by A. J. Wynter
“Coffee would be great,” he said. Caffeine be damned, he had been up since 4 a.m. He drummed his fingers on the table waiting for everyone else to arrive.
The conference room door opened, and the secretary walked in carrying two steaming cappuccinos, followed by Serena.
She looked like a different person. The Serena that he took to the premiere wore layers of makeup and a dress worth more than a mortgage payment on his house. The Serena that walked in today had her flaxen hair pulled back into a ponytail and was wearing a white t-shirt and tight-fitting jeans with rips in the knees. He cursed as he felt his cock twitch. He knew that this was a business arrangement, but he needed to send that memo to all of his body parts.
He stood and took off his baseball hat. “Hello,” he smiled politely and reached out his hand.
Serena stopped and stared at his hand. She stepped close, right into his personal space, and wrapped her thin arms around his shoulders. He froze as she pressed her chest against his and he felt her warm breath on his earlobe. “You’d better be more convincing than that.”
Freddie pulled back and gently set his hands on Serena’s hips. She locked eyes with him, and he panicked. He’d never kissed anyone on cue before. His mind raced, trying to figure out whether he should go in hot and heavy, or if a kiss on the cheek would seem too chaste. He saw the secretary watching them and realized that he needed to do something. He reached for Serena’s hand and pulled it up to his lips, planting a kiss on the back of her hand. “Hello, Sweetheart,” he said.
The secretary turned and left. Serena shook her head as she pulled her hand from his grasp. “Nice try,” she muttered.
“What?” Freddie whispered. “I thought this whole thing was pretend, you know, for the cameras.”
“Sidney’s thinks we’re a real couple, in love. We need to make it believable,” she reached out and laced her fingers through his. They felt like bird bones, so fine he could crush them. There was no warmth, no excitement, it was as though they were in a lingering business handshake, their fingers were interwoven, but no energy passed between them.
Freddie reached for his coffee with his left hand.
“Wait,” Serena said.
Freddie paused and set the fancy coffee cup back on the saucer. “What?”
Serena pushed the coffees together, and that’s when Freddie noticed the cinnamon sprinkles on top were shaped in a heart.
“Put your left hand on the cup as if you’re about to pick it up.” She ordered.
“Why?”
“I’m going to post this.” Serena rested her perfectly manicured fingers on the handle of her coffee cup.
Freddie groaned. “You can’t be serious. Who cares about coffee? As a matter of fact, where’s that secretary? I didn’t order this fancy stuff.”
“I know,” Serena turned to him, her face serious, “I changed your order. Cappuccinos photograph so much better than plain coffee.”
“Whoa, hold on there, Missy—” Freddie could feel his face flush.
“Just do it, Freddie,” Serena interrupted.
What have I gotten myself into? Freddie sighed and rested his thick fingers on the coffee cup’s handle. Then, as a joke, he stuck his pinky finger out. He looked over to Serena and smiled.
She smiled but then rolled her eyes, “Come on.”
Freddie’s smile faded as he dutifully and awkwardly placed his hand on the cup and Serena proceeded to take fifteen different shots before they were interrupted by the arrival of the Sidney’s executives.
Freddie stood and pulled Serena’s chair out for her. She smiled sweetly and he rested his hand on her lower back, guiding her to the end of the table where they exchanged handshakes with the executives. He was always a gentleman, so acting the part of one wasn’t a challenge for him. But playing the part of a man in love with a shell of a woman like Serena, it was going to be the toughest thing he’s ever had to do.
The two executives sat across the table from Serena and Freddie. The balding man was the head of the marketing department for Sidney’s, and the attractive brunette was their lawyer. As the lawyer, Carolyn, walked them through the agreement, Freddie found himself studying her, and while she was older than him by at least ten years, he found the smile lines beside her eyes attractive. Her voice was silken, not like Serena’s valley girl baby voice, and the intelligence and poise she exuded was making him grow hard. He cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably in the leather chair as his cock pressed against the zipper of his jeans. His eyes went to Carolyn’s fingers and noticed that she wasn’t wearing a ring. This was the kind of woman he needed.
