by JA Huss
“Yeah,” I say, nodding my head.
“Then bed?” He grins.
“With you?”
“Of course,” he says.
“What?”
“You’re still mine first.” And when he smiles at me? God. I think I melt a little. Something inside me goes soft. “We’re in the middle of something, Brooke. Can you just… play along with me until I get what I need?”
I don’t have a single clue what that actually means. But I nod my head anyway. Try and freeze up my melting heart and stay focused on the job.
Because this is all I have. And even though I’ve had it just one day, I can’t imagine going back to my little apartment and never seeing them again.
It’s one of those moments that changes you forever.
“Good,” he says. “Tomorrow we’ll go pick out a ring, sign the papers for the house, then… I guess we’ll sleep there tomorrow.”
“And Wald and Huck?”
“I imagine they’re coming too.”
“And… what we did out there?”
“What about it?”
“Will we do it again?”
“Up to you, I guess.”
“I might want to,” I decide to admit.
“OK,” he says. “But… I kinda know those guys. So it’ll be Huck next.”
“Huck?”
“To fuck you. I mean, besides me. If we… you know, want to do it again tonight or something, that’s cool too. But if you want to play that little game again, it’s Huck next.”
“He gets to fuck me?”
Joey nods. “Wald always likes to go last.”
“Why?”
“Hell if I know.”
“Hmm.”
“I know. He’s a weird dude. But he grows on you. He grew on me.”
I have so many questions about them right now. Like… Do you guys fuck each other? Do you ever like… give each other a little morning blow job? Or kiss? Do you kiss? And many, many more things like that.
Because all of it makes me pretty fucking hot in a way I’ve never experienced before.
But there’s a knock on the door and Wald’s voice breaks us out of our silent introspection. “You guys coming back, or what? We have a lot of memories to make.”
“Yeah, we’re coming,” Joey says. Then he takes my hand and gives it a squeeze. “It’s kinda cool that we already have some real ones though, right?”
I nod. Slowly. “Sure.” Then Joey turns and he’s about to open the bathroom door up, when I say, “So that ring…”
He turns back to me. “What about it?”
“What’s it mean?”
“It means… you’re mine.”
“But—”
He leans in and kisses me. “Just to everyone else, Brooke. Don’t take it too literally.”
Buzzkill.
But he’s got my hand so I follow him back out into the living room.
Wald says, “Need to talk about it?” as he takes off his shirt and stands in front of a blank white wall with Huck, who is also shirtless, and poses for a selfie.
Jesus fucking Christ. I can’t take my eyes off them. And even though it’s Joey’s attention and offers I’m desperate for, it doesn’t feel like second best if I end up with these two in some weird triangle.
“Not yet,” I say, answering his question. “But…” I smile and shrug. “It was pretty fun.”
Huck grins, snaps a pic of himself. “We’re just getting started.”
“Take off your shirt, Joey. This is a beach shot. Do you have a bikini, Brooke?”
“Yes,” I answer immediately. I don’t know what it is about Wald that makes me snap to attention, but it works.
“Go put it on while we talk about that private island we spent a week on two years ago.”
Go put it on.
He does not even bother to add a question mark to the end of that command. Just… Go. Put. It. On.
“Now, please,” Wald says.
I glance at Joey because he’s shaking his head and grinning. Like his friend is too much.
I agree. His friend is way more than a handful.
Then I turn and go back into the bedroom and start looking through my suitcase for my bathing suit.
When I come back out they’re laughing and drinking. Joking around talking about old times. Totally at ease with each other.
And it’s weird. Because I realize something as I watch them set up the beach vacay in Fiji we took two years ago.
I really am jealous.
So fucking jealous.
Not of Huck. Not of Wald. Not of Joey.
Of them.
I’m jealous of them.
This team they have. These memories they already possess.
I’m jealous because I wasn’t there and they were.
I’m jealous because I want that again. The feeling of belonging to someone. That inner certainty that someone has your back no matter what.
I want to be on their team for real.
But I need to face some facts here. I can make them pay me for this con in friendship all I want. But I’m never going to be on their team.
Not because of Wald and Huck, but because of Joey.
As far as he’s concerned his team has no room for me.
I should leave. I should get up, and walk out, and never look back.
But I won’t. I know I won’t.
Even though this job is a take-it-or-leave-it kinda of deal and it’s not the fairy tale I’ve been looking for my whole life, it’s the best deal I’ve had in a very long time. And I don’t care if rationalizing this makes me look desperate. I am desperate so I’m gonna take the deal. I’m going along for the ride until they boot me out.
But I need to protect myself too. That little girl inside me is fragile. She’s been afraid of something her whole life. In the beginning it was my mother, and her boyfriend, and the shitty life they gave me.
Then it was something else. The new life when that special door opened for me and showed me there was another way to live. A way to make your own family and not be stuck with the one you were given.
It was better, but it wasn’t perfect, that’s for damn sure.
I enjoyed the good while it lasted and hardened my heart for the disappointment to come.
