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Not just a job but permanent lodging, too? It sounds too good to be true.
“Of course, Maisie and I will still visit once in a while,” Jackson adds. “Or you can come see us. If other people wonder about it, we’ll just say we’re still friends even if we’re no longer engaged.”
I nod. “It seems like you have everything figured out.”
“I just thought of all that right now, actually,” Jackson confesses. “So, what will it be?”
I pause to weigh my options. If I refuse to go along with the fake engagement, I’ll lose my internship and I won’t have a place to stay. I might have to go back home empty-handed. And I’ll never see Maisie again. That will break her heart. On the other hand, if I decide to play along, I’ll get a job and a place to stay for the foreseeable future. Heck, I’ll have a future. Sure, I’ll have to part ways with Maisie eventually, but that was already in the cards anyway, and at least I can still see her again.
And Jackson.
“Well?” he asks me.
I let out a deep breath as I make up my mind. “Fine. I’ll be your pretend fiancee.”
Right now, it seems like the better thing to do.
Jackson smiles. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“But remember, it’s only pretend.” I lift a finger. “When we’re here at the house, we’ll act as if nothing has changed.”
“Of course,” Jackson answers. “We don’t even have to stay in the same room or anything.”
Stay in the same room? That never even crossed my mind.
“And even if we’re outside, you’re not to hold my hand or… kiss me.”
I suppress a blush at that last thought.
“Not even if Betty’s watching? She might not be convinced of our act unless we do it well.”
He has a point. Even so…
“Not unless it’s absolutely necessary,” I concede.
Jackson nods. “Okay. Any other conditions?”
I touch my chin as I pause to think.
“Well, it’s not a condition, but I was thinking we should talk about what to tell other people, especially about how we met and got engaged.”
“That’s easy,” Jackson says. “We’ll just say we used to be in a relationship. When we met, we realized we still had feelings for each other and we decided to rekindle the old flames. We realized we were meant for each other and got engaged.”
It does seem plausible. I guess he really has thought of everything, huh?
“Sounds good?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
“We’ll just keep things vague whenever other people ask us something. We won’t go into details. That way, it will be easier to maintain the lie.”
Maintain the lie. I suppose I have to get used to that.
“Do we have a deal, then?” Jackson offers me his hand.
I stare at it for a moment as I feel a final jab of hesitation prompted by my conscience. I ignore it, though, as I swallow the lump in my throat. I’ve already told myself this is the right thing to do.
It’s all for a good cause. For Maisie and for me.
I square my shoulders and grip Jackson’s hand. “Deal.”
We shake hands. Jackson smiles.
“Good. Now, there’s only one thing left to do.”
I give him a puzzled look. “What’s that?”
Jackson gives me a wide grin. “Why, get a ring for my new fiancee, of course.”
~
I stare at the diamond ring on my finger as I sit at my desk. The princess cut gem glistens in the sunlight. The white gold band gleams.
I’m not used to it yet. Last night, it nearly got wet in the shower because I forgot to take it off. Earlier, when I was combing my hair, I did forget it was there, and so I ended up getting my hair tangled in it.
I bring the ring closer to my face. It doesn’t feel real, more like something out of a fantasy. Just like my engagement to Jackson. Well, our engagement really isn’t real. But this ring is. Even to my untrained eye, the diamond looks genuine. It’s heavy, too. And the band feels like solid gold. Jackson wouldn’t tell me how much it cost, but I’m pretty sure it’s worth at least five thousand dollars.
Is it really alright for me to wear this?
“Would you look at that?” Ken whistles as she approaches my desk and sees the ring. “You could probably feed a state with that ring.”
My eyebrows arch. “I could?”
So it’s more expensive than I thought.
I touch the diamond. What a waste.
“I had a feeling it was coming,” Ken adds. “But boy, the two of you sure didn’t waste any time, huh?”
I feel even more puzzled. “What do you mean it was coming?”
Ken rests her elbow on my desk. “You know, you and Jackson. Why else would he ask you to move into his house?”
My eyes narrow at her. “If you’re saying Jackson is in love with me…”
“I saw the way he was looking at you the day you arrived,” Ken says. “Like he wanted you. And what a rich, gorgeous man like that wants, he gets.”
