Fake Fiancé for Christmas

by Emily Bow

  “Got it,” Chance said, as if I’d spoken out loud. “We’re out of here.” He patted his brother on the shoulder. “Catch you later, bro.” He looked at Bitsie, who seemed lost. “Come get a drink with Holly and me.”

  Bitsie opened and closed her mouth.

  “Yeah, fun,” I said.

  Bitsie looked at Madison. “Sure. How about The Spot? They have the cutest bartenders.”

  Meow.

  Madison flinched.

  I grabbed Bitsie’s arm, and we left.

  We walked to The Spot, where we had a couple drinks. Chance asked a few questions about Madison. Anytime he did, Bitsie and I looked at each other and kept out mouths shut.

  When Chance hit the bar, Bitsie raised her glass. “Sisterhood secrecy.”

  ***

  “Stop texting me.” Chance’s text came through as I left anatomy class.

  I hadn’t texted him. Was he playing? I messaged him back. “You must be confusing me with your other fake girlfriend.”

  I dodged a trio of carolers and a temporary, chestnut-roasting kiosk raising funds for a student group.

  “Madison wants my brother at her bridal gown selection thing. Tyler wants me there.” Chance then texted an address.

  Madison wanted Tyler to see her dress before the big event? That didn’t sound like her. “Have fun with that.” I opened my car door and turned the engine on to get the heat going before clicking open my trunk and stowing my backpack. I hurried back into my car and shut my door against the cold.

  I read Chance’s text while turning the heat higher. “Seems like something a girlfriend would do for her guy.”

  I left my gloves on rather than touch the cold steering wheel. Luckily, the gloves had finger pads so I could still text him. “Hmm. Just checked the rulebook. Nope.”

  “I have a theory I want to test.”

  “So I’m your lab rat?”

  “Will that get me a yes? Then absolutely. Come to my cage, my pre-med lab rat.”

  I grinned and adjusted the radio to a pop station. “Hot. You sure know how to sweet talk a girl.”

  “I’ll buy you a dress.”

  What? Insulting. Hurt flitted through me. “I can buy my own frocks. Was my winter formal ware not up to your standards?”

  “You were gorgeous. You are gorgeous.”

  Was I? That was lovely. Inside warming, reluctance-meltingly sweet. “Why do you want to buy me a dress? Taking me someplace special?”

  “If you like. Get here, and I’ll explain.”

  Chapter 14.

  I pushed out a sigh. I wanted to see Chance, but I had studying to do and lunch to grab. I debated with myself for a few minutes. If I kept the visit brief, I’d be fine. I plugged in the address for the bridal shop, which was only a ten-minute drive away.

  My car’s interior had only just gotten toasty when I arrived. My jeans and white snowflake sweater would have to suffice. I wished my sweater weren’t white as I wasn’t the bride, but other than a spare set of gym clothes in my trunk, I had no other options. I ran a brush through my hair, powdered my nose, and applied a layer of cranberry lipstick.

  Primping done, I hurried inside and handed my coat and gloves to the attendant. “I’m with Madison and Tyler’s wedding party. The Kentwell wedding.”

  The attendant arched her thin eyebrows discretely and looked impressed by the Kentwell name. She showed me to the back of the building. The décor was white: carpet, walls, and drapes.

  Chance and his brother sat on two white leather thrones staring at their phones. I greeted them and Chance patted his legs.

  Okay.

  Our sorority had a rule about daytime lap-sitting, one of our stronger initiatives, but this wasn’t an official event.

  I sat on Chance’s lap. He laid one arm above my knees, and I put mine around his shoulders. His arm on my thighs felt even better than it had when we’d been on the porch swing and he’d rubbed my calves. I wished Tyler were elsewhere so Chance could absently stroke my legs now. My insides thrummed at the image in my mind, but given the public nature of our outing, I shifted my attention into neutral and looked for a distraction.

  Chance had his phone open to a Tolkien novel.

  “That for a class?”

  Chance flushed. “No.”

