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"What about you, Ryder?" Chase poked. "You ready to find the next Miss Leather and Lace?"
I laughed, and before I could respond, Brad piped up. "Yeah, right. He'll be the grumpy old bastard when he's 80, still running the company while the rest of us retire."
I hadn't told the guys yet, but after our tux fitting would be the big reveal. I wasn't sure why I was so nervous. It wasn't like we were getting married because we were madly in love like Daniel and Sicily. It was to help Amber and the company at the same time. The press would be phenomenal, and the money would help boost our public persona again.
For some reason, though, the more I told myself that, the more I felt guilty about saying it. It all circulated through my head when I saw Amber sitting with my mother, standing in the garage soaking wet, and laughing with my siblings. It was getting harder and harder to push the thoughts out of my mind.
"Alright, sir," the tailor said. "We are set. Just carefully remove the jacket and pants, and we'll get working on them."
I nodded and stepped down, carefully walking to the dressing room. Once the door was closed, I let out a deep breath that I hadn't even realized I had been holding that entire conversation. I took my time getting dressed, listening to the other guys doing the same, bantering back and forth as always.
Afterward, we headed over to the bar for some drinks. I sat quietly, listening to them joke around. Finally, I cleared my throat. "Guys, I have something to talk to you about."
Guy's face went serious. "Is it the killer?"
I shook my head. "No, it's actually personal."
Everyone went silent, and it was expected. I wasn't exactly the guy that came to them about personal problems. They knew a lot about me and my life, but it was given in small doses over time. There weren't many moments if any, when we all had a big heart-to-heart conversation.
"So, I want to tell you about something I've agreed to do, and I need to know that no matter how wasted you get, you're not going to go blab to anyone."
Brad scoffed. "Might as well escort Chase from the premises."
Chase rolled his eyes. "That's BS. I can hold secrets. YOU know I can hold secrets."
Brad quickly shut down, and we all chuckled. Those two were always together, and none of us really wanted to know what kind of secrets they had on each other. Guy nodded his head. "Go ahead. Trust me. I'll keep these knuckleheads in line."
Chase and Brad nodded, and Daniel gave me a smile. "You know me. I've got your back."
I took a deep breath and began explaining how I met Amber and how the whole thing unfolded. I left out the sex parts, knowing full well they would get hung up on that. "So, we've met families, and everything is set in motion. From this, we'll be able to secure a really big tech contract with her father's company, and honestly, the positive press would be good for us."
When I was done, I sat there, looking around, waiting for everyone's reactions. Guy pursed his lips and finally nodded. "It's your choice, man, and you won't hear a peep from me. I'm in to help."
Chase nodded with raised eyebrows. "I mean, at least you have some control over the situation since it's not for real. And we could definitely use the good press right now."
Brad stroked his chin. "Does this mean I get to plan a bachelor's party? One that's not even for a real marriage? Because that opens up a lot of possibilities."
We all laughed. Daniel patted me on the back. "I'll be honest. Sicily already told me."
"I figured," I chuckled, taking a big swig of my beer.
"I just want to make sure that no one gets their feelings hurt," Daniel replied. "You are part of the crew and one of my best friends. Amber is Sicily's best friend. And I know how important your family is to you. So I'm just looking out."
I nodded in thanks. "I appreciate the concern, but really, this is business. We have an agreement, and we are gonna play it out like we planned. Actually, right now, I’m staying at Amber's place, with my own room. I still have my place and will move back in when it's all said and done. It won't last forever."
Daniel nodded, but I could see he wasn't convinced. Then again, when it came to everyone's feelings, I wasn't convinced either. I hated lying to my family, and I hated that they were so comfortable with her to welcome her in. That meant they would care about her too. But that was something I couldn't control, and I made a promise. It would have been more hurtful to not tell them than have to explain later. My mother wouldn't like the arrangement and always had a soft spot for love and fairytales in her heart.
Guy shook his head, chuckling. "Leave it to you to have a murderer on your tail and make some sort of crazy agreement like this. I mean, you definitely get employee of the year for the company this year."
We all laughed. Chase sat back in his chair. "So, what's next? You said she has to be married before her father's retirement dinner in less than three months. That means you have to ask her and have a wedding by then."
I puffed out my cheeks. "Yeah. It's a lot really fast. But the next step is planning a killer proposal. I'm talking crazy. Daniel's was easy. Sicily is down to earth. Amber is from a well-to-do family, and she is a princess, at least to the public. So, this has to blow everyone away."
"Is she helping to plan it?" Daniel asked.
I shook my head. "I thought it would be best if it were a surprise. You know, to make the reaction more believable for the public. The media will want to know that the Princess of San Diego and the bad boy of tech are engaged. They can wonder to themselves how we kept it hidden for so long."
Chase and Brad sat forward. "We already know the perfect place."