And come it did.
So fine. Joey Boston has made his point.
I am his fake girlfriend. I get it. That’s all I’ll ever be.
But I know what I want. And I’m not going to give up on my dream just because he’s confused.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN - JOEY
“Can you believe we’ve only known each other one day?” Brooke is in my arms and we’re in my bed. “It’s so fucking strange.”
But she doesn’t say anything. Just… lies here next to me. Breathing softly.
We spent hours posing for fake photos. Wald has already sent them on to his fake memory guy for Photoshopping. And we’ve got a good start on the fake social posts. By the time this weekend comes around we will have a whole history to show off.
It’s gonna be great.
“Brooke?” I say.
“Mmm?”
“You sleeping?”
“Trying to.”
“You don’t have anything you need to talk about?”
She rustles under the light covers, shifting her body away from mine and turning onto her stomach.
“I’ll take that as a no,” I say.
“I’m just tired. And yeah, it’s strange. I don’t have any opinions on this day yet. Maybe in a year I’ll figure it out.”
“Wait,” I say. “What?”
“Oh, come on,” she says, tuning over to face me. “Do not act like this day was normal. I don’t care who you are. This day was weird.”
“That’s what I said!”
“You think it’s weird funny. I think…” She pauses and flips over again. “You know what? Never mind.”
“No. What’s going on?”
She sighs and lifts up her he
ad to side-eye me. There’s a full moon outside and it’s kinda bright in here. Normally I’d pull the curtain closed but I sorta like looking at her. “I should be asking you that.”
“OK. I’m listening. Ask me anything.”
“You don’t get to pretend, all right?”
“We’re all pretending.”
“No, we’re not. Well, yeah. OK. We are pretending to be long-time friends and you and I are pretending to be lovers. Fine. That’s not what I’m talking about.”
“Then what are you talking about?”
“Your detachment, for one.”
“My what?” I can’t help it. I laugh.
“Yeah. You…” She takes a deep breath. “In one sentence you say things like, ‘We’re buying a house and I’m getting you a ring.’ And in the next breath you say, ‘My friends want to fuck you. I don’t. But I will. As long as you understand it’s meaningless.’”
“So which part of that bothers you?” I ask. “The part about Wald and Huck or the part about me?”
“You!”
“That makes no sense.”
“It makes total sense! I’m your girlfriend!”
“You’re not my girlfriend. You’re an actress.”
“I’m actually not an actress. I’m a liar.”
“Right. Kind of the same thing though. And you were hired to help us run this con so I can get my daughter back.”
“Which is fine,” she snaps. “But…”
“But what?”
“Never mind.” She plops her head back on the pillow, once again not facing me. Then she turns to me again, obviously not ready to put it to rest. “I’m not falling for you, or them.”
“OK.”
“Just know that. Because… when this is over, it’s over. Fuck all those memories, and all those good times, and all those posts on social media. OK?”
“OK.”
“Good.”
We go silent after that.
But I know she’s not asleep. So I say, “But you’re lying.”
“You’re lying.”
“What am I lying about?”
“Liking me.”
“Oh, fuck.” I laugh.
“You like me. And you know what?”
“What?”
“I don’t like you anymore. I don’t like any of you. You’re all a bunch of creepy liars.”
“You’re the one who proclaimed yourself to be a professional liar.”
She flips over again. She’s done that so many times now, she’s got to be getting dizzy. “Exactly. I’m a professional. I don’t play around with people’s feelings.”
I stare at her open-mouthed. “You have feelings for me.”
“No.”
“Brooke.” I sigh. “I like you. You’re right.”
“But this is all fake.”
“You know it’s fake,” I say, kinda getting annoyed now. “That’s the whole point. You’re pretending to be my girlfriend so the Kane family will let me see my daughter.”
She points her finger in my face. “I’m not going ring-shopping with you.”
“Why not?”
“I have to draw the line somewhere, buddy.” She nods her head. “And that’s my line. I will not be your fiancée.”
“You have to. That’s part of the deal.”
“Nope. Not gonna do it. I will not go ring-shopping with you. And…” She breathes heavy in her silence, eyes darting back and forth, searching mine. “I’m sleeping with Huck tomorrow. We all might be liars, but at least he’s honest with me.”
“I’m honest with you,” I say. “Name one thing I’ve lied about with you.”
“I’m done talking.”
“You’re being weird.”
She ignores me.
“And unreasonable. I never promised you a relationship.”
“No. You promised me friendship.”
“We’re friends. I never said I wasn’t gonna be your friend.”
“I don’t want your stupid ring.”
I sigh, so over this pointless conversation. “Whatever. I’ll make sure we don’t do this again.”
“Do what? Talk?”
“Sex,” I say. “No more sex. OK? Happy now? Did I fulfill my boyfriend requirements?”
“Yes. Good. Fine. Whatever.”
I fluff my pillow and turn my back to her. She’s overreacting. Badly. I knew this fucking bullshit was a mistake. It’s all Wald and Huck’s fault. They’re falling for her. And now she wants me to fall for her too.