  “I like fantasy too. And Sci-Fi.” I softened my voice.

  “Still round the corner there may wait, a new road or secret gate,” Chance read aloud.

  Tyler looked over. “One ring to rule them all,” he said, quoting Tolkien too. “Good wedding one, huh? Put that in your toast.”

  “Guys?” Madison’s voice came through the white shingled fitting room door. “Maybe you could just play some music instead of hobbitting out quotes while I search for my dress?” Madison sounded irritated, and it made me wonder how long they’d been spouting hobbit speech.

  Comfortable, secure. I leaned against Chance, breathing in his lovely cologne, and put my lips to his ear. “What are we doing?”

  Chance turned his head toward mine and our faces were really close. He cupped my jaw and rubbed his thumb against my cheek.

  My lips parted.

  His eyes searched mine.

  Oooh. Melting.

  “Holly!” Madison’s sharp voice sounded.

  I startled, which broke the spell Chance was weaving around me.

  Madison strode to a raised platform in a fitted white dress and put her hands on her hips. “What are you doing here?”

  I looked between her and Tyler. “You’re letting him see your wedding dress?”

  “Of course not, these are for the reception. I’ll be his wife at that point so those outfits are on the groom.”

  “Oh.” I’d never heard that rule. Wife. Marriage. Those words sounded big.

  Madison twirled. “I’m deciding between two or three dresses. There’s the reception dress, of course, and the going away dress. Do I want to change in the middle of the reception is the question?”

  “Maybe, if there’s dancing?” I said.

  Madison nodded. “What are you doing here?”

  Chance rubbed my arm. “I surprised Holly. I thought she should have a treat for the reception too.”

  I wasn’t sure this was a treat for me.

  His brother reached over and punched his shoulder. “You just wanted your girl on your lap.”

  “Yeah.” Chance held up his palms, then he scooped me up before letting me slide to my feet. The strength of his arms. Wow. “You don’t mind if Holly picks out a dress. Do you bro?”

  “Hell’s no.” Tyler said. “Buy something pretty, Holly.” Tyler dropped his gaze back to his phone as Madison fumed behind him. Tyler said, “Listen to this, at weddings, Czechs throw peas instead of birdseed.” He snickered.

  Madison stared hard at him. “No one throws birdseed anymore. Weeds sprout. We’ll be using blush pink rose petals.” She went back to her dressing room.

  Chance drew me away from them. “I need you to buy a really expensive dress.”

  “I’m a student. So no.”

  “On me,” he said assuredly.

  I tilted my head and put my fingers to my lips in an exaggerated gesture as if considering his offer. “Not a bimbo, so no.”

  Chance pulled me closer again. I loved how his hands moved me, a total turn on.

  He put his lips to my ear. I didn’t think we were within hearing range of anyone, but I let him get closer, because the sensation felt nice. I shivered as his lips touched my earlobe and put my hand on his waist.

  Chance shifted even closer and our legs touched. “I’m pretty good at spotting users. I’m not getting the best feeling from Madison. I’d never say that to my brother. But if we run a few tests, he’ll come to his own conclusions, or Madison will prove me wrong.”

  Yikes. I stilled. I didn’t know Madison’s true feelings or lack thereof for Tyler, but I did know she had a recent ex. Maybe Chance was picking up o
n that somehow. I shook my head. Any bride would be annoyed if another lady upstaged her bridal shopping. Madison would be normal to be pissed. Didn’t he get that? “It’s not my place.”

  Chance traced his fingers down my arm.

  “I don’t know how I feel about a trap.”

  “The thing about traps are, you only fall into them if you’re someplace you shouldn’t be.”

  This wasn’t going to get me on Santa’s nice list, but I’d been chafing all semester under Madison’s presidency, and I couldn’t help feeling a bit justified for shining a light on the more negative facets of Madison’s personality. I nodded. “Take your throne, sire, I’ll find a dress.”

  I wandered the store, and a helper wearing a sleek black dress with high heels came up to me. “May I help you, miss?”

