by J. P. Comeau
I started to giggle. The answer to my problem had just appeared right before my eyes. “I’ve got it, Annie. Gavin. I’ll talk to Gavin about being my—“
“Fake groom?” She clapped her hands. “No harm in asking.”
Me: Sounds great. I have something to ask you.
Gavin: What?
Me: Talk this evening. What time?
Gavin: 6:00. You have me on pins and needles.
14
_____
GAVIN
I was so excited when Crystal agreed to go out for lunch. Our date had gone quite well, and I found myself wanting to invite her back to my place for dinner. When she had replied to my text so quickly, I smiled to myself. She was as eager to see me as I was to see her.
The doorbell rang right as I was portioning out our dessert that I had fixed a head of time. I knew that Crystal was super healthy and rarely ate desserts, but it was often tiramisu when she did.
I opened the door and could immediately tell that something was bothering her. “Is everything okay, Crystal? You look stressed out. What’s on your mind?”
She shrugged, but I knew something was up. Crystal had always been a carefree person, so when she was upset, it showed.
After kissing me on the cheek, I closed the door behind her. “Thank you for inviting me over this evening.”
“Sure, are you ready to help me cook?”
She nodded, and we walked hand in hand back to my kitchen, where I had left the two plates of tiramisu. “This was supposed to be my after dinner surprise.”
Crystal’s reaction surprised me, when she only glanced briefly at the dessert I knew was her favorite and said, “Would you mind if we sat in the garden? It’s such a beautiful night out, and I could use some fresh air.”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea.”
I wanted to ask her what she was referring too in her text, but I decided to let her bring it up.
As we sat out in the garden, underneath the stars, it reminded me of the first time we made love out here. Since that night, we had several repeat performances when both of us had nowhere to be the following morning. We’d sleep in together, and then I’d bring her breakfast on a tray. I loved the way she looked first thing in the morning, too. Her gorgeous red hair was always messy in an adorable way, and when she smiled, her eyes lit up.
I was falling in love with her.
Crystal looked around the garden. “We’ve made a lot of memories out here, haven’t we Gavin?”
“Yep, and I plan on us making even more?”
“Me too. Hey…” she turned around and glanced over her shoulder toward the kitchen. “Would you mind if we eat dessert before the main meal? I’m starving.”
I ran back inside and returned with our two plates.
Crystal moaned seductively when she took the first bite. “It’s delicious. I can’t believe you remembered that it was my favorite dessert!”
“I have an impeccable memory.”
She flirtatiously licked her spoon. “What else do you remember about me?”
“Let’s see. You only drink Italian roast coffee with a touch of cream, your favorite color is pink, and you want to have a holistic medical practice one day.”
“I’m impressed, although I’ve been known to settle for breakfast blend on occasion.”
Since she still seemed a bit distant, I decided to change the topic. “Remember how I was telling you about work earlier? Well, on my way home, Mr. Truman texted me. He wants me to take on three more projects this month, which is only two more weeks. I’d do anything for that family, and the money is great, but I cannot wait to take a vacation.”
“That’s a lot of business deals to close in only a few weeks. Do you think you can do it?”
I wanted to tell her no, that Mr. Truman was starting to push me a little too hard, but I was afraid it would get back to him. I didn’t want to disappoint. Actually, in the past, I would have relished the opportunity. But now that Crystal and I were dating, I was becoming less focused on my work.
“It means longer workdays, but he said it wouldn’t be as heavy of a workload in the upcoming months. Some prime properties came up for sale, and they’re practically giving them away, so he wants me to talk them down even lower.”
Discussing business deals seemed to always bother Crystal. “That seems a bit cheap to me. If they’re so low, why bother pushing the sellers even farther?”
I agreed with her, but again, I didn’t want it to get back to Mr. Truman. “That’s business. Make as much money as possible while spending as little as possible.”
“I guess so. That’s just the hippie in me coming out. My mom hated to see some people suffer while others had everything handed to them on a silver plate. Not that I think that’s your case, Gavin. I see how hard you work. The Truman’s, however, have plenty of money.”
“Anyway, I’ll be working upwards of sixteen hours a day, which I’m not looking forward to.”
“You do work hard, Gavin. Maybe you should look into taking some time off. My mother always told me about the importance of good mental health.”
I put my plate down and took a sip of my coffee. “It’s funny you should mention taking a vacation because I do have some time coming up. I was thinking about going away, preferably overseas. It’s not that I don’t enjoy visiting different parts of the United States, but I love soaking up other cultures.”
Crystal’s body seemed to tense up a bit. “Oh, um, what country did you have in mind?”
“I hadn’t thought of one yet. China and India were a lot of fun, but I was thinking maybe in Italy this time. I haven’t been there in years. If you think this tiramisu is good, then you have to try it in Italy. There are a few cafes that I can’t wait to visit again. Speaking of which, I’d love for you to join me. If you’re interested, of course. I know you mentioned how busy Annie—“
“How about Moldova?”
I wasn’t expecting her to interrupt me with such an odd suggestion, especially since I was talking about eating tiramisu in Italy. “Moldova? Well, I hear it’s a beautiful country. Have you been there before?”