Freddie stopped listening to the words from the executives and started imagining what Carolyn’s undergarments looked like. He figured they had to be expensive and classy.
Serena slapped the side of Freddie’s thigh and he was jolted out of his daydream.
“Mr. Brush, are you able to agree to those terms?” The balding Mr. Clayburn repeated.
Freddie shook the silky lacy panties from his brain and cleared his throat. “Sure.”
“Okay, great.” Carolyn smiled. She pushed two copies of the thick contract toward Freddie and Serena and handed them pens. She pointed to several places throughout the contract and Freddie dutifully initialed and signed. He kept his eyes on the paper because he knew he wouldn’t be able to resist stealing a glance down Carolyn’s camisole as she leaned across the table.
“Alright, you crazy kids,” Carolyn smiled and gathered up the paperwork. She pushed the buzzer on the intercom and asked the receptionist to come in and make copies. “The first installment will be made today, and the balance will be funded at the end of the contract provided all of the terms are met.”
Freddie had no idea what he had just signed. When the receptionist returned with their copies, he took the thick manila envelope in his hands and felt a lump in his throat. Instead of ogling the lawyer, he should’ve been paying attention. What was wrong with him?
“How much is the first installment?” Freddie asked.
“It’s all outlined in the paperwork,” Serena whispered.
Carolyn smiled at Freddie. “It’s a lot to take in. The first installment is twenty percent.”
Freddie did some quick calculations, that meant forty thousand, split fifty-fifty, enough to get his truck fixed. How naïve could he be, thinking they were going to stroll into Sidney’s offices and walk out with a two hundred-thousand-dollar check.
“Thanks,” Freddie muttered.
“It was a pleasure doing business with you,” Mr. Clayburn said and stood up. They shook hands and the executives packed up their documents and strode out of the office. The whole meeting couldn’t have been longer than twenty minutes. Freddie and Serena were left standing alone in the conference room. Freddie gripped the back of the leather chair, unsure of what to do next.
He looked over at Serena, who grinned and pulled him in for a hug. “Congratulations, partner,” she whispered in his ear. “We just made a ton of money.”
It was business. That was how he was going to do it. Serena was his new business partner and together they were going to help fatten up each other’s bank accounts. He reached his hands up to Serena’s jaw and pulled her in for a kiss. An empty business kiss. Yes, he could do this.
She pulled back; her eyes wide.
“Is that better?” he grinned.
Serena nodded; her lips slightly agape.
“C’mon, sweetheart. Let’s go cash our check.”
Together they strutted through the hallways of the twentieth floor and once they were in the elevator, Serena screamed out and jumped into Freddie’s arms. He wasn’t ready for her exuberance but caught his fake girlfriend and gripped her tightly. It wasn’t until he set her down that he noticed the tears in her eyes.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m just happy, that’s all,” she smiled.
Freddie smiled back. Her voice had changed. The valley girl inflection was gone, and
he heard her voice as he’d never heard it before. It was an odd combination of sweet and husky.
She wiped away her tears and straightened up her t-shirt. “This is like, going to be fun.”
The baby talk was back.
Freddie slung his arm over her shoulder. “This is just a business arrangement, sweetheart. You remember that.”
She turned to stare at Freddie. “You’re the lucky one. YOU remember that,” she jabbed his chest with her finger. “And, you might want to read over the contract Einstein. No more ogling middle-aged lawyers, and you’re going to have to keep this in your pants,” she reached out and grabbed Freddie’s package.
He stiffened and pulled his arm from her shoulders, wondering what the contract said about physical contact. He didn’t like Serena, but this fiery side of her had really turned him on.
Chapter 9
“YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING me,” Charlotte said as she looked up from the paperwork. “You agreed to this?”
