by Paige Tyler
Frankly, Boone’s right. I hadn’t even considered that until now. Nothing else dramatic had happened since we buddied up. It’s a miracle.
Suddenly, I shoot upward on the couch and twist toward him.
“Boone,” I whisper, barely able to talk through my earnest excitement, “I think you might be a genius.”
“Think?” he teases, but his brow slowly creases with confusion. “But seriously, what are you talking about?”
I grin at him, rubbing my palms together like the mastermind that I am. I’ve got just the plan to make both of our lives a thousand times easier.
All Boone has to do is say yes.
CHAPTER FOUR
Even choking on his drink, Boone still looks unbelievably handsome. It almost isn’t fair.
He gapes at me, blue eyes wide with shock.
I keep grinning at him. Any second now, he’ll realize that what I’ve just suggested is the best darn idea he’s ever heard in his entire life.
Any...second...now.
Right?
Finally, the southern sweetheart manages to gulp down his mouthful of Jack and Coke, then immediately follows it with another deep drink.
“You think what now?” he sputters before setting down the now-empty glass. He slams it down so hard that half-melted ice cubes inside leap over the rim and dance across the table.
“Oh, you heard me,” I answer with a smirk. I’m so proud of this idea that I’ve come up with that I’m practically preening. The reflection of my eager face in Boone’s clear eyes beams from ear to ear, and the sight only makes me smile wider. “You. Me. Power couple of the year. Or at least the next few months.”
Boone’s long lashes flutter against the top of his high cheekbones as he blinks rapidly. “You really think we should date?”
I smack a hand on the table and nod. “Absolutely! I mean, we should pretend to date. It’ll be all the benefit and absolutely none of the drama.”
Boone leans forward so that he can rest his forearms on his knees. “Relationships always have drama, Sutton,” he states doubtfully.
I wave a finger in front of his handsome face. “Nu-uh! Not fake ones. That’ll be rule number one once we figure all his out. No drama. Not even a teensy bit.”
Still, Boone doesn’t look entirely convinced. A frown shadows his face. He taps his foot on the ground, the gears of his mind visibly spinning as he contemplates what a fake relationship would entail.
Either I drive this whole thing home, or he’s bailing before he’s even truly seen the promise of what I’m offering.
“Come on, Boone! Have you already forgotten what you were talking about a minute ago? You said you’d go as far as to hire someone to go with you to these parties, but with me on your arm, you wouldn’t have to pay a cent. A relationship would be mutually beneficial. The sleazeballs will steer clear and so will the Coyotes’ groupies. Plus, my followers will finally stop hounding me about getting a boyfriend. I’ll even cheer you on at your games.”
Boone tilts his head back and forth like he’s mentally volleying a pros and cons list between his ears. I hold my breath and mentally cross my fingers, desperate for him to agree.
Flaunting a man like Boone on the G&G socials would be a goldmine of content. I mean, I love Kali and Grayson, and they’re totally a stunning couple, but with my superstar aura and Boone’s southern drawl, we’d be the new hit couple. Glammers everywhere would be in a tizzy. I can already imagine the excited comments we’d get on every video he and I post together. There will be no worry of fading from the social media spotlight if I have a man like him on my arm. He’s just what I need to give my online reputation that extra bit of oomph I’ve been lacking lately. Later on, once we break up, I can play the sympathy card to keep my followers invested in me until I manage to snag another guy—that time for real. By then, I’m sure I’ll have figured out how to make room in my busy schedule for a true boyfriend. Right now, I simply have too much going on for a real-life romance.
Besides, it isn’t like no one in Hollywood hasn’t done this very same thing.
Boone eventually drags in a shallow breath and eyes his empty glass as if he was wishing it’d refill itself. Just as he opens his mouth to declare his choice, however, the door leading to the terrace swings open and crashes hard against the wall behind it.
A man spills through the doorway, his stride lurching and his eyes unfocused.
My eyes go wide.