And if I don’t, then she’s not gonna play nice.
I’m gonna set down new rules tomorrow. That’s for damn sure.
No more sex. No more flirting, no more touching, or kissing, or hugging, or secret sexy smiles from across the room. No more propositions.
We’re all professionals here.
And starting first thing in the morning, we’re all gonna act like it.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN - BROOKE
It’s a long night. At least for me. Because sleep doesn’t come easy after the best of days and this one ended badly.
Maybe I should sneak out? Just leave and pretend this never happened?
I would—if I thought that would work. If I thought I could forget about meeting Joey, Huck, and Wald.
Something tells me I’ll be thinking about them for the rest of my life. Whether this all works out or not.
That’s the part that scares me.
Because I’ve already been left behind twice in my life. Third time for that is not the charm.
What I told them about who I am and where I came from isn’t exactly a lie. It’s just not exactly the truth, either.
My truth is so much weirder than this crazy plot to get Joey’s daughter back.
I think I must sleep. Eventually. But I wake early. Just as the sun is starting to brighten the sky outside.
I turn over and look at my new pretend boyfriend. He’s on his stomach, hugging his pillow, not facing me.
If this goes bad it will be his doing. Huck and Wald are the easy ones. Which, now that I’ve known them one day, seems surprising. Yesterday morning I’d have tagged Wald as the resistant one.
But no.
He’s into this.
Me. He’s into me.
I like him. I like Huck too.
But there’s something about Joey that goes deeper than that.
Maybe it’s the secrets his family keeps. They did warn me. But I like a good secret. I have plenty of juicy ones of my own.
But I’m not going to tell them. And Joey Boston didn’t even tell his best friends his secret, so he’s sure as hell not gonna tell me.
I turn over and get out of bed. I’m wearing a t-shirt and shorts and even though the AC is on, the sun is blazing through the large window with the promise of a hot summer day.
When I enter the living room I think I’m alone. But then I see Huck out on the terrace through the sheer curtains.
I walk over to the door and open it. “Hey. You’re up early.”
He turns, texting on his phone. “Yeah. I like to get up with the sun.”
“What are you doing?”
“Texting someone.”
“Obviously,” I say, walking out onto the terrace. The warm morning feels good and I take a seat on the lounge chair next to Huck.
“The social stuff,” Huck clarifies, sitting down next to me. “She’s got some of it loaded. Wanna look at your profile?”
“Sure,” I say, taking his phone. And wow. It’s a little bit weird to see myself up on Facebook. When I was younger all socials were strictly forbidden. But even when I got older and I knew I could get them if I really wanted to, I didn’t.
It’s so counterintuitive to put personal details up in public for me now that my heart begins to beat fast as I scroll down my fake timeline.
There’s my profile pic. Taken yesterday, of course. It’s me, out here on this terrace, backlit by the city lights. I look happy. I think. My dark blonde hair looks less like dishwat
er and more like the golden mane of a wild girl I do not know.
I’m smiling and my light brown eyes are bright with the reflection of the city inside them.
I glance at Huck and find him grinning. “It’s a nice pic, don’t you think?”
I nod. “It is.”
There are more pics on my timeline. Lots more. Dozens and dozens of posts. All backdated.
“She put one up for you every month. Because you didn’t have any old pics on your phone.”
“No,” I say. Because I don’t take pics. Of anything, actually. But here I am for everyone to see. Brooke and her three best friends doing all kinds of exciting best-friend things.
“So I guess you’re the antisocial one,” Huck continues. “I’ve got one up every few days, so far. But that’s because I had thousands of pics in my phone.”
“Where’s your profile?” I ask.
He takes the phone from me, makes a few taps, then hands it back.
“Oh, I love that pic,” I say. His profile is not one we took yesterday. His hair is light from months in the sun. And he’s on a beach. Not a Photoshopped beach, either. A real one. I can tell because his body is tan and has the glow of the tropics. “Where was this?” I ask. “And when?”
“About six months ago,” he says. “We were all in Bora Bora. You ever been there?”
“A few times,” I say, scrolling down his timeline.
“Really?” he asks. Like that makes no sense. “When?”
“Oh… a while back. I think I was nineteen the first time. Then again a couple years later. And the last time was just two years ago. It’s a nice place, don’t you think?”
“For sure,” Huck says. “But not easy to get to. At least from most places. It’s not that bad if you’re flying out of Tokyo. Where were you coming from?”
I glance up from the phone and shade my eyes so I can see his face. He’s got a nice face. Square, and strong, and proportioned well, just like his body. His eyes are wide and blue, his eyebrows and beard stubble a shade or two darker than his hair, but still light enough that he has a beachy look to him. Like he belongs in Bora Bora.
I could lie to him and he’d never know. But I don’t feel like lying to him. So I say, “Santiago.”
“Chile?” he says. “Really? What were you doing there?”
“Living,” I say.