Freddie had deposited his twenty grand in the bank, pecked Serena on the cheek and promptly hopped on the bus back to Chance Rapids. On the ride, he pulled out the paperwork, but he was quickly lost in the legal jargon.
Now, he was sitting in the O’Hare real estate office, hoping that his brother’s girlfriend could provide him with some guidance.
“Um. Yeah,” Freddie said.
“Oh, Fred. You should’ve told me, or at least had a lawyer look it over. Did you know that you signed an NDA?”
“An N. D. What?” Freddie leaned forward onto Charlotte’s desk to see what she was pointing at.
“You’re technically breaking it right now, by showing this to me. You agreed to keep this deal secret from everyone. That means your mom, your friends, your brother. Me.”
“Wait, so everyone has to think that this is real? We can’t just tell them we signed a deal?” Freddie looked up at Charlotte. “I thought we would just take a couple of pictures and do some public appearances.”
Charlotte continued to flip through the pages of the thick document and shook her head. “If word gets out that this is a paid contract, you forfeit all the money and will have to return the deposit, plus interest.”
“I already spent it.” Freddie groaned and pressed his hands to his eyes.
“On what?” Charlotte set down the paperwork and stared at Freddie. “You’re not the spending type.”
“My truck died. That’s why I agreed to this whole...” He pointed to the contract, “thing.”
Charlotte pulled her thick black-framed glasses off and ran her fingers through her raven-colored hair. “Why didn’t you come to us? We could’ve helped you out with the cash. We’re not miracle workers. We can’t help you out of this mess.” She pointed to the contract with the end of her pen.
Charlotte was a multi-millionaire, who in all likelihood had more money than his brother.
“Thanks, Charlotte, Logan already offered to help with the truck, but I’m tired of taking money from him. He’s done so much for me already, I can’t always be leaning on my big brother.” He slumped into the chair. “I got myself into this mess, I’ll get myself out of it.”
Charlotte’s eyes softened and she got up from behind her desk and squeezed Freddie’s shoulder. “I get that.” She took a seat in the leather club chair beside Freddie and crossed her legs.
Since Charlotte was his brother’s high school sweetheart, he saw her as the sister he never had, but her sexiness wasn’t lost on him. His brother was a lucky man.
“This is what you’re going to do.” Charlotte set the paperwork back in Freddie’s hands. “You’re going to keep your mouth shut. You never showed me this.” She gripped the envelope before releasing it into his hands.
“I can’t ask you to do that,” Freddie said. “How can you keep this from Logan?”
“We’re going to be in the same boat, Fred. It sucks, but after the two months is over, we’ll be able to tell him. When you two ‘break up’...” she used air quotes, “after the contract is over, what you do and say is none of their business.”
“He’s going to think that I’ve lost my mind, getting engaged to Serena.”
“Yep,” Charlotte said. “The whole town is going to think you’ve gone off the deep end, but if you want the money, you’re going to have to sell this thing.” She sat up tall and smiled. “And I will help you. The first thing you have to do is propose.”
Freddie groaned. “Can’t she just take pictures of the ring?”
Charlotte laughed. “There are three paragraphs dedicated to the details of your proposal. And, you have to go sample wedding cakes, pick out invitations, the whole shebang. Get ready, Freddie, your new girlfriend is going to be your full-time job.”
“Speaking of girlfriend,” Freddie’s voice trailed off.
Charlotte turned to face him, her eyes dancing; she knew what he was asking. “That’s not outlined in the contract because they think you’re a real couple. So, if you decide that you want to, you know, consummate your fake engagement, that’s up to the two of you.”
“She’s a terrible person Charlotte, but you never know,” Freddie smiled wryly.
“And you’re a man, but Freddie, don’t get wrapped up in this woman.”
It was Freddie’s turn to laugh. “Come on, Charlotte. She’s the last person on Earth I would ever want to be with.”
“Just keep it that way,” Charlotte replied. “Now let’s plan your proposal.”