“Boone! It’s that guy!” I whisper sharply, pointing a finger at the jerk in question and scoot closer to my southern hero.
“He’s drunk out of his mind,” Boone mutters from beside me. He places one hand protectively on my knee and unexpected butterflies swirl in my stomach.
I gaze down at his hand, trying to figure out why my whole leg feels like it’s pleasantly burning beneath Boone’s touch. I almost never want him to let go of me.
My over-the-top reaction has to be caused by the fact that I haven’t had a man act like this toward me in a long time, especially a man as good-looking as Boone.
The gross guy from downstairs swivels around as if trying to find someone. I get a sinking feeling in my stomach that the someone he’s looking for is me. I honestly hadn’t expected him to chase Boone and me up here. I thought the loud music, fancy bar, and beautiful babes downstairs would keep him occupied.
I turn helplessly toward Boone, but he’s already working on the issue. He flags down one of the nearby servers and whispers something to him while pointing at the sleazeball.
The waiter nods and vanishes through a side door as I plaster myself against Boone’s side in an attempt to hide from the jerk looking for me. Boone scoops me up into his lap, turning me into his chiseled chest to hide me. He adjusts the coat around my shoulders to drape over my little black dress.
“What about you?” I ask, voice muffled by his shoulder.
“I can promise you that guy is too drunk to remember who I am. Plus, he definitely wasn’t paying any attention to my face to begin with,” he whispers against my hair, his breath warming my scalp.
A slow, delicious shiver rolls up my spine.
Boone shields me with his arms, but his body is tense like he’s considering carrying me Superman-style right down the stairs if the sleazeball looks this way. Thankfully, before he has to resort to that, the server reappears with a few more burly men, including the bouncer manning the door earlier. I peek over the edge of Boone’s jacket and his strong arms to watch. The bouncer flashes us a thumbs up before grabbing the jerk by the scruff and hustling him away. Relief pools in my core. I’m sure that’ll be the last we see of that troublemaker.
“Thank you again,” I gush, beaming at Boone. “I guess even if you’re not interested in our little business deal, I still owe you big. You rescued me twice in one night.”
Boone eases me down onto the cushion beside him, but his arms linger around me for a moment.
“Who says I'm not interested?” he quips. A smile slowly spreads across his face and his blue eyes glint in the dark evening light.
My breath lodges in my lungs. “Seriously?” I shriek a little too loudly because a few people look curiously over at us, but I’m too exhilarated to care.
Boone nods and I throw my arms around his neck. I squeeze him tightly, all the while quietly squealing, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Slowly, he pulls away and clears his throat, his eyes shifting momentarily toward the ground.
A strange, nearly unreadable expression briefly clouds his face and I think I already know what it is.
Had I seen a hint of an old wound in his eyes? Though Boone claims to be over this ex that stomped on his heart, I have a feeling he might still be troubled by it. I understand that, though. Feelings are complicated, but fortunately this relationship won’t be.
No drama, no real feelings—all simplicity. That’s the deal.
Abruptly, my phone trills from my clutch. I scoop up the small bag to peek inside and catch sig
ht of the clock on my phone’s face.
“Is that the time?” I yelp in surprise.
I can’t believe how late it’s gotten. While Boone and I were chatting, hours had slipped away like minutes. I’d promised the girls I’d be back by midnight and the seconds are counting down. I don’t want them to worry about me, especially since I’m out on my own tonight.
Turning toward my fake boyfriend, I offer a big smile. “It’s almost twelve. I’ve got to head out.”
“Do you really, Cinderella?” he teases.
I dig out an old receipt for a pack of gum from my purse and scribble my number on it before thrusting it into his palm. Then I jump to my feet while hastily ordering an Uber on my phone. Thankfully, because it’s so busy tonight, tons of drivers are roaming the street.
“This has been really fun, Boone, and—” I say, but he shakes his head and climbs to his feet.
“You think I’m going to let you walk down there by yourself after that guy tried to bother you? There’s no way I’d treat my girl like that.”
