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AIDEN
The day was magical, as magical as any fake marriage could be. I found myself feeling elated, losing track of the fact that this was all done in order to get my dad off my back. But even he seemed to have a good time. At least, he kept quiet and enjoyed the festivities with my mother.
Being back in the room with Josephine brought reality back, like a slap to the face. She seemed like she was keeping something to herself, wanting to tell me something but also not wanting to disrupt the flow of our situation. A part of me hates that I have done this to her; another part knows that I had run out of options.
I cannot lay in bed next to her feeling guilty, so I decide to go to the resort bar and meet with Cameron. Well, one of the resort bars. There’s really no shortage of dining and drinking options at this hotel. He is a successful man who understands the plight of weird family dynamics.
Cameron suggested Pisco, but I agreed readily. Now that I walk in, I can see why he chose it. It has a fun theme resembling a speakeasy. Cameron runs several clubs, so he’s always eager to check out interesting ‘competitions’ for ideas.
He’s already waiting at a dark leather bench for me. With his dark, shaggy hair and dark eyes, he seems somehow right at home in this atmosphere. Like he has always belonged back here, a hundred years ago in the prohibition era, and was just born too late.
“The new husband!” he bellows as he pulls me into him. “Congratulations are in order, my friend!”
Cameron knows everything already. He is the only person other than Josephine herself who knows that the marriage is a sham. But I hug him anyway, slapping him on the back as he slaps mine.
“Thanks, man,” I reply.
We choose a booth away from prying eyes so we can speak our truths without hesitation. We are close to the ocean now, the moonlight making the water glitter like a million diamonds.
“So? What now, my brother?”
We are holding our separate mugs of beer. I sigh, the condensation from the glass seeping into my skin.
“I have to make it work. I have to make it look like we are really husband and wife. It’s the only way my dad is going to accept it as legitimate.”
Cameron gulps the amber liquid, nodding and still wearing that smug grin. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand sloppily. We had both been drinking a bit at the reception, so our words come out slightly slurred.
“For how long, though? I mean, it can’t be easy for her.”
I drum the table, letting out another sigh.
“I don’t know, honestly, Cameron. I have thought about that, too. She’s a great girl. I don’t want to pull her through the mud of this madness for too long.”
My eyes drift away, thinking about how I felt when I first saw Josephine standing at the end of the aisle in her magnificent dress. I come back to reality when Cameron begins to chuckle, and I flash him a scowl.
“What?”
“You talk about her like she actually is your wife, man,” he says, still guffawing. “Are you sure that this has all just been…for the sake of your dad?”
I feel anxiety in the pit of my stomach, and I push it away with the chug of my beer. I slam it down, carefully ignoring Cameron’s amused expression.
“We both had problems that needed to be solved. Hers were primarily financial. Mine, familial legacy investor bullshit. In my opinion, it worked out perfectly.”
Cameron holds out a hand, the sarcasm ever-present in his tone.
“I hear you, Aiden. I’m only looking out for your feelings in the future. You said she’s a great girl, so why wouldn’t you want her for real?”
Cameron is certainly one of my good friends, being the first person I would call when in dire straits. But things with Josephine are delicate, and I choose to keep the possibility of growing feelings for my fake wife to myself.
I speak firmly, shaking my head back and forth.
“A deal is a deal. We have to follow rules, or the entire thing is going to fall apart.”
Cameron raises his drink to his mouth. Eyes wide, he pokes a bit more fun at me.
“That doesn’t sound like a denial.”
I roll my eyes at him, calling over the waitress to get us one more drink. I know that I am putting off going back to the room, dreading having to find a way to sleep in the same bed as a woman who is not my wife in my heart.
