by Nikki Chase
“After just a few days? I don’t know…”
“When you started going out with George, after your second date, you didn’t come home for a whole week” I remind her.
“Well, yes, but that was different.”
“Different how? You didn’t know him either. You guys met at a coffee shop.”
“Yeah, okay. You got me there,” Carly says. “But Piper, that’s why I’m calling. That’s what I want to talk to you about.”
“About Raphael?” I ask.
“Yeah. So, don’t get mad at me, but my mom kind of runs in the same social circles as the Holts,” Carly says. “I asked her about Raphael. Did you know he went to jail?”
“He what?”
“See? You don’t know him as well as you think. ”
“What else do you know?”
“Not much. Literally, all I know is that he was in prison at some point, and he got out a few years ago. There aren’t any news articles on it or anything, so it doesn’t seem to be a big crime. But he’s still an ex-con. You don’t know this guy. Maybe you shouldn’t go globe-trotting with him just yet.”
“Thanks for letting me know, Carly,” I say. “But everything is already arranged. We’re leaving tonight.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“You said it yourself, he got out a few years ago, so I can assume that he hasn’t committed any crime for years now. Besides, I don’t know, he doesn’t strike me as a bad guy.” I lower my voice so nobody inside can hear me. It would be weird for me not to know my own fiancé’s criminal record.
“But if you don’t know something that big about him, what else do you not know? Do you even know for sure that he’s your real landlord? Has he ever shown you his ID?”
“Well, no, but… But I’m sure he’s the real landlord, okay? He knows the dates when I’m supposed to pay rent, the name of the property manager, the amount of rent I owe… Just… He’s my real landlord, okay?”
Carly pauses, hesitating, before she asks, “Did anything happen between you two? Are you together for real now?”
Damn, she’s sharp.
“No,” I say cautiously.
“Piper? Did you… Did you guys sleep together?”
“We shared a bed, yes, but nothing happened,” I say, the words sounding more defensive than I mean them to.
“Nothing, huh?” Carly asks, obviously not buying my story.
“Listen, I’m just calling to ask you to check on McClaw once a day. You don’t mind doing that, right?”
“Of course not. I miss the little asshole,” Carly says.
“Okay, good. I’ll, uh, let you know if something bad happens, okay? I’m sure it’ll be fine, though. Don’t worry about me.”
“If you say so,” Carly answers, sounding unconvinced.
As I hang up, I see the woman with glasses from yesterday approach me. She might’ve been present at breakfast, too, but I was too busy getting shocked over our “engagement gift” to notice.
She pulls out a cigarette from the box with her mouth. The lighter makes a flicking sound as she ignites the flame and brings it to the end of her cigarette.
“I heard about the Paris trip. Congrats,” she says as she takes the cigarette out of her mouth and blows noxious smoke from her mouth.
“Thanks.” I give her a polite smile and start to make my way back inside.
“He’s a cheater, you know,” she says suddenly as I walk past. “Just like his dad. I should know. Because Bill’s my dad, too. He had an affair with my mom and they had me.”
I stop in my tracks, not fully getting how this information is relevant to me, but feeling too weird about it to just walk away. I’m getting really strange vibes from this woman.
“Thanks for letting me know,” I answer curtly, giving her another smile.
“Yeah, just so you know, Rafe is kind of a womanizer. The entire time I’ve known him, which is practically our whole lives, he’s always had a new girlfriend every week,” she says. “I can see you’ve managed to keep him around for longer, but soon he’ll get bored of you, too. A tiger doesn’t change its stripes. I’d run away if I were you, before you waste your youth on a cheater.”
I guess I can see how women would flock to Raphael. Still, I’m not really his fiancée, so I’m not really planning on keeping him around in the long run either.
I nod and smile at her. I think she’s totally being rude right now, but I can’t be rude back without risking the family’s ire. I don’t even know who she is and how the rest of the family feels about her.
But as much as I want to deny it, her unsolicited opinion does bother me. I had my suspicions that Raphael is a bit of a ladies’ man, of course. He’s too handsome and smooth not to be one.
Still, a part of me was hoping that last night had meant something to him. Now, though, knowing how casually he treats intimacy, I don’t think that’s the case.
I need to keep my feelings out of this. He didn’t even seem too happy about going to Paris with me. This is just a temporary arrangement and nothing more.
We’ll have fun in Paris, and then that will be it. There will be no more Piper and Raphael after that.
Raphael
“Dad, are you sure you don’t want me at the office? I know we have that big meeting tomorrow.” I take a seat on the couch next to him.
This is probably not the best time to start a conversation, seeing as he’s glued to the screen, watching the financial news.
That’s just like him, working even when he’s supposed to be on vacation. Makes me feel like it would look bad if I were to just go traveling when there’s a big meeting to prepare for.
My role in this meeting is minuscule, but I was hoping that Dad would give me a bigger responsibility after seeing my supposed fiancée and how grown-up I’m being.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure Diana can handle it,” Dad says.
Ah, Diana. It’s always her. I love her like a sister, but it annoys me when Dad would turn to her for help instead of me.
