AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It is. No one deserves verbal abuse like that, not from their own mother.”
He’s right, but my mother is under a lot of stress right now from my stepfather’s business, and their mountains of debt—she doesn’t need me adding more to her plate, but I don’t say those words. Instead I say, “We have to go or we’re going to be late for our fake date.”
He holds out his arm and I link mine with his.
Wordlessly, we make it to the limo and Chance opens the door for us. I slide in with Jasper sitting next to me. He rests his arms on the top of the seat, and I’m engulfed in him, inhaling his expensive cologne and the smell of the leather seats.
Neither one of us says a word, both of us are trapped in our own thoughts. Hopefully, I can pull off acting like I’m in love with him or at least adore him. Acting was never my strong point. When I was a kid, dancing was more my style. I hope I don’t fuck it up for either of us.
I glance out the window and listen to the windshield wipers whine as they slap against the foggy glass. Of course it would rain on the day I feel shitty. The city’s skyscrapers pass by in a blur.
My mind is still back at the cafe with my mother. I’m hoping if we post on social media about our relationship, it will get back to her, but my mother can be as stubborn as a bull, but I need to try and see if my plan will work.
Maybe when the news spreads like wildfire that I’m engaged to Jasper, she’ll come talk to me.
Jasper quickly grabs my hand and sweeps a strand of my hair behind my ear. He blends in with his car aesthetic. Smooth and elegant, yet powerful. I hate that my body is aware of his presence, and how the back of my neck burns hotter than lava.
We arrive at a steak house in SoHo, and Chance opens the door with a black umbrella at the ready. Jasper gets out of the car, holding the umbrella over my head.
His fingers intertwine with mine, and energy zaps between us. I want to pull away, but this is part of the act.
Paparazzi snap photos of us and ask Jasper a few questions about me. These photos are going to be on social media and all I can think is: what if my makeup isn’t good? What if the lighting is poor and I look like a possessed demon? I shake my head, I’m overthinking.
The smell of rain hits my nostrils and I hope that my hair doesn’t get wet. Rain and my hair do not get along. The sky is darkening and the restaurant’s name shines.
New York City is so pretty in the rain, full of mystery.
“If we play it well, we can get people talking,” Jasper says. “People will buy into our story.”
Once we make it inside, I spot an A-list actor and a few well-known businesspeople. The place is packed, everyone’s chatter bouncing off the walls. The chandeliers hanging from the ceiling burn real candles, dimming the restaurant, providing an intimate atmosphere.
Our table is covered in red cloth with a black candle in the center. Jasper pulls out my chair. I sit as he presses a kiss to my forehead. The kiss makes goosebumps decorate my arms, and heat climbs the top of my forehead.
He leans down and whispers in my ear, “Journalist, April Moore, is sitting directly across from you.”
He presses his mouth against mine, and my body stiffens before I relax against him. Electricity buzzes through me again, and this is the second time I felt it in such a short time. I moan against his mouth. Jasper sure knows how to kiss. How the hell am I going to continue to act natural if he is going to lock lips with me every other second? So, I pull away quickly.
He sits next to me, wrapping his arm around my waist.
I glance at April, and she smiles. She’s a beautiful dark-skinned woman with straight, thick hair. She’s curvy in all the right places and her eyes light up at seeing us. My gaze snags onto the waitress, dressed in black, standing at our table.
My stomach makes an angry growling sound as I haven’t eaten since the omelet this morning. I order myself a soup and a salad—nothing heavy—and Jasper orders himself veal and a salad.
“How was your day at work?” I ask.
Surprise flickers across his face as he studies me like a map.
“What?”
He grabs my hands. “I missed you, Angel.”
His eyes look sincere, but I know it’s fake. It’s only an act and I need to recover from my shock. I haven’t had a man be nice to me in a long time. Link was always a bit of an asshole to me and hated public affection, so I feel even more awkward that Jasper is being so attentive, but I’m kind of enjoying it.
“I missed you too.”
He presses his lips to my knuckles. “It’s not the same without seeing you all day.”
Oh, he’s so good at pretending! So good at pretending, I almost fall for it. His words sound too real.
