Not Pretending Anymore

by Penelope Ward

  She walked over to the desk and handed me a small, pink-velour pillow. “Squeeze it,” she said.

  When I did, I heard my father’s voice. “Love you, my sweet Molly.”

  I hugged it tightly as tears filled my eyes.

  I squeezed it again. “Love you, my sweet Molly.”

  His voice sounded frail. He must have recorded it toward the end of his life.

  I turned to her. “Oh my God. When did he do this?”

  “I’m not sure exactly, but he left it in the box of stuff he gave me that was designated for you.”

  Wiping my eyes, I squeezed it a few more times, cherishing the sound of my dad’s voice.

  “I thought receiving that birthday card was amazing, but nothing beats getting to hear his voice again.”

  “I know he wanted to do a lot more toward the end—wanted to make an entire series of videos for you and your sisters—but he was just too weak and ultimately didn’t want to be remembered that way.”

  “Can I take this home?”

  “Of course you can. It’s yours!”

  I hugged her. “Thank you, Kayla. I have no idea what’s coming next on this scavenger hunt, but I am certain nothing can beat this.”

  “Declan loves you so much. You got yourself a good man there.”

  “Tell Siobhan I’ll call her to take her out next week.”

  “She’ll love that.”

  I picked up the envelope before heading back downstairs.

  As Kayla stood at the door and waved goodbye, I thought about how differently I viewed her now. I was grateful my father had gotten to spend his last days with someone who made him feel fulfilled.

  In the privacy of my car, I opened the envelope to find out where I was headed next.

  Because I know you need your favorite candy when you’re emotional—and not just a small amount. A lot.

  A lot. The bulk candy store!

  I looked up the address and made my way there.

  A bell dinged when I opened the door to Poppy’s Candyland. A woman at the counter smiled at me.

  “Hi…I’m Molly,” I said. “I believe you might have an envelope for me?”

  “Sure do.” She handed me a plastic bag. “But first, feel free to peruse our candy selection.” She winked and pointed to the left corner of the room. “The M&Ms are that way.”

  Heading over, I noticed there were two M&M compartments, one filled with primary rainbow colors, and one that contained all pink with a sign that read Molly’s.

  I broke out in laughter. How the heck? The amount of effort Declan had put into this scavenger hunt was unbelievable.

  Filling my bag with my favorite pink M&Ms, I took it over to the counter so she could weigh it.

  “No need to pay.” She shook her head. “Your friend gave us more than enough to cover the cost of that bag.” She handed me the envelope. “And here you go.”

  “Thank you so much.” I smiled.

  Back out on the sidewalk, I ripped open the envelope.

  Because I miss you, it’s time to go back to the place where it all started. See you soon.

  As much fun as this had been, I was eager to get back to the apartment and kiss that crazy man for coming up with this idea.

  Wearing a permasmile, I drove back in the direction of our apartment building.

  Once back home, carrying my bag of M&Ms and my father’s pillow, I reached the top of the stairs. A familiar sight brought a feeling of nostalgia—the same Tupperware container Declan had left at my door exactly two years ago. If it hadn’t been for those cupcakes—those delicious cupcake tops I’d devoured—I might never have given in and called Declan to offer him the room.

  I bent down to open the container. Six cupcakes with white frosting sat inside. And written atop them were six different words.

  Will

  You

  Marry

  Me?

  Do

  It!

  Covering my mouth with my hand, I froze and stood up. When I turned around, Declan was behind me holding…a laundry basket. He’d apparently gone downstairs to fetch the clothes I’d abandoned upon discovering the first envelope.

  His eyes widened, and he put the basket down. “Shit! How fast did you drive? You got here sooner than I thought. The clerk at the candy store texted me when you left. I was supposed to be standing behind the door on bended knee when you came inside. But I figured I’d fetch the clothes you left downstairs first.” He exhaled. “Shit. The ring is on the kitchen counter. So much for a flawless proposal. Damn it, I—”

  I practically leapt forward and cut him off with a long kiss. “This was perfect. Everything was perfect.”