I guess it’s my own fault for getting arrested and imprisoned; I’m not always the best person to represent the bank because of my reputation.
“Yeah, I’m sure she’s perfectly capable of taking care of everything, but—”
“Listen, son,” Dad says. It’s always a sign that he’s about to make a big speech when he speaks in that tone. “I’m glad you’re eager to start working, but I’m even more glad to see that you’re finally going to settle down. Having a wife can really make you focus on what truly matters.”
I nod, knowing he’s not done yet. He has given me some version of this speech more times than I can count.
“And what really matters is the family. When you put the business first, everything falls apart.”
“Yeah, but Piper and I can always go at a different time. I’ve just been looking forward to the meeting tomorrow.”
I’m not actually responsible for anything important tomorrow, but it’s the first big meeting I’ve been invited to in years, so I want to show everyone that I’m still the sharp, intelligent, cut-throat businessman I’ve always been.
“No, son. Trust me. Business can wait. It always can. Put your fiancée first. Happy wife, happy life. The sooner you learn that, the better,” he says as he picks up the remote control and turns off the TV. “And now, I’m listening to my own advice and going to spend time with your mom by the pool. I promised her I’d only watch TV for one hour a day while we’re here.”
He pats me on the shoulder and walks away without saying anything else.
Oh, well. I guess there’s nothing left to do but to go to Paris with Piper.
It’s not that I don’t want to spend time with her—especially after last night. I’ve decided I’ll have her, regardless of whether I’ll need her to play the role of my fake fiancée again. I could still see her in the city; it doesn’t have to be in Paris.
Besides, tomorrow’s meeting has been on my mind since
I decided to commit to the fake engagement plan.
At least the plan seems to be working, and that’s the most important thing. Dad doesn’t seem averse to the idea of giving me more responsibility anymore.
There will be other meetings to attend, and other deals to close. Meanwhile, I guess I’ll enjoy myself in Paris before I start throwing myself into work.
It’ll be a good chance to get to know Piper’s sexy little body. She seems so deliciously responsive, and I can’t wait to see everything she has to offer.
It’s already late by the time we finish dinner with my family and get back to the city. We haven’t had a chance to speak in private about the international trip we’re about to take right this very night.
My family can be crazy sometimes. I’m used to it, but it must seem strange to Piper.
She looks exhausted when her cute ass lands on the passenger seat of my Porsche. It must be tiring, meeting so many strangers in such a short time and pretending to be something she’s not, at the same time.
“How are you doing?” I ask as I turn on the engine, putting one hand on her thigh. Her skin feels soft and smooth through the thin fabric of her sundress. How can it be that the most casual, innocent touch instantly makes me crave more? Something about this girl must be magic.
“Good,” she says with a smile. She looks tired, though, her eyes red and her make-up running a little.
“Thanks for being such a good fiancée,” I say, hoping to perk her up a little bit.
She laughs, a girlish sound that makes me want to scoop her up into my arms and give her the biggest hug.
“We’re going to your apartment next,” I say as I start to drive. “We only have enough time for you quickly grab your passport, pack some clothes, and then we’ll need to go straight to the airport.”
“Oh, we’re not going to your place as well?” Piper asks.
“I have my passport right here,” I say, pointing to the glove compartment. “Sometimes, I have to travel at the last minute for work, so now I’m always prepared.”
“Oh. What about clothes? You don’t want to grab some stuff from home?”
“No, I have some clothes at the house in Paris.”
I can also just buy more if those aren’t enough, but I feel like my family has already shocked Piper enough with their wastefulness. It’s kind of obnoxious, the way we spend money. And I’ve never realized it until I went to prison and spent some time with normal people.
“Don’t worry about packing everything, okay? There are stores in Paris, too. Some of them even sell clothes,” I say, trying to lighten the mood.
She smiles, but she remains quiet, and I wonder if she’s just tired or if she’s annoyed at the suddenness of the trip.
Maybe she’s worried about having to spend two more nights with me? She knows I won’t be a gentleman. I don’t plan on letting her go without sleeping with her at least once. I already know she wants me, too. She just needs a little bit more persuasion, and I happen to be pretty good at that.
“Hey, this trip, it’s not going to be a problem with your work, right?” I ask.
“Well, I’m supposed to work tomorrow and the day after that, but I’ve texted my manager to ask for those days off.”
“Okay, great,” I say. “That means you’ll get a smaller pay check, though, right?”
“Yeah.”
“You know what? I’ll waive the rent for the rest of the year for you. I know this is getting to be more inconvenient than you expected.”
“Really?” Piper asks, excitement in her voice.
“Yeah, sure. It’s not like the money is a big deal to me.”
Honestly, I’d happily pay the equivalent of her rent for the rest of the year to get a couple more nights with her anyway.
I don’t know what this is I’m feeling toward her. I’ll need to bury myself balls deep inside her to get her out of my system.
Piper
I still don’t know what to do around Raphael.
I mean, I’ve been alone with him for hours now, ever since we got off the chopper. Now, we’re on the private jet, on our way to Paris.