Crystal put her plate down and drew in a deep breath. “Alright, here it goes. This is what I was texting about. Remember how I told you about my mother’s estate—all of the legal problems that I’ve been having getting it settled?”
“Of course. You mentioned getting an inheritance, but it’s been tied up with the lawyers.”
“My attorney called me this afternoon, right after I got home from our lunch. They finally got everything settled, but the stipulation is that I have to be married before I can receive the money.”
Now it was my turn to put my plate down. “Oh, shit! What does that have to do with Moldova, though?”
“That’s where my uncle-who left me this money-lived. I have to appear before a Moldovan judge with my husband, and once they see the marriage certificate, they’ll release the funds.” Crystal looked away for a moment before turning to face me. “And I can’t believe that I’m asking this of you… but would you be my fake…my fake husband? You know, play like we’re married.”
I tried to hide my shock by slowly setting my coffee mug on the table beside us. I didn’t want to give Crystal the wrong impression, and I wasn’t sure how my surprise expression would be interpreted. So, I took my time before answering. “I see now. This is a very unusual circumstance. I’ll have to admit, this is definitely unexpected.”
She cleared her throat and furrowed her brow as her hands began to shake. “Yes, and I feel awful even asking you to do something that is illegal. I’d much rather not have any inheritance at this point, but my finances say otherwise. If you don’t want to do it, I completely understand.”
Crystal stood and took a few steps away. “I’m sure I can find someone else to pretend to be my husband. I mean…you know… pay him, of course. I promise, Gavin. I promise…I’d…I’d pay with dollars.” She turned around and stepped closer, wrapping her arm
s around herself. “I can’t believe how embarrassing this is. I mean, you were the first one that came to mind. So, please don’t feel like you have to do this for me.” She started to shake all over. “If…if you came to me with something as crazy as this, I’d definitely be freaking out!”
I held up my hands and smiled. “Relax, Crystal. You have no reason to be upset or nervous about asking me to do this, alright?”
Now, Crystal was pacing back and forth and refused to look me in the eyes. “Oh, Gavin, this is all too much. Please just forget I mentioned it. If I can’t abide by my uncle’s wishes, then it wasn’t meant to be. My mind has been all scattered, and I’m not thinking straight. I even got Annie to go with me to my mother’s house to get clarity. That’s where I was when I got your text. So when I saw your name on the screen, I thought it was some kind of sign from my mother.”
I was aware that Crystal had made it a point not to go inside of that house after she had cleaned it out. And I knew she was struggling to come to terms with more than just her mom’s passing. “You went back to the house? That must have been so hard for you. I remember that it even upset you a little when we drove down that street when I was teaching you how to drive the Lamborghini.”
Crystal sniffed, bravely trying to hold back the tears. I walked over and wrapped my arms around her, desperately wanting to shield her from the pain. It wasn’t fair that she had to go through so many hoops just to collect some money that was rightfully hers.
She tugged at my hand and headed for the house. “Gavin, I feel dizzy. I think I need to go home. Please, just forget we even had this conversation. I’m…I’m sorry. I don’t feel like cooking dinner right now. This is just such a terrible mess.”
I pulled her close and chuckled, “I wouldn’t have been with you for this long if I thought that you were some criminal… silly.”
She turned around and buried her face in my chest, sobbing.
“I know, but we’re talking about convincing a judge that we’re husband and wife. We would have to make up a fake marriage certificate, and whatever other documents go with being married. God, I wouldn’t even know where to start with all of this stuff!”
“You have nothing to worry about, Crystal. I’d love to be your fake husband, and I’m sure that I can figure out how to create fake marriage documents. I work for the Truman’s, you know.”
Crystal pulled away while shaking her head. “Oh, God, no! I don’t want the Truman’s to know that we’re doing something illegal!”
“Are you kidding me? They know how to get around plenty of international laws. Besides, they’re practically family and love seeing us together.”
“And…and…I love all of them two. Are you sure, Gavin? You won’t regret this later if something goes wrong?”
“No regrets and nothing is going to go wrong.” I lifted her chin and kissed her softly. “Just give me two weeks to get everything that we need, and then we’ll leave for Moldova. I’ll take care of it, alright? Do you have a passport?”
Crystal nodded as tears streamed down her face.
“That will have to be fixed too. Your new name will be Crystal Tillery.”
“Crystal Ann Tillery...” she corrected me, with a shy smile, “and thank you, Gavin Tillery. I don’t know what else to say.”
I wrapped my arms around her yet again. “You don’t have to say anything, sweetie. I care so much about you, and it’s not that big of a deal. This stipulation has to do with an old school, barbaric law that should never have even existed. It’s ludicrous that you have to do this in the first place. Trust me; you’re going to be fine. Now, can we at least finish our dessert?”
We sat down and picked up our forks. Crystal looked as though the world had been lifted off of her shoulders, but she was still a bit pale.
After we were done with the tiramisu, she gave me a quick kiss, grabbed her purse and headed for the front door. “Thank you again, Gavin. Having you help with this means the world to me.”
