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“Yes. He’s also very curious and may latch on to words that he’s not normally supposed to latch on to. You’ll have to be careful with what you say in front of him.”
I nod again, taking mental notes. “Do you think we can get him to play pretend?”
“And what, call you Daddy? No way. And even if we could, I’m not sure how I would feel about it. You don’t need him to do that, anyway. You need me to be your wife for the day. Everything else will fall into place.”
“You’re right, Becky. You’re absolutely right.”
Yeah, I definitely appreciate her strong moral compass. I wonder what she might’ve done, had she been in my shoes some years ago. Maybe she would’ve given Rick and the then-future board of investors an impassioned speech about why HeartMatch needed to go global without having to make up a fake wife to pull through. Or maybe she would’ve told a different but equally appealing lie.
We’re different people, I know that. But we can learn from these differences.
Truly, I’m beyond thrilled that Becky has decided to give this scheme a chance, and I’m also quite excited that I’m going to get to know her a little better. That I’m going to take a better look at these differences between us and see whether they would bring us closer together or push us farther apart. It’s a strange curiosity I’m dealing with, perhaps primarily driven by physical attraction, but I won’t be able to deny it for much longer. I only hope it doesn’t go too far and into dangerous territory.
I can already see the risks and the fallout from miles away.
CHAPTER9
BECKY
It’s hard not to look at Todd in a suspicious manner, knowing he’s been lying to everybody about his personal life. I’ve been more than understanding on the topic, but it does make me wonder—is this the only thing that he has lied about? Is there anything else hiding in the shadows of his closet? More skeletons for me to be mindful of?
Part of me worries that I’m going to regret this entire arrangement. It’s most likely, yes. But I need the money. Between Mom’s shoulder surgery, Dad’s previous hospital bills… all of it on top of what I’ve been dealing with since college and Elliot’s care. It’s too much, no matter how I look at it and regardless of my best intentions.
Yet as I sit here before Todd, sipping a latte as the sun rises lazily above the city, I can’t take my eyes off of him. I can’t help but admire the precise tailoring of his dark gray plaid suit and the shine of his Italian shoes, the smooth shave of his jaw and the fade style of his short, honey-blond haircut. Everything about him exudes confidence, but I know the secret behind the façade. I know that beneath those piercing blue eyes is a man who feared loss more than anything else, having done and said more than had been ethically acceptable in order for him to move forward, to grow and to be successful when everyone else had said that he would end in failure.
“We should start by organizing a first playdate,” I say, using a dainty knife and fork set to work through a plate of chocolate and hazelnut spread crêpes. “You, me, and Elliot. Do you have any knowledge about childcare?”
“No. Why—is that necessary?”
I give him a startled look; does he not realize what an outrageous question that is? “You’re serious. Wow. Okay, so here’s the thing,” I say. “If you want to play the part of a father, you need to come across as a natural when it comes to Elliot’s care. At his age, we’re still using diapers and we’re still figuring out the potty-training side of things, for example. If we’re going to spend the whole day or even half a day with those people, chances are you may need to help me out with a couple of things.”
“Like changing a diaper?”
“Yes. You can’t act like it’s your first time doing that. You just can’t.”
Todd looks appalled, and I have to admit… I am enjoying this moment a little too much. He doesn’t linger in the discontent for long, though. I can almost hear the wheels in his head turning. “Okay. So, diaper changing and potty training,” he says. “What else?”
“In terms of food, we’re okay. We’re eating solids and trying out new things, but we may need your help with the feeding, too. You don’t want to come across as the guy who just put a baby in his wife and then let her do the actual raising. I’ve read up on Mr. Douglas-Mackie; he’s a real family man, an involved father. If you want to wow him, you’ll need to bring yourself up as close to his level as you can.”
Todd raises an eyebrow. “Wow, you’ve already thought so much of this through. There are details that didn’t even occur to me until now.”
“I can’t say I’m surprised,” I reply dryly, but resist the urge of biting into my lower lip whenever my gaze falls on his broad shoulders. “It’s understandable, though. You’re a single man. You’ve never actually fathered a child; you just lied about having one.”
“There it is, the jab.” He chuckles.
“It’s cool. We can work with this, but you need to seem like you know what you’re doing, even if it’s just about you handing me the baby powder, for example.”
“All right. Duly noted. So, a first playdate, you say.”
“Yeah. Come around any time next week, preferably in the evening when Elliot is tired enough for us to put him to bed, too. I find he’s more malleable and willing to meet new people when he’s already burned up most of his energy.”
“Do you need me to bring anything?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know, a bottle of wine, maybe?”
My cheeks catch fire. “It’s not a date. It’s not… it’s not like an actual date…”