Chapter 10
THE SUN STREAMED IN through the curtains at the Willowrun long-term care facility. Serena stretched her arms and rolled her head back and forth. It wasn’t the first time she had slept in the chair next to her dad’s bed. She rubbed her shoulder and then reached for her dad’s hand. Leaning in close to his ear, she whispered, “I’m getting engaged today.”
This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. She should be asking him to walk her down the aisle. Her father remained motionless and Serena kissed him on the cheek. “You’re going to be there for my real wedding, I promise you that.”
It had been a week since they had signed the Sidney’s paperwork and Serena had transferred her dad to Willowrun. It felt odd knowing that there was a man traveling to the city to propose to her. It wasn’t how she envisioned her engagement, but if it helped her dad, she was willing to give up romantic notions about her proposal.
She asked to be kept out of the loop on the details for the evening. She figured that would help with her look of surprise. However, the next thing on her to-do list was to get a fresh manicure. A perk to knowing when a man is about to kneel in front of you means that you can be sure your nails are in tip-top shape.
THE SUN WAS SETTING as Freddie pulled up in front of Serena’s building, the orange glow glinted off the tall glass building and into his eyes. He wished he had his sunglasses with him. He pulled out his phone and texted her, “Here.”
She texted back, “Ok.”
The instructions said that the proposal needed to be formal and extravagant. For the millionth time, Freddie patted the jacket pocket of the suit he had worn to the premiere, relaxing as he felt the pointy edges of the ring box, he hadn’t lost it yet. The box felt heavy, like a chunk of lead, weighing down his pocket and his entire body.
Sidney’s had let him pick out the ring. As he stared at the rows of royal blue boxes, he realized that he had no idea what Serena would like. In the showroom lights, the diamonds glittered like they were winking at him, mocking his indecision. He squeezed his eyes shut and imagined holding the hand of his girlfriend, a real girlfriend, and what her ring would look like; then it was easy. That ring would have a thin band and a simple square stone, like the one in the middle of the display case. His decision was made. “That one,” he said, pointing to the biggest and most extravagant ring, the one with three big diamonds surrounded by smaller diamonds, with even more diamonds crusted on the band. The executives had raised their eyebrows at his selection, but after signing more paperwork, Freddie
was on his way.
“What, you can’t even come inside to get me?” she asked as Freddie opened the truck door for her.
She hopped inside and Freddie walked back around shaking his head. Part of his plan for surviving the next two months was to bite his tongue.
He started up the engine and said under his breath, “The cameras aren't rolling right now, sweetheart.” He signaled and pulled the truck onto the busy road.
She shrugged and scrolled through her phone.
By now, his dislike for Serena was growing stronger with every second they spent together, but he had to admit the woman knew how to dress. Her hair was half pinned up and cascaded down over her tanned shoulders in loose waves. He looked away when she started taking pictures of herself. Whatever guy ends up with her is going to be one lonely man, he thought to himself.
When Freddie and Charlotte were making the plans for the proposal, Freddie quickly realized that he shouldn't have spent the entire $20,000; the fake courtship was going to cost him an arm and a leg. He helped Serena out of the truck, handed the keys and a twenty to the valet and the two of them walked hand-in-hand into the restaurant. He caught people whispering as they walked by, to an outsider they likely looked like a celebrity couple in love. Which meant that the façade was working.
The maitre’d pulled out the chair for Serena. Freddie looked around, noting the restaurant was definitely not his scene. There were crisp white tablecloths, more forks than he knew what to do with, a pianist playing classical music, and the menu wasn’t even in English.
Serena took photos of the table setting, photos of the menu, photos of her hand holding her glass, and almost as an afterthought, she asked their server to take a picture of her and Freddie. As they held up their champagne flutes, he’d never felt more like a fraud in his life.
The portion sizes were miniscule with the food piled so intricately on his plate, he didn't even know how to approach eating it. Even after dessert, he was still starving. When Serena excused herself to go to the ladies’ room, he pulled out the piece of paper he had kept folded into his jacket pocket to consult the schedule.
