The Billionaire's Fake Fiancee - Lauren Wood Page 0,22

chick in business school that he wanted to marry. But she wasn’t serious about him. We all knew it. I think Ben knew it too, deep down. She was a total player. Just messing with him. But he convinced himself that they would get married right after college. He bought a house and invited her to move in with him.”

“I take it that didn’t work out,” I said.

Joey clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Oh, she moved in with him alright. Only so he could come home and find her in their bed with some other guy a month later. Poor guy had a ring picked out and everything. He was going to propose when they celebrated graduation. While we were all out trying to make the most of our younger years, he was trying to settle down and start a family. He hasn’t been the same since. Now the tables have turned completely. We’re all married with kids, and he’s still clinging to this idea of being a bachelor for forever.”

“The one who got played became the player,” I nodded in understanding.

“Exactly. Anyway, he told me how you two met. Sorry you got roped in with him thinking you’d actually be dating. He’d never say it, but he probably liked you too much. That’s really why he was planning on never calling you back.”

“Well, I certainly roped him into a lot more than that with this whole mess,” I laughed. “I’m sure Ben will meet a nice girl who’s willing to convert him to the cause of love.”

Joey turned for the door and replied, “He meets those girls all the time. That’s the trick. He needs someone who isn’t trying to convert him at all. It has to sneak up on him until he’s in too deep to run from it.”

He went back inside before I could respond. I stood on the patio a while longer, thinking over all of this new information on Ben. Why did I get the feeling Joey was trying to challenge me to be the one Ben accidentally fell in love with? Oh well, I thought. He could think whatever he wanted to, but that whole game wasn’t for me.

When I got married, I wanted it to be with a guy who knew what he wanted. Who was ready to settle down without dragging his feet the whole way. And I wanted to feel ready to be the same way. Kind of like how I thought Ben was when I first met him, and how I felt around him. Not scared or nervous...just comfortable and excited for what was to come.

Though I guess I got a little too comfortable when I took the liberty of lying about him to my boss.

I shrugged it all off and joined the others again. Olivia woke up and roped us all into playing with her a little more, and then we said goodbye.

“I like your friends,” I told Ben as he drove me home. “They’re not what I expected.”

His head bobbed with a little laugh. “What did you expect?”

“Guys who were more like you. Flaunting all their money and going out all the time, leaving their poor wives alone with the kids. I guess it’s actually kind of surprising you have so many friends with families … if I’m being honest.”

“You think I’d dump my friends and get new ones just because they started families?” he asked. “No way. The whole gang has been together since we were kids. I could never replace them. It’s a shame you didn’t get a chance to meet the others. Damon and Nick are just as cool. So are their wives. And anyway … if you had met us all when we first came to Cherry Falls, we were a lot more like what you were envisioned. Once Del sold Nick on married life, the rest fell like dominos.”

“But not you?” I did my best not to let on that I knew anything Joey had told me. It seemed far too private to bring up casually.

“Not me,” he answered quietly.

“Cause you’re not that kind of guy?” I teased.

“Like I said earlier today. I guess anything could happen. I never say never.”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. It was all so typical. The playboy dropping hints that he could change if only he found the right one. Then the girl bends over backwards trying to change him only to get her heart broken in the end. It’d probably be cathartic for Ben and whatever issues