His girl.
I know nothing about this is real, but him calling me his girl has my heart beating a thousand miles a minute against my ribs.
“O-of course,” I stammer out. “Thanks.”
He gently takes my hand in his as he guides me back down the stairs and out the front door of the club. Fortunately, by the time we exit the building, there’s no sign of the drunken troublemaker.
“Do you think we could take a pic before I go?” I ask, gesturing at my phone. “I should post about this later.”
He nods and pulls me into his chest, his arm looping around my waist. The embrace is so natural that it steals my breath and I quickly take the picture of us.
“We’ll talk soon?” he asks as my Uber pulls up.
“Definitely. We should meet up to go over the rules of our little engagement. This weekend maybe?”
He chuckles and nods, then opens the door of the car for me to slide in. It’s only when the door closes that I realize I’m still wearing his jacket. I turn in my seat to see Boone staring after me as the car pulls away. He lifts one large hand and waves as he vanishes from view.
Sinking back in my seat, I press one hand over my battering ram of a heart.
“This has to stay simple, Sutton,” I whisper to myself. “You’ve got to get a grip.”
Mentally, my mind adds one more statement—easier said than done.
CHAPTER FIVE
Verdant trees fly by as the Uber driver careens away from LA. The vibrant cityscape melts into vast coastline while I stare dreamily out the window.
I could swear the car is flying ten thousand feet above the street, or maybe that’s simply how I feel because I’m so unbelievably happy. I’m not even on cloud nine right now. I’m on cloud 9000.
Excitement fizzes in my veins like I’m a shaken bottle of cola. I can’t wait to get back to my girls and tell them all about this hunky guy that I managed to enchant tonight. We’ve barely even gotten started seeing one another, but I can tell that the future of our fake relationship is bright. I’ve already got a thousand different ideas for our big reveal as a couple, and it’ll take Grayson and Kali by storm.
This is about to change everything for Glossed & Glammed. We’re going to have not one cute power couple, but two. Our fans aren’t going to be ready for it at all.
Wriggling enthusiastically in my seat, I lean forward and lightly grasp the back of the driver’s headrest to see better. Any second now, the beachfront home I share with my two besties will be visible in the distance. As if on command, the warm, welcoming windows of the two-story house materialize down the street. Kali, Liv, and I take a lot of safety measures to make sure that our living situation is kept private, despite how much we share with our followers. That place is our dream home, and we don’t want anything spoiling it.
I wonder if Kali is home yet. I hope so. I’m practically bursting at the seams right now and I want both of my BFFs there when I share the news. That said, I’m still not entirely sure how I’ll explain the events of tonight, but I’m sure I’ll figure that out when I get there.
A few minutes later, the car slows to a stop in front of the house. I thank the Uber driver and tell her to have a nice evening, then I bounce out of the backseat. Just as I’m about to sprint toward the front door, a cherry red sports car parked on the side of the house snags the corner of my eye. I slow to a stop, noticing that the engine is still running.
Wait a minute. Isn’t that Grayson’s fancy ride?
More nosy than curious, I tuck Boone’s jacket beneath an arm and edge closer to the red car until I spot Kali and Grayson next to it. They must be saying goodnight. Their arms are wrapped tightly around one another and Kali is dipped slightly backward so that he can press kiss after sweet kiss against her lips. The moment is so intimately picturesque it might as well be a scene from a movie, even though they have no idea they have an audience in me and the lingering Uber driver.
The moment is beautiful, passionate, and sweet. It’s also giving me great inspiration about how Boone and I should announce ourselves to the online world. If Kali and Grayson can put on a show like that for absolutely no one, Boone and I are definitely going to smash our own performance as infatuated lovebirds. We have to. Otherwise, I’ll only end up paling in comparison to Kali and her boyfriend a second time.
Mouth going dry at the thought, I turn quickly back toward the front door and bolt inside.
“You’re back!” Liv cries cheerfully.
