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Chapter 7 - Maddie: Operation Fake It
It had been three days since we had set our plan, and it had been three days since I had last seen Marcus. He had been on shift, but he was supposed to be off today which meant it was the beginning of our little cover-up story.
Lily had moved out yesterday, and I had helped her settle in next door. Marcus would have been there, but he had his shift, and I was thankful that he wasn’t there. I needed a little breathing room before we became suffocated with one another.
Lily was just a few months off her due date, but even as she moved around, I could tell that she was struggling a little bit. She was growing fast, and I had never seen her happier. There was a light to her that I was jealous of.
Things with her mother, or the wicked witch as I liked to call her, were finally looking up. They were on good terms. I had even heard that they had gone for a mother-daughter day. I think it was the pregnancy that was making her grow closer to her mother. I still had my reservations about her, but if Lily was for her, then I guess I had to be for her too.
To say I was nervous about today would have been an understatement. We were going on our first staged date. I knew it was just a publicity stunt, but I still wanted to look good.
I had put a little time into my hair and make-up. I had kept things fairly natural on my face and had opted for a high ponytail. I had wondered whether to go for casual or semi-formal, but Marcus had informed me that this was nothing special. So I opted for jeans and a long-sleeved bodysuit.
I looked at my phone. It was 3:20 p.m., and I knew he would be here any minute now. Marcus was either always early or right on time but never late. I wouldn’t tell him this, but it was a quality of his that I highly admired.
Again, I would rather eat my vomit than admit that to his face.
I sipped on my wine and scrolled through my Instagram. I scrolled down my feed until I came across none other than my ex-boyfriend with a picture of a new blonde.
“Ew,” I grumbled.
A normal person would have just unfollowed and moved on with their lives, but I wasn’t normal. Maybe I was a little crazy, but in all fairness, I think he made me like this. The man had slept with my best friend in the same bed we made love in like it didn’t mean a thing.
I had been played, and Maddison Vandlewoods does not get played. I was a fucking diamond, and anyone who said otherwise was a hater. Simple as that.
I should have scrolled on, but I clicked on the tagged people and landed on her profile, going way too deep.
Her name was Whitney, and she was like any social-climbing bimbo in New York City. She wore designer clothes that I was sure she risked her rent money on. She was probably with him because she thought he was going to be the next hot thing on the red carpet, but she was sorely mistaken.
Daniel only had what he had because of me. I was the one who had given him those connections. I was the one who had helped him build his career. And now? Well, I was just a woman scorned. Karma was a bitch, and she was going to bite his ass.
I closed Instagram and downed the rest of my wine. When I looked out the window, Marcus’ truck pulled into the driveway. I grabbed my bag from the counter and left the house.
He was just getting out of the driver's seat with a bouquet of red roses when I closed the door. He paused when he saw me. I made my way down the porch steps to where he stood.
He was dressed in a tight-fitting polo shirt and form-fitting jeans. He wore white sneakers, and his cologne was strong but not overpowering like most men.
He held out the flowers to me. “I didn’t know what you liked, so I just got these. Women like roses, right?”
I nodded slowly. “They do, but I don’t. Just for the record, I like white lilies or even white roses. Red roses are too cheesy for me. There is no originality behind them.”
He opened his mouth but then closed it, changing his mind. Moving to the passenger side of the car, he opened the door for me. I walked around and hopped into the car. I didn’t miss the stares Mrs. Benson was giving us from across the street.
Well, it looked like the plan was set in motion now. There was no turning back. I was sure Mrs. Benson would tell who she needed to tell, and the rumor mill would surely begin. It was only a matter of time.
“So, where are we going?” I looked at Marcus once he had entered the car.
“We can just go and grab coffee at the new café that opened. It’s called Beans. We will sit there, talk, and then we will walk around town looking so in love. Then, I’ll take you home. We continue this for the next week to really sell it, and then we let everyone know.”
I nodded. “Great. That seems like a good plan.”
“Well, it was your plan.”
“Exactly,” I said it as a matter of fact. “That’s why I said it was a good plan. Would your brain have even been capable of coming up with such a concept? I think not.”
I could see the smile trying to find its way to Marcus’ face, but he was fighting it. For some reason, I liked the fact that I could make him smile. But like before, I would never admit that out loud.
When we made it to the café, we hopped out of the car and went inside. After ordering our coffees, we sat down at the table. Without warning, Marcus grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed my skin softly, and I swore I felt a fluttering in my stomach.
