Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 119184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
“Yeah, fuck that. Here’s your update on that—I told Nancy we’re never hooking up. She took it about as well as you’d think.”
“Shit! Mad respect. And you walked out with all your fingers and toes?”
I laugh.
“It gets more complicated.”
“For Brady Pruitt? Never,” he says dryly.
“Come on, stop busting my balls. You know the rumors flying around about me and Lena?”
“For God’s sake, Brady.” He rolls his eyes and changes lanes, pulling ahead of a large truck. “I’m the man who showed you those rumors. What’s this about? You said you weren’t going to use them to push her into anything.”
“Oddly, I didn’t have to.”
His eyes bulge, and I smile to myself.
“She’s the one who brought it up,” I say. “I met her at a park. I was typing up a post to debunk the rumors right there. Then she decided she wanted the money.”
“Interesting. So, you’ve solved the fake-dating riddle.” When I don’t say anything, he looks at me. “What’s eating you? You’re talking like it’s bad news, when it’s everything you wanted yesterday.”
“At first, I was excited as hell. Now, I’m not sure if I’ve thought this through. My mom wants to meet her. Sooner than I thought.”
“Well, yeah. What mother wouldn’t? If I slip up and admit I even looked at a girl, my mama starts cleaning the whole house and cooking a feast. You basically told them you’re about to get engaged.”
Holy fuck. When he says it like that—
What am I doing?
“I think I just bought myself an entire universe of shit. Galaxies and all.”
“Yeah, probably.” Luis chuckles.
“Thanks for the reassurance.”
“Just facts, my man. Face them.”
“What? Like the fact that my folks will lose it if they ever figure out the truth?” I grimace and drop my hand. “Or the fact that I agreed to fund her business-buyout plan? She wants the clinic, and her boss is selling.”
“Tough situation,” he admits. “You were born to be a diplomat, though. When you started in on the dog food gig, I never thought you’d talk your dad into letting you source straight from the family farms.”
“Yeah, that was a coup.” I grin. “Don’t know why I got stuck with you, though.”
“I’m like your grand vizier. You need an adviser to avoid any traps,” he says wisely.
“Right. So if you were me, what would you do?”
“Go big!” He looks at me before riveting his eyes back to the road. “If you can fool the world, you can fool your parents. And you can use everyone else’s opinion to help convince them.”
“You want me to fool the world first?”
“I want you to man up and make an engagement announcement. Right after you give her a ring. Like I said, go big or go home.”
My gut churns.
This is getting way too real, but he has a point.
“Now?” I planned on waiting just a little while before going in hot with the ring. I don’t know why I feel a live current in my nerves.
“Now,” he echoes. “Commit to the ruse. Your fans will eat it up, especially all the ladies who love a wedding, even if they’re turning green. Feed the happy people your happily-ever-after.”
“Easy for you to say,” I growl.
“Your parents will buy it if a million people do.” He smirks. “They’ll see what they want to see. If you look like you’re happy and in love, they’ll see you with a girl and a big ol’ ring, and their mind will put the rest together.”
“Apart from the skeptics, you mean. And the unhinged types. Do you know there are stalkers online who fixate about everything? Shit, I had two nutjobs in my comments the other week telling me the corgi we picked up was AI and wasn’t real.”
He laughs. “You’ll always have those, no matter what. But people want to believe in the happy endings, boss. Give them their show.”
Damn, he’s right.
What I told my parents was right too. This will be good for our brand.
People want proof I’m not a raging asshole or some infantile playboy who changes models like socks.
Lena’s a vet nurse. Relatable and sexy and strong. The perfect partner for the biggest crime of my life.
It’s why I chose her.
I can’t get cold feet now when I have a reputation to unfuck. And Lena—she doesn’t strike me as a quitter. She might regret signing on to this, but she won’t bow out.
As long as I can pull this off.
As long as she’s on board.
It’s bizarre to shove this entire deception into the public eye, but maybe it’s exactly the kind of weirdness we need.
I pull out my phone and start texting Lena, asking when she can meet me.
“Remember, you said it first. I’ll need your help.”
Luis groans. “Where would you be without me?”
“She’ll meet us soon. Let’s expedite the announcement.”
IX
Stray Cat
(Lena)
I’ve never felt so out of place anywhere in my life.