Mr Right Stuff

by Sophie Brooks

“What?” I stared at Ethan in disbelief. Was he serious?

  “Was he at the spa? Were you naked?”

  “What?” I knew I was repeating myself, but this was so preposterous I couldn’t think of anything else to say. “He’s my friend. We’ve been friends for over five years. Long before I ever met you.”

  “What do you think my grandparents would say if they knew you lived with another man?”

  “Probably a whole lot less than they’d say if they knew our engagement was fake!”

  “Lower your voice,” Ethan hissed, looking around the restaurant.

  I did so, but I wasn’t done speaking my piece. “If you’re so worried about what people might think of me and my life choices, you shouldn’t have brought me to a fancy Swiss restaurant.”

  Ethan glared at me, but his words were measured and even. Unlike mine. “I brought you here because I knew how much you were looking forward to visiting Switzerland.”

  That was why we were here? Now that I thought about it, we could’ve met anywhere to discuss our strategy for this fake engagement. If Ethan had told me why he chose this restaurant a few minutes ago, I would’ve been touched. But now he was acting like a possessive Neanderthal. I took a deep breath and tried to think of slightly less incendiary language to use. “It’s a lovely restaurant, and I appreciate your bringing me here. But that doesn’t make up for your reaction just now. You don’t get to pass judgment on my life. I can be friends with and live with whomever I want. If you wanted a fake fiancée whose life you 100 percent approve of, then you probably should’ve done a little vetting before offering me the role.”

  Ethan had picked up his wine, but wasn’t drinking any. Instead, he was staring at me, which I supposed was slightly better than glaring as he’d done a moment ago. I was glad he was listening—there were some things he needed to understand. “I only agreed to postpone our trip, not to change my life to suit you and your grandparents. Dan’s my friend, nothing more.”

  Now Ethan did take a sip of wine, and when he set it back down on the table, he didn’t look happy. “But he gave you a heart necklace.”

  Good god, for a moment, it almost sounded like he was jealous. But that was insane. This was a business transaction designed for him to get one thing—control of the family corporation. From everything I’d heard about him, he was a skilled businessman who’d let nothing stand in the way of closing a deal. So this had to be about his grandparents’ approval… didn’t it?

  I sighed. “Honestly, I don’t see how my roommates are any of your business, but Dan’s not into me, and I’m not into him.”

  “You were at the spa together.”

  “Because you sent us there!”

  He ignored that. “And in Europe, at hostels and hotels, you’ll be sharing rooms, bathrooms…”

  “So? I’ll be sharing with Julie, too.”

  “That’s different.”

  “Why? You’re right, we’ll be sharing a room at various points. So yeah, Dan and I will see each other in a towel or something at some point. But so will Julie and I. What’s the difference?”

  “The difference is it’s hot when it’s with another female!”

  A few other diners looked at us while I stared at Ethan in shock. He looked just as surprised at his outburst as I did. Then he put his hand to his forehead, resting his elbow on the table. At first, I thought he was still frustrated with me, but then I saw that his chest was shaking.

  He was laughing. He was being an ass, yet he was the one laughing. Except now I was starting to laugh, too. This was insane.

  Finally, he looked up, and when he saw that I was laughing, too, he grinned. “Can you imagine the kind of fights we’d be having if we were actually planning a wedding?”

  I shook my head, unable to stop the smile. “It boggles the mind. Why on earth are we arguing about this? About my having a male roommate? For all I know, you could have a girlfriend.” That thought sobered me up. “Oh god, you don’t, do you?”

  He shook his head. “No, I don’t.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m pretty sure I’d know if I had a girlfriend. Though I don’t blame you about being skeptical since my grandparents seemed to know that I had a fiancée before I did.”

  “Yeah, about that…” There was something I had been wondering about for a while. “Your grandmother made it sound like you’d described a specific woman to her. Someone who looks like me. Who is it? Is she an ex?”

  Ethan leaned back, setting his napkin on the table. “Just someone I was interested in before, but that’s over now.”

