The Billionaire's Fake Fiancee - Lauren Wood Page 0,10
to be around as a hive full of angry bees.
“Relax,” I told her. “I promise you I’ll be very convincing. I don’t like to sign up for things I know I’ll fail at.”
“Makes sense why you don’t bother with relationships then,” she quipped.
“Hey. Watch it. Don’t forget I’m doing you a favor.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry,” she sighed. “I just can’t believe my big mouth got me into this mess. If they find out I lied … I’ll look like a total psycho.”
“Well, you already made yourself look like a total psycho in front of me, and you survived.”
“Thanks for the reminder.” She sank back into the seat, looking hopeless.
As I put the car into park, I turned to stare at the enormous manor from top to bottom. It had to have been three or four stories high, complete with elaborate landscaping out front, a huge fountain, and a pool and accompanying pool house in the back.
“Damn,” I grunted with a long whistle. “This is a nice place. Why exactly are you living in that tiny run-down apartment while this guy is in a mansion? Aren’t you just a few ranks down from him?”
She looked out her own window, pulling her purse up over her shoulder. “This promotion would fix that. But my boss probably thinks Chuck deserves the significant bump in pay more just because he has a wife and kids to provide for. Nevermind that I work ten times harder than him every single day.”
I reached out and grabbed her hand, which brought a slight look of alarm to her face. “Hey, that’s what I’m here for. The playing field is even now. Let’s go wow ‘em. And remember … Smile. Look happy. We’re so in love and getting married.”
She nodded and opened the passenger’s side door. I followed behind her, placing my hand on the small of her back. She tensed up and inched away, grumbling through clenched teeth. “What are you doing!?”
“We’re engaged,” I reminded her yet again. “I’ve never had a fiancé, but call me crazy … I think they actually show each other affection and kiss and stuff. If you look nauseated any time I touch you, they’re going to see straight through our whole ploy.”
“Fine,” she groaned, moving close again. “And anyway. I’m not nauseated. I wanted to date you, remember? It’s your arrogant, egotistical personality that turns me off.”
“Thanks, sweetie. I love you, too.”
“Whatever,” she rolled her eyes.
I would have shot something else clever back, but almost as soon as she knocked on the door, a man and woman answered. They looked like they were in their fifties and wore giant, cheesy smiles that suddenly had me feeling like I was the one who was going to be sick to my stomach.
“Kate!” the man exclaimed. “Glad you could make it. And you must be Ben.”
“Sure am,” I shook his hand firmly.
They ushered us into their expensively decorated home. A string of screaming kids bolted in one end of the room and out the other in a flash, which Kate and I both watched with terror and discomfort.
“Kids,” his wife laughed, shaking her head.
“I guess you know all about that!” Greg said to me. “Kate tells me you have a little one yourself. Where is she tonight?”
Oh, right. Almost forgot I’m a fiancé and a father in this scenario …
“With a sitter. She’s only one, so her table manners aren’t the best,” I explained quickly, reaching for the phone in my back pocket. “But I can show you pictures if you …”
“Well, I’ll be. It’s true!” A man appeared behind them, laughing. “Hey there, I’m Chuck. Wow. To be honest, when I heard about Kate’s secret fiancé, I kind of thought the whole thing was made up.”
Kate laughed awkwardly while I let out a sigh of relief that no one actually wanted to see pictures of Olivia. I knew I had them on my phone somewhere, but finding ones without Joey and Angel in them would be tricky. Not to mention all the pics of nude girls sprinkled in between - souvenirs from my one night stands … all taken with permission, of course.
I shook Chuck’s hand as we all filed into the dining room, taking our seats around the table. The conversation was mind-numbingly boring, but Kate and I managed to smile and nod to keep up appearances.
“Kate, it’s so wonderful that you’re going to be a step-mother to Ben’s little one,” Greg’s wife Kathy smiled over dessert. “You let us know if you need any advice or tips! Diane and I are