Faking Ms. Right (Dirty Martini Running Club #1) - Claire Kingsley Page 0,74

completely transformed.”

Two men walked by, carrying a tall piece of plywood.

“What’s that?”

Dad watched them take it out to the balcony. “Oh, that must be for the photo booth.”

“Photo booth?”

“Of course. But you should go or I’m going to spoil all the best surprises.”

I tried not to groan. Surprises? “Um, Dad, what surprises? I thought we were keeping this low-key.”

He patted me on the back. “Don’t worry. You and Everly are going to love it.”

“You didn’t plan a fireworks show, did you?”

“No, nothing like that.” He flipped through the pages on his clipboard. “I couldn’t get the permits on such short notice.”

“Wait, what? You mean you tried to plan a fireworks show?”

“You should really make yourself scarce, Shep. You can come back when it’s party time.”

“I live here. Where am I supposed to go?”

He shrugged. “Go shower and just stay in your room. Or your office. We aren’t using it.”

I looked around at the mess of decorations, boxes, and packing material. It was probably best if I stayed out of the way.

“All right, Dad. I’ll see you later tonight.”

He was already distracted, wandering off to direct someone setting up a table.

I went back to my bedroom and checked my messages. Everly was with her girlfriends for the day. Something about getting ready together. I didn’t know why they needed seven hours to get dressed for a party, but I knew better than to question it.

After a shower, I got dressed and went to my office. I shut the door to dampen the noise from the party crew, and got to work.

Shortly before the party was set to begin, I emerged from my office. I’d barely been out all day. Dad had brought me takeout for lunch to keep me from coming out and seeing the decorations. Now, there was a thick black curtain hanging in the entrance to the hallway that led to my office, guest room, and master suite. It was there to keep guests from coming into the more private spaces of my home—a gesture I appreciated—but it also kept me from seeing what my dad had done.

I went back to my room to change, unsure as to how I felt about this whole thing. I’d been pushing the reality of the lie I was living to the back of my mind—forcefully. Justified the charade by telling myself this party was a harmless distraction for my father.

But guilt jabbed at me, poking holes in my logic. He’d gone to a lot of trouble to celebrate an engagement that wasn’t real. Not only that, he’d put in the effort because he was genuinely excited about my supposed upcoming marriage.

Coming clean to him was not going to be easy. And this party was making it worse. I hadn’t counted on that when I’d agreed to it. Which really just meant I’d ignored the truth.

Plus, I’d never been a fan of parties. Especially when I was at the center of them. It was the sort of attention I preferred to avoid. Standing at the head of the boardroom or in front of investors was one thing. I was no stranger to being a leader. But I’d never particularly enjoyed social attention, and as one of the guests of honor at tonight’s party, I was about to be subjected to a great deal of it.

Everly texted to say she was on her way over. An inexplicable jolt of excitement ran through me. What was she wearing? I’d let her talk me into a vintage-style suit with a double-breasted vest and a dark gray fedora. It fit my dad’s theme without looking like a cheap costume. Hell, I made this look good.

There was a knock at the bedroom door. I adjusted my hat, then answered the door to find my dad—or a nineteen-twenties mobster version of my dad. He wore a pinstripe suit with a white tie, a vintage timepiece in his breast pocket. He had a black fedora, a fat cigar pinched between his teeth, and a cane that he tapped against the floor a few times.

“What do you think?” he asked, grinning at me around his unlit cigar.

“You look great, Dad.”

He smoothed down the front of his jacket. “Thanks, son. You look fantastic. Ready to go down to the lobby?”

“The lobby?”

“You’re meeting Everly downstairs. And don’t look when you come out. I want you to get the full effect when you come back.”

“All right. I won’t look.”

He led me down the hall and through the curtain. I kept my eyes down as