Page 106 of Fake it for Keeps

Your bride. The words sent a thrill through me that I didn’t bother to hide once the door closed behind them.

Hallie was going to be my bride. In seven days, she’d walk down an aisle toward me, and I’d put a ring on her finger. A real one this time, not a cubic zirconia floor model. And I would promise her forever.

And maybe, if I was lucky, she’d want that too.

I returned to my office and sat at my desk facing my computer, opening a browser tab. I’d been thinking about this for days now, ever since Hallie had told me about high school. About how I’d hurt her.

I wanted to make it up to her. Wanted to give her something real and beautiful and lasting.

Starting with a honeymoon.

I knew the contract didn’t require one. Hell, the contract didn’t require any of what we’d been doing this past week. The sleeping over, the dinners together, the way we couldn’t seem to keep our hands off each other.

But maybe we didn’t have to let the contract dictate everything. Maybe, once the wedding was over and the cameras stopped flashing, we could slip away somewhere and see if this thing between us had legs.

See if what we felt was real when no one was watching.

I pulled up luxury travel sites and started browsing. Bora Bora? More like Boring Boring. The Maldives? Beautiful but far. Maybe somewhere in Europe—the Amalfi Coast, or the Greek Islands, or⁠—

My phone buzzed with a text from Hallie.

Hallie: I’m heading to lunch with my roommates. I know you’re busy. Can I bring you something? I won’t stay. But you need to eat.

My smile was immediate and unavoidable.

Me: I’ll never say no to seeing you.

Hallie: Good answer. See you in a bit. Any requests?

Me: You. Naked. Maybe a little whipped cream.

Hallie: Blushing emoji.

Hallie: I’ll surprise you.

This had become our routine over the past week. Hallie showing up with food, us eating together in my office, stealing kisses between bites. It was sweet and everything I’d never wanted before. She said it was because she was bored.

I’d decided it was because she missed me. And I liked that. I liked being missed. I liked that she wanted to spend time with me doing something as simple as eating a sandwich or hamburger or whatever she decided we were having for lunch. I cleared all lunch meetings because I only wanted to eat lunch with her.

I couldn’t imagine my days without our lunch dates.

I was pulling up information on Santorini when Frankie knocked and poked her head in.

“Hey,” she said. “I’m heading out to grab lunch with Madison. You need anything?”

“Hallie’s bringing me something, but thanks.”

Frankie’s eyebrows rose. “Hallie’s coming here? Again?”

“Problem?”

“No.” She stepped inside and closed the door. “You two have been spending a lot of time together. Like, a lot a lot.”

“She’s my fiancée. Isn’t that the point?”

“I’m all for it,” Frankie corrected. “I wasn’t criticizing. I’m just checking in.”

I leaned back in my chair, studying my sister. She looked worried, which meant I needed to be honest with her.