God, all those things sound so crazy. Never in my entire life have I ever imagined that I’d fly on a chopper or a private jet, much less both on the same day.
I’ve basically gone from too broke to even afford inter-state travel, to ultra-luxury travel. Seriously, the only reason I even own a passport is because a bunch of people from college decided to take a road trip to Tijuana, and Carly footed most of the bill for me.
I’ve only ever heard of how bad it is to fly coach, and seen some pictures of the tiny seats. Now, not only am I flying, but I’m actually sitting in a big, comfortable seat that looks more like a recliner that belongs in a nice living room than in a plane.
These seats are so big there’s only enough space for two rows, separated by an aisle in between. There’s plenty of leg room, too. Across the aisle from me, Raphael stretches his long legs without touching the seat in front of him.
We’re airborne, and the flight attendant has just given me a glass of apple juice. I take a sip, fully aware that Raphael is watching me.
I’m sure he thinks I’m just tired—and I am. But that’s not really why I can’t find anything to say to him.
To be honest, I’ve never spent a night with a man before, and even this morning I didn’t know how to face him. Luckily, we spent the entire day with his family, which meant I didn’t have to worry too much about him specifically.
Should I say anything about last night? Should I pretend it didn’t even happen? When he’s near and I want to touch him, should I just reach out or hold myself back?
These are just a few of the questions that have been swimming in my head all day.
On top of that, I can’t stop thinking about what that girl said during her smoke break, after I just got off the phone with Carly. I wonder if she deliberately went outside at the same time I did, just to warn me about Raphael.
I’ve been thinking of a good way to bring it up with him, maybe get him to tell me more about his family situation and his dating history.
I want him, and my body obviously craves another dose of what he gave me last night. But it’s not as simple as just deciding to go for it. He probably just wants sex, and I just know that I’ll want more from him if we do have sex.
I take a deep breath. I’ve been thinking all day and it hasn’t helped me figure out how to handle being alone with Raphael in the City of Love.
Maybe it’s better to just not overthink things and do whatever feels right in the moment.
Even if I make a mistake, so what? I’m only twenty-one, which is enough of an excuse to make mistakes, right?
And so what if I give him my virginity, only for him to leave me right away? Plenty of people don’t end up having serious relationships with their first sexual partner.
“Hey, so, this girl came up to me yesterday while you were making a speech…”
“Oh, Miranda? Yeah, I saw her take the seat beside you,” Raphael says.
I’m surprised he noticed that, seeing as he was busy on stage at the time. I didn’t think he was looking my way at all.
“What did she say?” Raphael asks with concern. Obviously, he and this Miranda girl don’t get along very well.
“She said she’s your step-sister,” I say, keeping my sentence short to let Raphael fill in the blanks himself. I don’t want to seem like I’m laser-focused on the history of cheating in his family.
“Ah, yeah,” Raphael says, chuckling. “She likes to tell people her life story. She thinks it makes her more interesting or something. Did she also tell you about how my dad cheated on my mom with her mom?”
“Yeah.” So far, based on Raphael’s responses, it doesn’t seem like Miranda has lied to me, or treated me any differently than she has treated other people.
“Yeah, well, that’s an old story from decades ago. As you can see, they’re fine now.” Raphael takes a deep b
reath. “Nobody brings it up for obvious reasons, except for Miranda. But yeah, Dad was super focused on work back then, and he, well, he spent many late nights alone at the office with his secretary. Then, one thing led to another, and Miranda happened, which made it obvious to everyone that it was a mistake.”
I can’t help but smile at Raphael’s explanation. The affair must’ve deeply hurt the whole family, even if it happened a long time ago, but he still has a sense of humor about it.
“Don’t worry about Miranda. She’s kind of weird,” Raphael says.
“So you’re not close to her?”
“Well, we work together and we kind of belong to the same family, but we’re not close. She may be my step-sister, but Diana feels more like a sister to me than Miranda does.”
That explains it. Maybe Miranda is jealous because she feels like an outsider, which makes me feel bad for her.
But judging from our minimal interactions so far, she seems to have a difficult personality. It’s probably not easy to be around her. I wouldn’t blame the family for not fully embracing her.
But wait—if Raphael and Miranda aren’t close, they probably don’t tell each other stuff, right? So Miranda wouldn’t have told Raphael the contents of my conversation with her.
Which means… I could probably ask him anything and blame it on Miranda.
I do have some things I’m curious about, but maybe it’s a good idea to test the waters first.
“So, Miranda also told me womanizing runs in the family,” I say.
Raphael laughs, the skin around his green eyes crinkling as he does, making him look kind and friendly. At the same time, anyone can tell by his size that he can inflict some serious damage on anyone who pisses him off. He’s like a cuddly bear in that way—not the bulging-belly part; just the snuggly-but-deadly part.
“Of course she’d say that to my fiancée. Why wouldn’t she?” Raphael says, still chuckling with amusement. “Diana would get a kick out of that.”
“So, is it true?” I ask.
“I guess I am pretty popular with the ladies,” Raphael says, raising his eyebrows and grinning. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell if he’s being serious because of the way he talks.