  “I’m looking for a reception dress. Nothing bridal though. A guest dress.”

  The helper nodded. “Did you have an appointment?”

  Obviously not. “No, but I want to try on your top five most expensive dresses.” I’d never uttered such an odd phrase in my life.

  The helper said, “We’d love that. Of course, we can set up an appointment for you. We want you to have top level treatment.”

  “I don’t need top level treatment. Just a handful of gowns. I’m with the Kentwell party and can share their dressing rooms, if that helps?”

  The lady’s expression stilled. “I’m sure we can work something out. You have a seat and I’ll bring a few lovelies back.”

  Madison was going to be exceedingly angry. My stomach churned with certain knowledge that this would bite me in the backside. I returned to the private sitting area and slipped into an empty dressing room. I tried to ignore thoughts of an irritated Madison because I had a higher cause, but she was only a door away. I kicked off my sneakers, peeled off my clothes, and put on the white satin robe which had the store’s logo embroidered on the front.

  There was a tap on the white-shingled door. “Come in.”

  The helper carried in five sample dresses.

  I set two aside as not to my taste and kept the other three stunning gowns. When I was punished for this transgression later, I wanted to have at least enjoyed the act.

  The first one I tried on was midnight blue with artistic beading. Fitted from halter neck to floor length hem. I could barely walk, but the gown was a gorgeous piece of art. I emerged from the room.

  Chance whistled.

  I liked his appreciation and would have spun for him if I could move easier.

  “Step up on the platform so I can see you reflected in the mirrors.” His deep voice held admiration.

  My tentative smile fell. I was simply a fake girlfriend, and he was offering me fake appreciation. I had to remember that.

  I held out my hand so he could help me up the steps. The dress was that tight. His eyes sparkled and he looked me up and down. He either had an unhealthy anticipation of poking Madison, or he actually liked how I looked in this dress.

  I moved to the center of the platform and managed a slow half-turn.

  Chance clapped.

  Tyler ignored us, playing on his phone.

  Madison came out of the dressing room in a mermaid style white sequined dress. She froze when she saw me. “What are you doing?”

  I pushed a loose strand of my hair back into my clip.

  Chance swung me down. “I wanted Holly to have a new dress for the reception too. It’ll be fun if she changes midway also. And she’ll need a rehearsal dress. That’s how these things go, you said.”

  Madison held up her left hand and wiggled her ring finger. “That’s how things go for the bride.” Her words were tight.

  “You don’t mind though, do you?”

  Madison’s chest rose up and down as she tried to draw a deep breath. “This is my appointment. Why don’t you two set up your own appointment? I’m sure the shop can manage that. Aren’t you?”

  Tyler looked up from his phone. “That looks nice, Holly. Get that one.” His obliviousness was throwing fuel on the fire. “You too, babe,” he said to his fiancée. “Take that one.”

  Madison shook her head. “I hate this one. I’d never wear this one.” She gave me a filthy look, spun on her heel, and went back into her dressing room.

  I bit my lip. No matter what she’d done prior to this, I felt bad.

  “One more,” Chance said, his green eyes speculative.

  I shook my head. “This isn’t fair.” I kept my voice low. He didn’t need a rift with his brother, and once Tyler got an earful after this event, that was what could happen. Tyler could easily take his fiancée’s side on this fiasco, and he should.

  Chance’s green eyes hardened. He put his lips to my ear. “She threw you and Bitsie out of your own ballroom in the middle of the event. In front of everyone. She didn’t let it go. She didn’t take you aside. Indulge me. Try on another dress.”

  That was true. Bitsie’s face flitted through my mind. The other girls looking at us as we left.

  “Please.”

  His please got me. I breathed out and nodded.

  The next dress I tried on was cranberry red with a fitted square bodice, swing skirt, and a flirty hem. I fluffed the skirt, added another layer of my lipstick, which happened to match, and stepped out.

  Chance’s eyes lit. “That one.”

