“I have news,” she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Something awesome just happened.”
I chuckled. “Since you were in that conference room for forever, I can guess it did.”
She waved her hands, laughing. “No. Not that. This is for work. Melinda isn’t going to announce it till Monday, but Logan didn’t suggest that she fire me like I thought.”
Oh. If she’d thought that, no wonder there’d been so much stress and drama.
“Instead, I’m going to be the new CEO. And you’re going to be my executive assistant.”
I blinked, overwhelmed with excitement. I couldn’t have imagined this, and even if I had, I wouldn’t have dared hope for such good luck. “That’s amazing. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. I can’t even believe it yet.”
“You’re going to do awesome.”
She nodded. “We’re going to do awesome. I’m so glad to have you working with me. Otherwise I might get totally overwhelmed.”
But despite the fact that this made me feel incredible, I realized all at once that this actually complicated one aspect of the fake-boyfriend shenanigan.
“Uh, Tessa?”
“Yes?”
“I guess we’ll have to keep Damien as your fake boyfriend for a little longer, won’t we?”
He eyes widened. “Oh, yeah. Now that I’ve been made CEO, it would be even worse for people to find out Logan and I are dating. Oh, but surely they won’t. Now that he’s out of the office, nothing will go wrong.”
I forced myself to breathe. She was right. Everything was fine.
Chapter Fifteen
Unlike every pre-date scene in any movie ever, it didn’t take me forever to pick a dress to wear to Damien’s cousin’s wedding. It helps when you only have one choice.
It was the dress I’d worn to my mother’s most recent wedding three years ago, which had just been a small event with only a few guests, so even though I’d been her bridesmaid for the second time, the dress itself was more romantic than it was formal.
The color, a deep emerald green, went well with my pale blonde hair and gave my gray-blue eyes a green cast. My fair skin almost shone through the sheer, embroidered tulle sleeves that went to my elbow and ended in a delicate, gathered ruffle. The embroidery work was a slightly darker green than the tulle background, the same color as the slip that lined the dress. The skirt went to just above my knee and had three tiers of fabric, each framed with a satin ribbon which was repeated at the waistline. But what really made the dress stand out was the deep v-neckline in both the front and the back, with a tulle ruffle trimming the edge. One of the few benefits of not having much cleavage was that a low neckline looked more modest because nothing was showing.
Damien rang the doorbell before I was ready, but when I looked at the time, I was amazed to see that he was actually five minutes late. The ceremony started at four o’clock, and we had a twenty-minute drive to get there. I wasn’t eager for this ordeal, but I didn’t want to make him later than we already were, so I tossed my phone and lip gloss into a pretty gold bag and ran downstairs.
I barely glanced at him as I opened the door. “Sorry. I lost track of time. Let me get my coat.” But when I pulled it out of the hallway closet, Damien took it from me.
As he held it out and helped me slip it on, he said, “You should have prepared me.”
“For what?” I asked, focused on buttoning my coat.
“For the way you look.” He paused long enough that I finally looked up at him. There was an intense look in his eyes that made me feel shy. “I didn’t even get to see your dress for long, but you look…stunning.”
I scoffed internally, not believing it. But I couldn’t deny the sincerity in his voice. “Well, I couldn’t embarrass you, could I?”
“You couldn’t. I’ve been looking forward to showing you off because you always look great.”
I smiled, relieved and also flustered. Moving would help. I led the way outside. “Pretty enough to convince that Tori girl that you really like me?”
Damien followed me outside, pausing to shut the door and make sure it was locked. “Easily pretty enough. Unfortunately, it’s still going to take some convincing.”
His truck was already running in the driveway, the warm exhaust clouding in the cold afternoon air. With a carelessly charming gesture, he opened the passenger door and helped me up, checking to make sure my dress was out of the way before he closed it.
As he walked back around to the driver’s side, I took advantage of the chance to study him without him realizing it. His hair was styled more carefully than usual, and I caught a glimpse of the dark collar of his suit peeking over the collar of his overcoat. My eyes lingered on his handsome features until the last second, when I had to turn forward and pretend to be looking down at my phone.
“What….” My voice came out small and tight. I swallowed and tried again. “What will it take to convince her?”
Damien tossed a quick glance at me as he backed out onto the road. “We need to look like a couple that is not only familiar with each other but committed. And in love.”
My breath caught at that last bit.
He must have heard it, because he took his eyes off the road to study me again. “We need to talk about what you’re okay with now so we don’t look awkward later.”
“Such as?”
“Holding hands?”
It wasn’t that I hadn’t thought about the fact that we’d have to put on a show for his family. But now, alone in his truck, with the fascinating and elusive scent of his cologne tickling my senses, it all seemed so much more...dangerous. I clenched my teeth for a moment and collected my usual coolness. “That’s fine.”
He chuckled. “Don’t sound too excited about it, sourpuss. Okay, then how about me having my arm around you and my hand on your waist?”
I regretted leaving my coat on now. I leaned forward and felt the air blowing through the vents, wishing it wasn’t quite so hot. “That’s fine too. Can you turn this down?”