“Hold it! You’re still pale. You need to go get in my bed and get some rest. I have some work to do; then I’ll be in later. Don’t worry. I’ll wake you up in time for a bite of breakfast together before you have to head home and get ready for your day.”
She nodded, and let me lead her toward my bedroom. After giving her a peck on the cheek, I quietly closed the door behind me, careful not to let myself linger too long. Having Crystal curled up in my bed was definitely a temptation, but I had work to do.
After cleaning up the kitchen, I pulled up some contacts on my phone and sent off a few text messages. I had made numerous legal connections over the years while working for the Truman’s. If everything went according to plan, we could easily convince a Moldovan judge that we were married. Richard had taught me quite a bit about international law, and faking a marriage certificate should be relatively easy.
The only tricky part would be getting Crystal to convince the court that we were actually married. Lying, or faking it, as it was called in this situation, wouldn’t come easy for my gal. Crystal wore her emotions on her sleeve, so to speak.
As I was receiving information from a few contacts about what paperwork would be needed, I thought about how much fun it was going to be playing house with Crystal in Moldova. I had never been so smitten with anyone before. Every morning I woke up thinking about her, and every night I dreamt about her. Living together might not be the same, though. So I was eager to see if we had enough chemistry between us to make this work for the long-term.
Regardless of what happened, I would always be there for Crystal — that was certain.
15
_____
CRYSTAL
TWO WEEKS LATER
I couldn’t believe how easily our scandalous adventure was coming together. Gavin had spent the past few weeks getting all of the legal documents in order, or as legitimate as they could be. The only item I had to provide was a new passport photo, which was easy enough. All I had to do was have one taken at the drugstore not far from Annie’s studio.
Honestly, I felt it was best not to ask Gavin too many questions. He was a smart man with many legal connections, and I trusted him to get me through this mess without going to jail. If everything went as planned, then I’d have ten million dollars to my name in just a few short weeks.
I spent the morning nervously packing my bags. The trip was to convince a Moldovan judge that Gavin and I were married, but he had suggested we do some fun sightseeing while we were in Europe. Of course, I agreed.
Gavin glanced down at my shaky hands as I put another outfit into a suitcase. “Honey, there’s no reason to be this nervous. Everything is taken care of, and no matter what, we’re going to have a good time. Both of us need to get away for a while.”
I sat on the bed and glanced over my checklist one more time. “Gavin, make sure we have the fake marriage certificate and every document we could possibly need. I’m sorry. It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just —“
“Everything will be alright, Crystal.” He kissed the top of my head.
“Something tells me this is a one-shot opportunity, and hopefully, we will make it back to River Valley without getting caught.”
“I have every document that we could need to prove we are married, dear.”
“But not too much documentation, because then it would be obvious that we’re trying to fake a marriage. Wouldn’t you agree? What if the judge doesn’t believe a single word that we say?”
Gavin pulled out his wallet and smirked. “No worries. Look, I even got you an identification card that indicates your legal name is Crystal Ann Tillery. So if we’re in front of the judge, and they need further proof, we’re covered.”
“Thanks, but I can’t help but be a bit worried. Lying is something I’m not used to doing.”
I sat on the bed and watched my hands shake uncontrollably. Gavin reached down and grabbed them. “For someone who’s into holistic medicine and yoga, you need to learn how to chill and br
eathe.”
My hands instantly stopped shaking, and I smiled up at him. “I remember that was something my mother used to say when I got nervous.” Throughout this entire process, it felt as though she had been sending me signs from above that I was on the right path.
The rest of the afternoon, Gavin and I ran a few last-minute errands and finished packing. Then, later on that evening, we headed to Richard’s mansion for a going away party.
That’s what they told us it would be, but when we arrived, there was a big banner in the living room that said “Happily Unmarried." In addition to Richard, Annie, Jake, and Julianna, Mr. and Mrs. Truman were also there to send us off with good wishes. I was still unsure about the whole plan, but seeing everyone there for us made me feel a little more at ease.
Richard and Annie had our favorite Italian restaurant cater to the entire party, and he also gave us some suggestions for what to do while in Moldova.
“Make sure you try some of the local food. Don’t go to American restaurants just because it’s familiar. They have amazing dishes, like Moldovan pie and their version of chicken noodle soup that I know you two will love,” Richard told us.
He piqued my curiosity. “What’s in a Moldovan pie?”
“They make them with all different kinds of ingredients, such as cheese, dill, and even sweet versions. What makes them so good, though, is their flakey crust. Trust me; you guys will love it.”
Gavin nodded while eating his plate of lasagna. “I love to eat; that’s for damn sure.”
I giggled. “No kidding.”
Then I watched Mr. and Mrs. Truman talking with each other in the kitchen. She was helping him fill up his plate with food, and I thought it was the cutest thing in the world. Although I had heard stories from Annie and Gavin that Mr. And Mrs. Truman often fought like cats and dogs, I had never witnessed it. It seemed to me they always took care of each other, like earlier when she stubbed her toe, and Mr. Truman asked if she was okay and rubbed her foot. I was beginning to understand what married life was really all about.