  Madison peeked from her doorway. “Are you done yet? Let me know when you’re done. Then I can come out.”

  “Babe, there’s room on the platform for both of you. Going one at a time will take all day.” Tyler sounded impatient. “We’ve been here three hours already.”

  Madison craned her neck and narrowed her gaze at me. Her brown eyes flashed temper. “Don’t you know not to wear red to a wedding? No red, no white, no black, no cream. No garland green like the bridesmaids. Color codes are not that complicated. If you can’t figure out what to wear, just choose blush pink like the other girls.”

  “I didn’t know those rules,” Chance said. “Madison might be right. Try on the other gown.”

  Madison hissed out a breath and closed her dressing door with a bang.

  My last dress didn’t work with Madison’s criteria either. The fabric was a shimmering winter white, strapless, with heart-shaped bodice. While understated, the dress was simply the most beautiful gown I’d ever worn.

  The outfit came with a hair tie in the same shimmering, magical fabric with inlaid faux diamonds. I tied up my hair, which showed off my shoulders. The dress, though white, didn’t appear bridal at all. The effect was a va-va-voom, but also expensive, so the look stayed on the classy side of alluring. And the shimmer. This dress looked like Christmas. I wanted Chance to see me in the dress, to unwrap me in this dress.

  I walked out and climbed the platform, checking out my reflection in the three-way mirror. The fabric sparkled like the most beautiful gem.

  “Wow.” Chance rose and strode over. “That one.” He glued his gaze to me and I believed his appreciation. My heart thumped.

  Tyler nodded behind him. “That’s your dress.”

  “You have to get all three,” Chance said. “But definitely that one.”

  I shook my head.

  Madison made a cutoff sound from her dressing room. “Darling, if she’s getting three dresses, I want four. I’ll change four times.”

  Tyler looked at the door leading to Madison as if it held back a crazed caged animal. “How long is the reception going to take?”

  I stepped down from the platform. “I’ve got a class. I’d better change and get out of here.”

  Chance followed me inside the dressing room.

  Chapter 15.

  Chance eyed the hanging gowns. “I’ll have the dresses sent to you.”

  I shook my head and gave a smile. “No. Thanks. That was almost fun though.” Trying on the luxury gowns had been entertaining, annoying Madison had not.

  Chance frowned and placed his hands on my wai
st. They were warm and strong through the delicate fabric. He turned me so I faced the mirror. He got behind me and molded his body to mine. His strong muscles. The hardness of his body pushed against the softness of mine.

  This man wanted me. My knees weakened.

  The mirror reflected us, and he caught my gaze in the glass. “That’s your dress.”

  I didn’t need a new dress. I didn’t need a guy to buy me a dress. And I didn’t feel great about hijacking Madison’s appointment. I shook my head but didn’t move.

  Chance put his arm around my waist as if I’d escape. His grip and his eyes were possessive. “Look at you. You’re always beautiful, but…wow.”

  With Chance behind me, we made a sexy couple in the boutique’s gilt mirror. Too bad it wasn’t…real. Did he see what I saw in our reflection? An attraction that had us glued together? I shook my head again. The back of my head fit perfectly against his shoulder, but I wasn’t certain what I was denying.

  Chance spun so he blocked my view of the mirror and cupped my face. “I want you to own this dress.” His voice deepened. “The gift has nothing to do with the wedding reception. Or anyone else. I want you to have that dress, and I want you to wear it for me.” The intent in his voice charmed me, and his words went over me like a delicious wish.

  My heart pounded, and I couldn’t move.

  His arms circled me, and he undid the zipper.

  Hell yes. I nodded, not certain to what I was agreeing to, but in that moment, I was all in.

  Chance traced my spine with his fingers.

  All of me melted and heated. I shivered.

  Chance lowered his eyelids, blinked, and then eased away, leaving me in the dressing room. Alone.

  The door clicked behind him.

  He’d left me shaken, stirred, and confused. I was the olive in a martini, and he’d placed me back on the bar without taking a sip.