He reached over and adjusted the heat. “The most important thing is that you have to dance every dance with me. Well, I mean, except if I need to dance with my mom or grandma or something. But otherwise, don’t leave me alone. I have a really hard time being rude and saying no if a woman asks me to dance.”
“So I’m going to be your bouncer, huh? Okay. I can handle that. But I’m warning you that if you start pushing the boundaries, you will end up with a sign on your back. I’ve even been thinking of some really catchy phrases I could put on one.” I showed him my bag. “I’ve got all the supplies I need right here.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.”
“Okay, you would. But I swear I won’t step out of line.”
“Good.”
Silence fell between us for a while until Damien asked, “So does that mean a kiss or two is off the table?”
“Way off the table.”
“Come on. This needs to be convincing, remember?”
“If anybody questions it, just say I don’t like PDA.”
“Don’t you?”
I raised an eyebrow and let him come to his own conclusions.
“Well, that’s no fun. And besides, people know me. I’m the kind of guy who can’t resist sneaking in a kiss here and there when I’m really into a girl. And trust me, fake-boyfriend me is really into fake-girlfriend you.”
“But fake-boyfriend you also really respects fake-girlfriend me and would never do that.”
He sighed. “Fine. I guess if kissing is out of the question, we’ll just have to go with plan B.”
“What’s that?”
“If Tori comes onto me, you’re just going to have to beat her up.”
It surprised me so much that I burst out laughing. Why did he always have to surprise me like that?
“You know, I love that your laugh always sounds like something between a choke and a hiccup at first.”
“Shut up
. I’m not beating anyone up. I bet Tori’s a nice girl, and she’s just messed up over you.”
“I mean, you’re not wrong. She was nice at first, or I wouldn’t have dated her.” He grew thoughtful. “And I guess I can’t blame her for desperately wanting me back.”
I reached over and hit his arm. “Get over yourself.”
“But how? No one else can either. Really, you need to be careful not to fall for me, Krista. I can’t be held responsible for what happens after that.”
“Consider me duly warned. Now, how long until we get there?”
“There’s one more block to go. The venue is on the other side of this park.”
I followed the direction he pointed and saw a tall white building rising over a line of trees at the back of a green, manicured park with shady walks stretching between sculptures spaced out across the lawn. It sparkled in the harsh four o’clock sun—a deceiving light that made it look like it would be warm outside. But of course, when we’d parked and I stepped down out of the truck, the cold turned my legs into popsicles. Even if we hadn’t been a few minutes late, I would have no trouble keeping up with Damien’s stride, so eager was I to get inside.
When we got up to the front door, a nice old man held the door open for a family going in ahead of us and stayed holding it as we approached.
“You’re about to miss everything,” he warned.
Damien laughed and smiled in a familiar way. “Did they start yet?”
“Not quite. Your mom keeps popping out into the hall to look for you.”
A horrible thought crossed my mind. “You’re not in the wedding party, are you?”
“No. My mom just puts a lot of importance on family. If I missed the ceremony, I’d be in her black books for months.” He glanced at his watch. “But lucky for us, it looks like they’re getting started a few minutes late.”
I followed the direction of his eyes and saw that at the opposite end of the building, a set of double doors was open into a large room festooned with tulle and a million sprays of pink roses and eucalyptus. A dull rumble of conversation could be heard over the music playing through the speakers, and at the end of the pink runner down the center aisle, three men in grey tuxedos stood around talking.
“Your coat,” Damien said, leaning close to my ear as I looked curiously at the wedding scene.
“Oh, yes.” I unbuttoned it and stepped out of it as he pulled it from my shoulders.
He handed both of our coats to an attendant while I put my purse strap back over my shoulder. Then he held his hand out to me. “Ready?”
I hesitated just a minute, then took his hand, threading my fingers through his. I don’t know what I thought it would feel like, but I definitely was not expecting the sense of calm and assurance that spread through me. There was no telling what the night would bring, but holding Damien’s hand somehow made me feel up to whatever came. After a minute or so, I was even able to breathe naturally.
As we headed inside, I didn’t bother with a fake smile because Damien hadn’t brought me here to look friendly and approachable. My usual expression would probably have exactly the effect he wanted.
But it didn’t even matter because introductions would have to wait. Right as we walked through the door, an usher practically shooed us into two seats at the very back of the room against the wall at the end of a long row of seats.
“It’s time to start,” the man said, either in explanation or condemnation.
As we scooted awkwardly past the others in the row, Damien kept hold of my hand and cleared the way ahead. Right as we sat down, the first strains of the traditional wedding march flooded the room through the speakers overhead. As I glanced back toward the doorway, two bridesmaids stepped through the doorway, one after another. Then came an adorable toddler girl in a fluffy white cloud of a skirt, dropping whole handfuls of pink rose petals instead of scattering them.
Damien bent to my ear again. “That’s my niece. Isn’t she adorable?”
“So sweet,” I whispered back to him.
Then I saw the hint of a full-skirted satin wedding dress crossing the threshold and hurried to stand with everyone else.