  “Why?” And why was it upsetting to think of him longing for another woman?

  “Because… I missed my chance, and now things are different. More complicated.” His voice was steady, but his eyes were a little different. Maybe even sad. “Too complicated to ever work, I’m afraid.”

  “I’m sorry.” I reached over and patted his hand.

  “Me too,” he said, but then he shook his head briefly, as if shaking off the past. “But we’d better get back on track. We’ve got a lot to learn about each other. The engagement party is three short weeks away.”

  Ten

  Kate

  Three short weeks later

  “Ethan’s favorite baseball team?”

  “White Sox.”

  “Favorite breakfast?”

  “Eggs over easy, bacon, and pancakes with blueberry syrup.”

  “His hiding place for the keys to his ’69 Camaro ZL-1?”

  Uh-oh. In the past few weeks, Ethan and I had talked about pretty much everything, but that hadn’t come up. I knew he had four cars and that one was a very rare muscle car, but I didn’t know where the keys were. “He never told me that. Where are they?”

  “I was hoping you knew,” Rob said. “He won’t tell me, either.”

  I couldn’t help laughing. I’d only known Ethan’s right-hand man for a short while, but he felt like an old friend already. When my final two weeks in Accounting were done, my job title officially became Personal Assistant to the CEO. So far, it was a job that mostly consisted of Ethan and I having long lunches learning as much about each other as possible. But I also took on some real PA tasks such as managing Ethan’s schedule. Rob had helped me get up to speed on those kinds of things.

  He smiled at me now. “I think you’re ready.”

  “I’m not so sure… but I guess there’s only one way to find out.” I glanced out the window from the second floor parlor. Two cars and a limousine had just made their way through the stately gates of the Grants’ palatial home.

  After three weeks of cramming, this was the final exam—the engagement party.

  If all went well tonight, if we convinced everyone—especially Ethan’s grandparents—that we were well on our way to getting married, then Ethan would be named president of Grant Industries later this week. And at some point after that, we would stage a breakup. We were still a bit fuzzy on the details of how that was going to happen.

  Rob offered his arm, and I took it gratefully. Julie had helped me pick out my floor-length dress, and I was still a little nervous that I’d trip over the hem. The fabric was light and slinky, a shimmery copper color that hugged my breasts and waistline before flaring out at my hips. The black high-heeled sandals I wore were four inches high, and though I loved the dress, walking in it was worrisome.

  But Rob expertly steered me down the sweeping staircase and delivered me to my fiancé. Ethan took my hand as I neared, and even though I’d already seen him tonight, the sight of him all dressed up took my breath away.

  On a regular day, he was the most handsome man I’d ever seen. But today? In that suit? He was the most handsome man in the world.

  He was dressed completely in black in a suit that fit him to perfection. Shiny black shoes. A black dress shirt, and a tie that had a faint striped pattern—like black on darker black. I’d never seen a suit like that, but god, it looked incredible. He looked good enough to eat. Good eno
ugh to kiss. Good enough to marry.

  Except I wouldn’t be doing any of those things.

  Well, not for real, at any rate. Ethan pulled me close and kissed me lightly on the cheek—which hadn’t been the kind of kiss I’d been imagining a moment ago. He smelled amazing, and his hand on the bare skin of my upper back sent warmth coursing through my entire body.

  “You look beautiful,” he whispered in my ear, and then kissed my cheek again.

  “She looks more than beautiful,” Bridget said. Wow, she had sharp hearing for a seventy-year-old. “Kate, dear, you’re stunning. A vision. It’s a damn good thing that Ethan finally got around to proposing, because otherwise, you’d be beating them off with a stick tonight.”

  I smiled at her and then glanced down at the engagement ring on my left hand. It was gorgeous—a perfect diamond surrounded by a ring of smaller ones. But it wasn’t my engagement ring, it was hers. Her husband had given it to her nearly half a century ago because he loved her with all his heart. Ethan had finally remembered to give it to me a few days ago with strict instructions not to lose it because he’d have to give it back once we broke up. Not very romantic, even for a fake proposal.