  “Except my timing.”

  “We’ve always sucked at timing. But then we finally got it right. And by the way, you doing the laundry is almost as sexy as a choreographed proposal on bended knee.” I shook my head. “I never dreamed this day was going to turn into a proposal. Oh my God, Declan.”

  As he squeezed me, I could feel his heart pounding.

  “Can we at least pretend I got it right? Give me two minutes to put this laundry basket away.” He lifted it off the ground. “I’ll tell you when, and then you can come in. Okay?”

  I laughed. “Okay, crazy man. Just tell me when.”

  He turned around. “You’re gonna say yes, right?”

  I wiped my eyes. “Yes.”

  “Okay, then I’ll proceed.”

  He closed the door behind him. After about three minutes, I could hear him from behind the door. “You can come in now!”

  When I opened, Declan wasn’t on his knee, nor was there a ring in sight.

  “This whole day has been about surprises,” he said. “What’s one more?” His eyes gleamed.

  The next thing I knew, a dozen different voices shouted, “Surprise!” People emerged from every corner of the apartment. There were pink balloons and people rushing toward me. My mother. Kayla. Siobhan. Emma. And oh my God! Declan’s parents. And two of his sisters!

  It took me a few minutes to finish hugging everyone and wiping my tears. Then I went in search of Declan and couldn’t find him anywhere. Until I looked down and found him on his knees.

  He looked up at me. “If you think today showed how much I love you, think again. There is nothing I could do to demonstrate the depth of how I feel. Molly Corrigan, I wish I could say from the moment we met I’ve been in love with you. But that wasn’t the case. You were my friend before you were ever my lover. I grew to like and respect you long before I fell deeply in love with you. But once that happened, there was no going back. Moving to Chicago was the second easiest decision I ever had to make. The easiest was deciding to propose to you today, the second anniversary of the luckiest day of my life.” He opened the box, displaying a gorgeous, round, sparkling solitaire. “Will you marry me?”

  I was too overcome with emotion to enunciate yes, although technically I’d already said it out in the hallway.

  He placed the ring on my finger and stood, pulling me in for a hug. I’d nearly forgotten I was still holding the pillow from my father until Dad’s voice rang out: “Love you, my sweet Molly.”

  Yup, Dad was here, too. I didn’t think this day could get any better, but every moment kept showing me it could.

  “Yes, Mr. Corrigan. I heard you. Don’t worry.” Declan smiled as he looked down at me. “I’ll take good care of her.”

  FREE FOR OUR READERS!

  Dear Readers,

  We hope you’ve enjoyed reading Not Pretending Anymore. We’d love to stay in touch and invite you to join our mailing list and receive back a NEW, FREE short story.

  For a Good Time Call

  Ever see For a good time call scribbled on the bathroom wall of a bar? Sure you have. Ever wonder what would happen if you had a few too many drinks and actually called the number? Well, now you don’t have to wonder anymore, because I’ll tell you… It blows up in your face when you suddenly realize who Mr. Good Time is.

  ACKN
OWLEDGEMENTS

  * * *

  Thank you to all of the amazing bloggers who helped spread the news about Not Pretending Anymore to readers. We are so grateful for all of your support.

  To Julie – Thank you for your friendship and always being up for our little adventures!

  To Luna –Thank you for your friendship, encouragement and support. Your strength and determination inspires us always.

  To our super agent, Kimberly Brower – Thank you for always believing in us and working so hard on our behalf!

  To Jessica – It’s always a pleasure working with you as our editor. Thank you for making sure Molly and Declan were ready for the world.

  To Elaine – An amazing editor, proofer, formatter, and friend. We so appreciate you!

  To Julia – Thank you for being our final set of eyes.

  To Kylie and Jo at Give Me Books Promotions – Our releases would simply be impossible without your hard work and dedication to helping us promote them.