The bride’s dress was a perfect combination of glossy fabric, tailored lines, and simple embellishments. The pearl clasps in her gleaming black hair, her mile-long eyelashes, and the diamonds glinting in her ears and on her wrist all added to the overall effect. She was beautiful. And expensive. A quick glance around had me realizing that everyone here was rich and fancy…and here I was in a leftover bridesmaid’s gown from three years ago, earrings from the clearance rack at Target, and drugstore makeup. It hadn’t even occurred to me that I might feel self-conscious like this—like a low-class intruder at a high society function.
Maybe since I’d always seen Damien in casual clothes—or nothing but gym shorts—I hadn’t connected the dots that he came from wealth. But that changed when I looked him over now with his tailored suit, silk tie, and designer watch. He wore luxury as easily as a hoodie.
What had I gotten myself into?
As we sat down again and the ceremony began, I felt a familiar hardening of my expression. The sensation of turning to stone edged through me, cold and protective. At the restaurant, I’d been able to pick out the money-snobs with one glance. My robotic stoicism had seemed professional, but really it had shielded me from the judgment in their eyes. My mom’s reaction to her current husband’s wealthy lifestyle and friends had been two boob jobs, a face lift, and regular Botox injections. Everything else could be had with my stepdad’s credit card. But me? I was the one thing she hadn’t been able to fix—the skinny, awkward ugly duckling who refused to be changed into a swan.
Even now, I didn’t regret my staunch refusal to twist myself into someone else just for an image, but that meant I had to face judgment and ridicule in other women’s eyes and the swift dismissal in men’s.
“Krista?” Damien whispered.
“What?”
“You’re about to break my hand.”
I shot a glance down to our hands, locked together and resting on Damien’s knee with my hand on top. The tips of his fingers had turned white from my grip. Letting go and jerking my hand back, I watched—appalled—as Damien shook some blood back into his fingers.
“What’s wrong?” he asked once he’d assured himself that he could bend them all normally.
“Nothing.” It wasn’t like I could explain right here with everyone around us listening intently to the exchange of vows taking place across the room. “Later.”
He didn’t press me further, just nodding in his calm way and turning his attention back to the ceremony. For the next ten minutes, I sat like fissured stone next to him, throwing up the old defensive walls around my self-esteem again. Between him and Tessa, I’d become too vulnerable.
I barely heard a word of the ceremony but automatically stood to applaud as the groom snogged his perfect bride for an uncomfortably long time. Because Damien and I had seats in the back corner of the room, we had to wait, trapped, until the rest of the guests followed the happy couple out of the room before we could move.
“Ah, there’s my family,” Damien said, pointing them out where they stood about thirty yards away. He waved and smiled his boyish, unrepentant smile while his mom chastised him with an aggravated glare. I didn’t know if she was madder about us coming in at the last second or the fact that he now had his arm around me. But it wasn’t his mom that caught my eye. It was the gorgeous girl walking next to her who stopped to stare at me like she’d just been struck by lightning.
“That’s Victoria,” I said, mumbling in shock.
“What? Oh, yeah. I’ve always called her Tori. Dang. Don’t tell me you know her.”
Know her? This was the worst—literally the worst—situation fate could have dealt me. “Damien, your ex-girlfriend is my stepsister.”
Chapter Sixteen
It was the first time I’d ever seen Damien at a loss for words.
Un
able to stand the shock on Victoria’s face a second longer, I turned my back toward her and threw a desperate look up at Damien. “I can’t do this. We have to leave. Or I have to leave. You can stay. I can’t stay.”
Damien gripped both of my arms. “Not on your life. I kept my end of the deal. You’re going to keep yours. We just need to think.”
“What we need is an escape plan. Look, I don’t even know her that well. I’ve seen her, like, three times total, and one of those was at our parents’ wedding.” Then a new horror swept through me. “Holy cow. She’s going to know I’m wearing an old bridesmaid’s dress.”
I didn’t care about styles or clothes or any of that crap normally, but this was not cool. “I’d rather run around naked.”
“What?” Damien’s eyebrows were halfway to his hairline.
“I didn’t mean to say that out loud.” I glanced over my shoulder and saw that Victoria’s shock had now turned into a death glare. It sent a shiver down my spine. “Dang. Everything in me is screaming that I should run away and save myself, but I don’t think I can just abandon you to that fate.”
Damien snapped his fingers, his eyes widening. “You’re the witchy cockroach.”
“What?” I asked, loud enough for the sweet old lady wearing pearls and white gloves standing in front of me in the aisle to jump and clasp her chest.
“That’s how Tori described her stepsister to me.” He laughed softly and mused thoughtfully, “What a crazy world. To think I’d…”
“Damien, we’re all waiting for you,” his mom called out from the center aisle.
He motioned to the elderly couple slowly inching their way through the row in front of us. “We’ll be right there.”
But apparently his mom didn’t want to wait to lecture him. “Why were you late? What if you’d missed Isabella’s wedding?”
“I’m sure no one would have noticed but you. And I didn’t anyway.”
While Damien tried to calm his mother, I kept my eyes down at the floor to make sure I didn’t step on the heel of the old lady’s blue leather penny loafers. But really, I was just avoiding Victoria’s death glare.
Oh, Keep Your Shirt On: A Sweet Romantic Comedy (Shaped By Love Book 2) Page 10
