Yes! Sorry, brain isn’t working right now. I do have someone who would like to meet you. When are you free?”

  “I’m free tonight.”

  Sidney mumbled something he couldn’t quite hear. The phone rustled and then she came on. “Okay. I’ll call Chloe. Anywhere in particular you’d like to meet?”

  “Alfredo’s.”

  “Oh, brother,” she mumbled.

  “What?”

  “I said, ‘That’s perfect.’”

  “No, you didn’t. Do you have a problem with me taking her to Alfredo’s?” He opened his milk carton and took a swig.

  “It’s…just a little cliché, right? Taking a woman to a fine Italian restaurant. It seems a bit…”

  “Too romantic? Should we start out a little less formal? I don’t want to seem overly eager.”

  “Yes. Somewhere casual is good.”

  He raked his brain to come up with some place that would work. “What about the mom and pop café over by Ben Franklin’s? What’s it called, The White Lilly?”

  “That’s fine. I’ll give her a call. I’ll text you if it works out.”

  Blake hung up the phone, and a light nervousness shot through him. Tonight he would go on his first date since the divorce. He had to remind himself that not all women were like Melody.

  Oh, things had been great, at first. Weren’t they always great in the beginning? Melody had seemed like the perfect woman. Unfortunately, he’d found out the truth about her. He took a bite out of his apple, pushing thoughts of his ex-wife out of his head. It would do no good thinking of her.

  After work, Blake ran home to shower and get ready for his date. They were meeting at the café, taking some of the pressure off. Just a casual meet and greet. If he liked her, he could set up another date. If not, there wasn’t even the awkward ‘take her home’ moment.

  Blake arrived at The White Lilly ten minutes early, but when he mentioned he was waiting for his date, the greeter motioned to a woman sitting alone by the window. “I think your date is already here.”

  He took in her appearance before approaching. Her blonde hair was shoulder-length, and she wore casual clothes. Nice figure. Small frame. Light makeup, which was always a plus. Heavy makeup screamed ‘high maintenance’ to him.

  Blake walked over to the table. “Chloe?”

  She stood and stretched out her hand. “Hi, you must be Blake.” Her smile widened as her gaze traveled over him.

  They shook hands and he sat down across from her. An awkward silence stretched for a few seconds, so Blake blurted the first thing that came to mind. “You look nice.”

  “Thank you.” She tugged at her collar. “I’m…a little nervous.” She giggled. “I don’t usually do this kind of thing, but when Sidney put a call out for singles, well, I decided it wouldn’t hurt to put my information in her computer.”

  “So you know Sidney?”

  Chloe nodded. “Yes, we had a class together in college, and we’ve been friends ever since. Nice girl. Unlucky in love, though.” She clicked her tongue against her teeth.

  He cocked his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

  “Oh, you know, that whole Asher debacle. What a jerk.”

  The waitress interrupted them, handing them menus and taking their drink orders. After she left, his curiosity was too high to ignore. “What happened with Asher?”

  Chloe’s eyes widened in surprise. “You don’t know? I thought Sidney said you guys were old friends.”

  “We are. I used to live up the street when we were kids, and was best friends with her brother. But I haven’t seen her for years.”

  “Oh, well, Asher was her boyfriend. Looked like it was getting serious, too. He took her to a fancy restaurant for Valentine’s Day and she thought he was going to propose. But instead, she found out he was cheating on her.” Chloe flipped her hair over her shoulder.

  Blake gaped. “He took her to a fancy restaurant to tell her about the other woman?”

  “No. Sidney found out he had another date lined up for later that evening.”
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br />   He winced. “Ouch.”

  “Yeah. Swore off men for good after that.”

  “You mean, until she met Ted.”

  Chloe’s eyebrows pulled together in confusion. “Ted?”

  “Her fiancé.”

  She slapped the table making a loud banging noise. “Get out! Sidney’s engaged?”

  He chuckled. “Yeah.”

  “When is she getting married?”

  Blake hadn’t asked. That was probably something important he should know. “I don’t know.”

  “Ted…wait, isn’t that Mia’s brother?” Chloe picked up her water and took a sip.

  He wasn’t sure, so he shrugged. “Dark hair, glasses. Kind of skinny.”

  “Yes! That’s Mia’s older brother. Why didn’t she tell me?” Before Blake had a chance to say anything, Chloe went on. “I guess I’ve been busy with work. We haven’t really talked in ages. I’m going to have to call her.”

  This was bad. He’d been so curious, he’d let the conversation wander over to gossiping about Sidney. He should be getting to know his date. He cleared his throat. “So, Chloe, tell me about yourself. What kinds of things do you like to do?”

  “I love tennis and golf. And I played football in high school. They let me on the boy’s team. Actually,” she said, leaning forward. “I kind of made a stink until they agreed.”

  Blake blinked. “Football?” He tried to reconcile the small woman in front of him with an image of a linebacker, and couldn’t.

  She laughed. “I know, everyone looks at me that way. But I was fast on the field and hard to tackle. And I loved it.”

  He chuckled. He liked her tenacity. “What about sky diving?”

  She shook her head. “Oh, no. I’m afraid of heights.”

  A small disappointment sank in him, and he mentally crossed that off his list. No matter. The perfect woman didn’t have to share all of his passions. “What do you do for a living?”

  “I’m a dental assistant. I spend my day with my hands in people’s mouths.” She laughed.

  “Well, I’m a general practitioner. My hands end up in all kinds of places you don’t want to know about.”