  To Sommer – Thank you for bringing Declan to life on the cover. Your work is perfection.

  To Brooke – Thank you for organizing this release and for taking some of the load off of our endless to-do lists each day.

  Last but not least, to our readers – We keep writing because of your hunger for our stories. We love surprising you and hope you enjoyed this book as much as we did writing it. Thank you as always for your enthusiasm, love and loyalty. We cherish you!

  Much love,

  Penelope and Vi

  OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE WARD & VI KEELAND

  * * *

  Park Avenue Player

  Stuck-Up Suit

  Cocky Bastard

  Mister Moneybags

  British Bedmate

  Playboy Pilot

  Rebel Heir

  Rebel Heart

  My Favorite Souvenir

  Hate Notes

  Dirty Letters

  Happily Letter After

  OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE WARD

  * * *

  The Crush

  The Anti-Boyfriend

  Just One Year

  The Day He Came Back

  When August Ends

  Love Online

  Gentleman Nine

  Drunk Dial

  Mack Daddy

  RoomHate

  Stepbrother Dearest

  Neighbor Dearest

  Jaded and Tyed (A novelette)

  Sins of Sevin

  Jake Undone (Jake #1)

  Jake Understood (Jake #2)

  My Skylar

  Gemini

  OTHER BOOKS BY VI KEELAND

  * * *

  The Invitation

  The Rivals

  Inappropriate

  All Grown Up

  We Shouldn’t

  The Naked Truth

  Sex, Not Love

  Beautiful Mistake

  Egomaniac

  Bossman

  The Baller

  Left Behind (A Young Adult Novel)

  Beat

  Throb

  Worth the Fight

  Worth the Chance

  Worth Forgiving

  Belong to You

  Made for You

  First Thing I See

  CONNECT WITH THE AUTHORS

  * * *

  Enjoy Not Pretending Anymore? Then connect with the authors!

  Join Penelope Ward’s reading group

  Join Vi Keeland’s reading group

  Follow Penelope Ward on Instagram

  Follow Vi Keeland on Instagram

  Check out Penelope Ward’s website

  Check out Vi Keeland’s website

  BEFORE YOU GO!

  Before you go, we invite you to read the first chapter of Park Avenue Player, a blockbuster Amazon #1 Bestselling book!

  CHAPTER 1

  * * *

  Elodie

  Sometimes, I wished I was ugly. Maybe not giant-wart-on-your-nose, three-of-my-teeth-turned-black-and-those-are-the-only-ones-I-have, scar-running-down-my-cheek, thinning-haired-woman-comb-over ugly—because I do have to look at my own reflection every once in a while—but it would be nice to walk into a room and not get eye-fucked by every shiny-suit-wearing, stockbroker asshole in the bar.

  Do I sound bitter? I’m sorry. But downtown stockbroker bars always get to me. Aren’t brokers just used car salesmen in fancier suits? If they’re so great about picking stocks, why aren’t they home counting their thousand dollar bills earned from gold-laden investments, rather than selling advice to others?

  I was minimally grateful that tonight’s catch wasn’t a stockbroker.

  Speaking of which… My target had just noticed me. It took the leering pig a solid minute to work his way up to my face. At least this cheater looked exactly like the picture we’d been given: tall, fit, inky black hair slicked back, square jaw, imperious nose. Squinty eyes. One look, and I knew I’d walk the other way if this weren’t a job.

  My unsuspecting opponent for tonight was an attorney from the Upper West Side—an entertainment lawyer with a penchant for fucking starlets who hadn’t yet learned to look beneath the three-thousand-dollar wool suit and check for a wolf.

  Our non-refundable retainer was forty hours for this job. I’d bet money I could be done in a fraction of that time. Hmmm…maybe I will bet. Soren was always up for a little wager. Of course, it was a win-win for him since it motivated me to finish the job quickly, which, in turn, meant I was free to start another one sooner.