  “All right, here they come.” Walter Grant peered toward the door from his place at the end of the receiving line. “That’s Joyce Oakton in the Pepto-Bismol pink. She’ll talk your ear off if you let her, Katie.”

  He winked at me as his wife elbowed him. I couldn’t help grinning back. Ethan’s grandparents were so adorable together.

  And then the guests arrived, and it was like being under siege. How did the Grants know so many people? How did they fit this many people in their house? Well, it was a mansion, but still—surely this many people violated some kind of fire code?

  Ethan dutifully introduced me to dozens of his grandparents’ friends as well as a few of his own. And they all brought gifts. I hadn’t anticipated that—didn’t people usually just bring gifts for the wedding? Every time someone put an exquisitely wrapped present on the oblong table across from us, I felt guilty.

  “Kate!”

  Grinning, I looked around. Julie and Dan had arrived. It was odd to see them both looking so formal. I hadn’t seen Dan in a suit since graduation last year. Julie was wearing a pale blue dress with a short skirt and heels even higher than mine. She looked gorgeous. We hugged and then clicked our heart-shaped pendants together—something we’d taken to doing as a reminder of our trip. Hard to believe it would be happening in just a month.

  Dan patted the pocket of his suit to show that he had his Murano glass keychain with him, and then he gave me a quick hug. “Pretty damn unbelievable, but you look like you fit in with all this grandeur, Kate.”

  Hugging him back, I shook my head. I definitely didn’t, but I suppose it was good if I looked as if I did.

  “Hello, Dan.” At Ethan’s words, I let go of my roommate and watched as the two men next to me shook hands. Even after weeks of study, the amount of information I knew about Ethan was nothing compared to how well I knew Dan and Julie. It would be a miracle if I could survive the night without out revealing my ignorance of my fake fiancé—or his ignorance of me.

  Dan and Julie headed off in the direction of the ballroom, and for a moment, I felt like ducking out of the receiving line and joining them. I missed them so much. Now that they were both finished with their jobs, they spent most of their days making more plans for our trip since it was going to be four times as long. They texted me constantly throughout the day, but it wasn’t the same as being there and talking with them myself. I hadn’t even written anything new in my travel journal in weeks.

  “Are you getting tired, Kate?” Ethan looked down at me with concern in his eyes. Perhaps he’d seen the apprehension in mine. Or maybe he meant was I getting tired of standing in these uncomfortable shoes—which I’d mentioned a time or two to him.

  “I’m fine. Your grandparents have a ton of friends.”

  “This is just the tip of the iceberg. You should see the headcount for the wedding.”

  The wedding.

  My shoulders slumped. The ins and outs of wedding planning were exhausting for a bride even without the overriding guilt. I felt terrible making plans with Bridget for a wedding that was never going to happen. Choosing food that the Grants’ friends would never eat. Selecting bridesmaid dresses that Julie and one of Ethan’s second cousins would never wear. The past three weekends had been full of wedding prep, and the amount of trouble the Grants were going through—not to mention the expense—was making me sick to my stomach.

  “Don’t start,” Ethan whispered, and for a moment, I was taken aback by his harsh words. Did he think I was going to start complaining about the wedding preparation right here? But then I looked up at him and saw the compassion in his eyes. He’d meant I shouldn’t start feeling guilty.

  Grateful that someone understood, I nodded. Ethan wrapped his arm around my back and held me close, and for a moment, I closed my eyes and leaned against him. God, being this close to him made everything else melt away. The stress. The guilt. Even the ache in my feet.

  He held me, and I smiled, my eyes still closed. I’d missed my roommates these past few weeks, but spending so much time with Ethan had almost made up for it. The more I got to know him, the more I liked him. He was funny and kind. And smart, too. Everyone at Grant Industries said he was as good a CEO as his grandfather had been, and that was high praise. It was more than obvious that he would be a fantastic president of his corporation. And that’s why we were doing all this.

  “Good to see you again, Kate.”

