AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I turn to look at him but instantly regret it. We are so close our noses brush against each other, and he leans in more, ready to kiss me. Right before our lips touch, I snap out of it and practically fall onto my chair.
The groan that emerges from deep inside his chest is barely audible, but I can almost feel it erupting behind me. Brian doesn’t say anything, only slightly pushes my chair and returns to his seat. His sweet smile and eyes full of hope have been replaced with a smoldering look, though.
“It’s a beautiful place.”
“I’m glad you like it. And that you came,” Brian says with his eyes fixed on me and I don’t know how to respond.
I look around the restaurant, determined to break the spell. I can’t believe a few days ago we stumbled into each other while on different dates and now we are here together, having dinner like nothing bad ever happened between us. This isn’t real, I tell myself again.
Thankfully, a waiter comes and gives us the menu. This should keep me busy for a while.
“Give us a moment,” Brian tells him. The waiter gives a curt nod and takes a few steps back but doesn’t leave.
I’m not really hungry, so I opt for a dish with a weird name that I’m sure is a steak. Brian orders the same, plus wine for both of us—Pinot Noir from a company I’ve never heard of. Then his attention is back on me. “Thank you for accepting my offer, Carol.”
“I haven’t yet,” I remind him. I won’t go through with this if it’s not on my terms—I tell him so.
“That’s fair. Lay out your terms then.”
It’s best to start with the technicalities. After all, those are the actual reasons I couldn’t find a date for the wedding. Bracing my arms on the table, I lean in, Brian following suit with a sly smile on his face. He’s really determined, isn’t he? I wonder if he’ll be as confident about the whole thing once he learns the details.
The waiter returns with the wine at this precise moment, ruining my flow and earning a glare from Brian. He quickly pours two glasses and disappears.
I grab mine and spin it around before tasting it. It’s dry and light, the taste of cherries and pomegranates mixed with vanilla and something else that I cannot name. Brian observes my silent evaluation.
“You like it?”
It’s perfect.
“I believe we were talking about my terms,” I remind him and myself. “First of all, you need to know what the date entails because, you know, it’s not just a date.”
He perks up, intrigued. Not so fast, Brian.
“As you know, I come from a big family with many cousins, aunts, uncles, and so on, and my sister wants everyone there.”
“Sounds reasonable.”
I nod. “Yeah, but it’s not just the ceremony. My sister— and my parents— want everyone to spend quality time together. The wedding is kind of like a family reunion that starts on Friday.”
The few men that were willing to accompany me buzzed off at this point. People can pretend for a few hours, but for days? Not to mention that I wouldn’t want them around for that long.
Brian looks pensive. “That sounds very sweet,” he says at last. He clearly has never been around that many people in his life.
“That means that my date will have to be there for three days,” I repeat. I thought about having my possible date appear only for the ceremony, but it’d be hard to explain why he couldn’t come for the weekend, prompting even more questions about my already flimsy story. Pretending to be a loving boyfriend and sharing a room and a bed.
I don’t say that last part out loud but it’s like he’s heard it. The corners of his mouth tilt upwards.
I would be lying if I said that the thought of spending three nights in the same bed with him hasn’t gotten me all worked up. My eyes roam from his eyes to his lips and down to his chest. Two buttons are undone, and I can tell he wants to take the jacket off.
The plan, Carol. I press my nails deep into my palms.
“As you understand, it’s been tricky to find someone who will treat this seriously. You know, be convincing but not—”
He gets that last part too; I wouldn’t have just anyone so close to me. The smile can no longer be suppressed, and I have an inkling that he’s not going to suffer with my plan.
“Well, I didn’t realize this was a three-day thing but I’m in. As I said on the phone, it’s the least I can do.”
It didn’t occur to me that he might be working, even during the weekend—I don’t even know where he works or even what his job is now. He mentioned that he had reached out to his father, but he’d never told me what his father did.