  Only, I hoped there wouldn’t be any more jobs like this one. I had an interview for a real job tomorrow night—one that didn’t involve getting pawed on a daily basis—and with any luck, this crap would soon be over.

  Sensing Larry the lawyer ogling me across the bar again, I fluttered my lashes as I looked up and shot him my best you’re-a-big-rich-tough-guy-and-I’m-just-a-little-old-stupid-girl smile. Just for fun, I added a twirl of my naturally platinum hair as I hoisted my D cups in his direction. His flat-chested brunette wife had mentioned he favored blondes with big boobs.

  You’re in luck, Larry. Ring-a-ding-ding. Come and get it, you dog.

  By the time I finished texting Soren about a wager, the courthouse conniver was already at my side.

  “You look like you could use a drink,” he said.

  I bit my lip and cast my eyes down, feigning shyness for a few seconds, then raised my big baby blues to him. “I don’t usually drink with strangers.”

  He offered me his hand. “Garrett Lopresti.”

  And so it begins. Lie number one, Larry Mercer.

  Putting my hand in his, we shook. “Sienna Bancroft.”

  He didn’t let go. “Now we’re not strangers, are we, Sienna?”

  I smiled, as if flattered by his attention. As if men being attracted to long legs and a great rack wasn’t the bane of my existence. When my phone buzzed, I knew it was Soren. “Excuse me just a moment.”

  Soren: Leo just parked. He should be inside any minute.

  Elodie: I’m feeling lucky. Or should I say Larry is feeling he might get lucky tonight with Sienna. What do you say to my wager?

  Soren responded seconds later.

  Soren: Pull this job off in four hours or less, and I’ll double your fee.

  Sorry, Larry/Garrett. You won’t even be copping a cheap feel tonight. But what you will be getting…is exactly what you deserve.

  I tossed my phone into my purse and tilted my head coyly. “Did you mention a drink?”

  Sometimes I felt badly about what I did. There were two sides to every story, and we only got to hear one of them. On occasion, the women who hired us were nasty bitches. Although that still didn’t give any man the right to cheat. Walk away, Prospective Mr. Cheater. There was always that option.

  But then sometimes we got a bitchy wife coupled with a husband that took weeks to secure even the slightest hint of infidelity on camera. I might have felt a touch of guilt with those jobs. But tonight was definitely not one of those nights.

&n
bsp; Thirty minutes after Garrett suggested we sit in a booth so we could have privacy, his wedding-ring-indented hand was on my knee under the table. Such a slimeball. Yet I still had to play along, knowing Leo wouldn’t be able to catch the hand with his video camera on the other side of the bar.

  I wanted his hand off my knee.

  I wanted him away from me.

  So I played dirty. The camera wouldn’t be able to capture what I said.

  He’d been staring at my lips the last few minutes like he was about to devour them. I hated when any of my jobs kissed me on the mouth—or kissed me at all, for that matter. So a little push in the right direction was definitely in order. The bastard opened the door, enabling me to kick him right through.

  “So whatta you say we get out of here?” he suggested. “Go back to your place?”

  I leaned in and lowered my voice. “Don’t I get to sample the goods before I take them home?”

  “Gorgeous, you can have anything you want. What do you have on your mind?”

  “Well…” I pushed my arms tight against my sides, causing my breasts to pop up and out of my already low-cut blouse, showcasing a ridiculous amount of cleavage. His eyes followed. “My neck is very sensitive. I like the skin under my ear sucked.”

  “I can do that. But what are you going to suck for me in return?”

  I swallowed the bile in my throat and forced a smile. “Whatever you want.”

  I didn’t even have a chance to brace myself before he was on me. His mouth went straight for my neck. I let him get in a few disgusting kisses and sucks before I glanced over to where I knew Leo was positioned. He gave me a curt nod, and I shoved Larry back and lied through my teeth.