I grab his hand and give a tentative shake as I’m trying to wrap my mind around what he just told me. My efforts are stunted when I can’t seem to take my mind away from the fact that his hand engulfs mine. When I try to pull away, he squeezes again just slightly, not enough to hurt but enough for me to take notice. Just like that, our handsare separated, and mine is suddenly cold from the absence of his touch.
“You know, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.” He wags his finger at me as his eyes squint in concentration. The whole motion comes across a little wobbly, indicating he’s had a few drinks tonight as well. Despite the alcohol running through both of us, I swear I can see the wheels turning in his head.
“You, Sienna….” He motions toward me as though he is trying to get me to say my last name.
“Parker,” I confess.
He continues, “You, Sienna Parker, should be my girlfriend!”
“I shouldwhat?” I say the last word loud enough that it catches the attention of the group by the firepit. I move to stand out of their sight line, but being the klutz that I am, I step on a rock and fall toward the ground. Saving the day once again, he catches me. Grabbing hold of my waist, he puts his other hand on my shoulder to balance me.
Our lips within inches of each other, speaking only loud enough so the two of us can hear, he says, “Be my girlfriend.” Not a question, a command.
There’s a rush of heat low in my stomach at his low-timbre voice, and I push him away.
“I’m not sure where this is coming from, but how did we go from talking about plans after graduation to this?” Taking a few steps away from him, I put some distance between us.
His eyes grow wide then, and he scrunches up hisnose in a wince, “Oh shit, myfakegirlfriend. I meant to say my fake girlfriend.”
“Why do you need a fake girlfriend? What about the woman from the diner?” The second question comes out with more jealous undertones than I meant. I really need to find a way out of this conversation before I dig myself deeper.
“She’s one of Matt’s friends. No one to me. Why, jealous?” He smirks, and I immediately roll my eyes, trying to save face.
“Alright, I think it’s time for me to go home. Happy I could stroke your ego, though.” I turn to leave and feel his hand land on my elbow as he gently pulls me back to him.
“I’m sorry, this is all coming out wrong. Let me start over. I also don’t have a job lined up for after graduation. My oldest brother is convinced I’m not mature enough to take on a position as his business partner. Long story short, I lied to him and told him I have a girlfriend in an effort to obtain a job offer.”
Crossing my arms, I interrupt Theo. “So you lied to prove to your brother how mature you are?”
“It doesn’t sound so good, does it? I thought I could move past it, but then he told me to bring my ‘girlfriend’with me to our lake house this summer, and as long as he sees a change in me, he’ll let me work at the family company starting in the fall.” He winces, as if hearing how it sounds out loud for the first time.
“And this helps me how?” I ask, not seeing the point.
“Come with me,” he says. “Be my fake girlfriend for the trip, help me convince my brother that I’m matureenough to work with him, and I can use his connections to get you a job starting in the fall.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “Are you serious? You wantmeto be your fake girlfriend for the summer? We’re practically strangers, and there’s no way you can even guarantee a job for me.”
“I wouldn’t call us strangers. At minimum, we’re acquaintances.” He flashes another smile at me. “I don’t think we’re hiring anyone at Kane Construction, but my brother has strong connections with Rose City Designs. We could start there.”
I stare at him, dumbfounded. Rose City Designs is my dream company. They are one of the top architecture and design companies in the entire nation. Their designs inspired my entire portfolio, from clean, modern lines to characteristic vintage details. I’ve written several papers about their buildings. I just never thought I’d get a chance with them so soon. They weren’t factored into my plan until five years from now.
“Think about it. I get to prove to my brother that I’m mature enough, and you end the summer having had a fun vacation at a lake house and a job lined up. What do you say?”
“I say the chances of you being a serial killer are increasing by the second.” I’ve watched too many crime documentaries to know there’s no way I’m going to a lake house with a man I barely know who just hit me with his cart a week ago. Heart-melting smile or not, I won’t be starring in the next crime documentary to go viral.
He chuckles, the sound taming my nerves in a way that I don’t care to acknowledge.
“Sienna, I’m not going to murder you. Just think about it. I know I might be a little tipsy, but I actually think we could help each other here.”
I humor him by nodding. Saying my goodbyes, I all but book it into the house to find Beth. Dragging her away from the blonde, with her all but kicking and screaming, I call a ride so we can get out of this party. This night has taken a turn for the strange, and I don’t have any intention of humoring the universe any further.
On the ride home, I scroll through all of the rejection emails I’ve received over the past few months on my phone. There are a few more companies I’m hoping to hear back from. But with each rejection email I read through, Theo’s proposition looks more promising by the second.
I shake the thought from my mind. No, there’s no way I’m desperate enough to accept his offer. Something else will come up, I know it will.
7
SIENNA