  Snapping back to reality, I opened my eyes to find my old boss from Accounting standing in front of us. As if I’d been caught doing something wrong, I tried to pull away from Ethan, but he kept his arm around me, holding me close. “You too, Mrs. Henderson.” After a moment, I relaxed. It’s not like I’d been caught fooling around with my boyfriend during work hours. This was our engagement party. It was supposed to look like I was in love with Ethan.

  If that meant spending more time in his arms, then maybe this night wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

  Eleven

  Kate

  An hour—and two glasses of champagne—later, I was definitely more relaxed. Ethan steered me through the guests, pausing to introduce me, to make small talk, or to talk business. I mostly listened, but every once in a while I contributed with some of my new found Ethan knowledge. And he’d learned a lot about me and my life, too. He’d impressed Julie by asking about her twin nieces by name.

  We circulated the huge room until I thought my feet were going to fall off. Then Ethan guided me over to a large round table where his grandparents were seated with some of their closest friends. Luckily, a middle-aged couple offered us their seats as we approached, saying they were going to dance. The Grants had hired a band that was set up at the far end of the ballroom. It still blew my mind that I knew people who had their own ballroom in their home.

  “Ethan, m’boy,” Walter said in greeting. “Are you having a good time?”

  “Absolutely.” Ethan held my chair for me and then pushed it in.

  “And you, lovely lady?”

  “An amazing time,” I said, which wasn’t as much as an exaggeration as it would’ve been an hour ago. The champagne had helped.

  Bridget leaned across her husband. “Let’s see how my ring looks.”

  I held my hand out to her, grateful that I’d taken the time to get a manicure yesterday. Ethan’s grandmother squinted at the diamond while her husband scolded her.

  “It’s her ring now, dear.”

  “That’s what I meant,” Bridget said, unperturbed. “It looks good on you.”

  “Thank you. It’s a lovely ring.”

  The Bridget turned on her grandson. “How did you end up proposing?”

  Uh-oh. I looked up at Ethan in alarm. We hadn’t practiced an answer for that. Still, it wasn’t like this was a danger area. Ethan could make up whatever story
he’d like and I’d just go along with it.

  Except… no words were coming out of his mouth.

  “Ethan?” Walter said.

  After a long moment, Ethan said, “We were at a restaurant.” Jeesh. Not very original. I hoped he wouldn’t say that he had the waiter put the ring in a glass of champagne. That kind of proposal was too cheesy for someone like him.

  But Bridget and Walter were nodding, encouraging him to go on.

  “I ordered for us, the best bottle of wine they had and steaks. And we were talking and I… I got down on one knee.”

  “And?” Bridget wanted to know.

  “And I asked her to marry me.”

  “That’s it?” This time it was Walter who spoke.

  “Well, I said that I… I told her I…” Ethan faltered, and it suddenly hit me that he didn’t want to say he loved me. And for some strange reason, I didn’t want him to, either. To carry the lie that far seemed wrong somehow. There was no way I could lie about fake love in front of Bridget and Walter who had the real thing. Apparently Ethan was thinking along the same wavelength. And it was equally apparent that he didn’t know what to say next.

  “You’re being too modest,” I said, then turned to the Grants. “He does so many sweet things for me, but he never likes to talk about them.” Ethan’s grandparents beamed and looked at me expectantly. “Well, we were at a restaurant, like Ethan said. But Ethan had requested a table up on the balcony where you could look down and see all the other diners below us. There were only four tables up there, and Ethan got us the center one right by the rail. It was so romantic… we could see the main dining room but we were far enough away from the other couples up there to have some privacy.”

  I looked away from the Grants and up at Ethan. A smile almost sprang to my lips as I realized that he was listening just as attentively as his grandparents. Hopefully they weren’t aware that he had no clue what I was going to say next. “Ethan ordered for us, and he remembered exactly how I liked my steak. And what kind of dressing on my salad. I know it’s just a little thing, but it’s so wonderful to find a man who notices those kinds of details. Who pays attention and wants to please you.”