Dressed in a pair of dark cotton sleep shorts and a sunny, yellow cami that brings out the gold flecks in her brown eyes, Liv is looking as cute and joyful as always.
I force an equally buoyant smile back to my lips and nod. “You got that right, babe! And just you wait until you hear about my night. It was insane!”
“So was mine,” Liv responds playfully. I think she must’ve had a whole glass of wine at some point tonight because she’s looking a little flushed. With her, very little goes a very long way. “Coco and George were chasing each other around the living room and Chanel dive-bombed them from the couch. I think she was telling them to respect her space.”
“Is that right, Coco?” I gasp with feigned alarm to the sleek cat as she sidles up to greet me. I scoop her up into my arms and nuzzle her face. “Were Chanel and Georgie picking on you?”
George lets out an indignant bark, but his tongue lolls happily out of his mouth. He trots closer and presses against my legs until I scratch the top of his head. Coco rewards my affection with a soft purr and nuzzles her cheek to mine. When I set my kitty back down, she winds between my legs and gazes up at me with adoring eyes. At least once my fake relationship ends, I’ll still have her.
“I’m home, girls!” Kali calls from behind me as the door swings open and then closed again.
I glance over my shoulder and note that my blond BFF’s face is as rosy as Liv’s, but not from any alcohol. The smile Kali wears right now could outshine the sun, and I know it’s all because of Grayson. I genuinely am glad that they found each other, even if I am a little envious at how much our Glammers idolize them lately. Between her mother overdosing when she was little and growing up in foster homes, Kali has already been through so much in her life. The least she deserves is to have a handsome hunk who treats her like the queen she is.
After securely locking the door, Kali slides out of her heels and kicks them away from her. “Grayson couldn’t come in, but he says hello. I connected him with another one of our charities and he’s got a meeting with them super early in the morning. He’s going to prep some documents before hitting the hay.”
Liv and I exchange grins. Kali is just as passionate about her charities and fundraisers as she is about Grayson. When she isn’t filming makeup tutorials for our viewers or toiling away as the G&G liaison for collabs and sponsorships, she’s working hard at uncovering new charity organizations for us to support using our huge following. Every month we have a br
and-new fundraiser to focus on, and she makes sure I post frequently about the various causes on all of our socials. Some big-name influencers and brands steer clear of that kind of thing, but not Glossed & Glammed. In fact, it was one of those charities that ultimately brought Kali and Grayson together.
“You’re just in time to hear about Sutton’s wild night, Kali,” Liv explains as she prances back into the kitchen to refill her wine glass.
Kali wiggles her eyebrows at me as she sets her purse on the island that separates the kitchen from the living room. “Oh, really? I’m surprised I didn’t see it on the G&G feed. You didn’t post anything at all tonight.”
“I can be subtle, you know,” I scoff with a pretend pout.
Liv pops the cork of her wine bottle and laughs. “Subtle and Sutton are two words that are never in the same sentence.”
“And you two love me for it,” I declare dramatically, throwing a hand over my forehead and pretending to swoon onto the couch.
I land artfully on top of Boone’s suit jacket to hide it for just a moment longer. A good actress knows all about how important the big reveal is.
Kali and Liv flop down next to me on the couch and soon we’re nestled beneath a fuzzy blanket that one of our fans handstitched back when we were still a relatively small channel. Every now and then, that very same fan sends us letters thanking us for spreading awareness of various charities and for our continued tips and tricks in the makeup and beauty world. Getting mail from her is always the highlight of my week, and I make sure to respond right away in a penned letter signed by all three of us. I think the best part of our fanbase is that the girls and I have managed to keep most of our earliest subscribers. G&G takes outreach with them seriously and we always try to stay as connected as possible. It might not be the healthiest thing in the world, but I read almost every single comment that gets posted on our various pages and try to respond to as many as possible, even the critical ones. In my mind, that’s what makes G&G so special and so successful. We’re a family. I might not be super close to my biological kin, but I have my girls and my Glammers.
