by M. Ullrich
Table of Contents
Synopsis
Praise for M. Ullrich
By the Author
Acknowledgments
Step One
Step Two
Step Three
Step Four
Step Five
Step Six
Step Seven
Step Eight
Step Nine
Step Ten
Step Eleven
Step Twelve
Step Thirteen
Step Fourteen
Step Fifteen
Step Sixteen
Step Seventeen
Step Eighteen
Step Nineteen
Step Twenty
Step Twenty-one
Step Twenty-two
Step Twenty-three
Step Twenty-four
Step Twenty-five
Always Celebrate Your Success
About the Author
Books Available From Bold Strokes Books
Fake It Till You Make It
Can the truth really set you free? Genevieve Applegate is tired of her stagnant life and she’s ready to make a change by going after her dream job in New Jersey. The listing seems ideal when Genevieve scans it, but a big surprise comes at her interview: Out Shore Magazine is an LGBT publication. She’s willing to work around this detail with an innocent lie, one she’ll keep from her longtime boyfriend as well as her new boss, Harper Davies. Out Shore has been Harper’s main focus since her heart was broken years ago, but Genevieve may be the one to change that with her fresh perspective and charm. While both women enjoy what they learn about each other, Genevieve is most surprised by what she learns about herself. Pretending to be a lesbian has never felt more honest.
Praise for M. Ullrich
Life in Death
“Such a joy to discover a ‘different’ romance with more mature women going through a real life scenario and an author who gets her teeth into gritty and difficult subjects with style and grace. Absolutely excellent reading.”—Lesbian Reading Room
“The pain at times is palpable, tears streaming down your face as you feverishly read, totally engrossed in the story. Is it good? Oh my goodness yes, this book is very good.”—The Romantic Reader Blog
Fortunate Sum
“Sometimes there is nothing that can entertain you or make you feel better than a well written and thoroughly captivating romance. This book does this and more. A love story that is as delightful as it is engaging.”—Inked Rainbow Reviews
Fake It Till You Make It
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Fake It Till You Make It
© 2017 By M. Ullrich. All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 13: 978-1-62639-924-2
This Electronic Book is published by
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 249
Valley Falls, New York 12185
First Edition: June 2017
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Credits
Editor: Jerry L. Wheeler
Production Design: Stacia Seaman
Cover Design by Jeanine Henning
By the Author
Fortunate Sum
Life in Death
Fake It till You Make It
Acknowledgments
I’m still in shock that this is my third novel. I thought the third time would be the charm with acknowledgments, but I was wrong. I still don’t know how to put my gratitude into words.
First, I must thank everyone at Bold Strokes Books. I’m surrounded by boundlessly talented and incredibly supportive people. I’m honored to be a part of this family. Sandy and Radclyffe took one heck of a chance on me, and I’m determined to make the most of the opportunity I’ve been given.
My editor, Jerry Wheeler, has done the impossible yet again. You’re a wonderful teacher, Jerry, and a patient, talented man. Thank you for seeing my vision and explaining how I can make it into the best version of itself. I become a more confident writer with each book because of you, and for that I’ll always be grateful.
Monika, you sweet and accident-prone woman, thank you for your friendship and for never hesitating to share your most embarrassing moments with me. This book wouldn’t be half as entertaining if I didn’t have such unbelievable true events to build a love story around.
To write about love is to know love, and, Heather, you make it easy for me to imagine a hundred ways for my imaginary people to fall in love. Thank you for your excitement, your support, and your patience. I’m not easy to deal with when I’m facing a deadline or when my focus is in fiction as opposed to our reality. I love you endlessly, and please keep kicking me in the butt when I slack off. Kthanksbye.
Kris and Maggie: #TOTU game on.
I’d love to thank each and every reader individually, but since that’s not possible, this is my thank you to you all. Whether you’ve been on board with me since book one or this is the first book of mine you’ve chosen to read, thank you so very much.
I hope the humor in this book is able to brighten, if only for a moment, some of the darkness we’re seeing in the world today. Peace and love, always.
To Heather,
For standing beside me as we take on life one step at a time.
Step One
Getting Started
This latest job listing had it all: a guarantee of health benefits, sick time, and paid vacation, but most importantly the promise of a fresh start far away from Genevieve Applegate’s hometown of Milan, Pennsylvania. Genevieve wasn’t blind to the small town’s charms, but even the most charming of towns grows old after living there every day. Twenty-seven years was a long time for someone who dreamed of more money, more growth, and more of a life.
She had a set Friday night routine. After a particularly long week working for the local newspaper, Genevieve would settle down in front of her personal computer with her favorite beer and pull up a plethora of updated job listings. Job hunting was both comforting and invigorating. Each listing she qualified for brought forth new daydreams and possibilities, but she hadn’t applied to any until now.
Boasting terms such as “up and coming” and “forward thinking,” the posting lit her blue eyes. The magazine was also one of the top-selling publications at the Jersey Shore. Genevieve smiled to herself as the image of grassy dunes and multicolored sunrises across the Atlantic came to mind. It seemed perfect, the glass slipper she had been waiting for. She read every other word before moving the cursor to the bottom of the page, hovering above the bright blue button that’d lead her to the application page. The catchy tune of her ringing cell phone distracted her. A meek smile spread across her pink lips as she took in the name that lit up the display.
“Hello, Jeremy,” Genevieve said coyly and tucked a strand of her strawberry-blond hair behind her ear.
“Hey, babe, are you home?”
“Yeah, I got home a little while ago.” She took a quick look at the clock in the corner of her monitor. She had already been home for three hours. Time flies when you’re looking for a new life, she thought.
“Would you like some company? I’ve finished up my grading and l
esson plans for next week. The weekend is all ours.” Genevieve could hear the suggestive smile in Jeremy’s voice, but she kept her eyes on her computer screen.
“For a gym teacher you sure do have a lot of paperwork.”
“Gym teachers are still teachers, you know. Plus, they have me teaching three health classes this quarter. It’s killing me.”
“Less basketball and more puberty talk. Sounds horrid.”
“Don’t forget safe sex and pregnancy.”
“My favorite memories of high school.” Genevieve laughed lightly, and her smile broadened when Jeremy joined in. “I’m sorry to disappoint, but I’m busy tonight.”
“Going out or staying in?”
“Staying in.” She looked at the listing again and took her thumbnail between her teeth. She was hesitant to share her excitement prematurely, but the need to talk about this new possibility was too strong. “I may have found my dream job.”
“Oh? Has the search finally come to an end?” She could hear the eye roll in his voice. Jeremy hinted at the years she had spent looking for that diamond in the rough, the one job that would finally open a door larger than that of an outhouse. “Tell me about it.”
“There’s not much to tell right now. I don’t want to speak too soon, but it has every keyword I’ve been looking for, and it’s in New Jersey.”
“Are you for real, Gen?”
“I’m tired of doing and seeing the same things every day, Jeremy. I’m not like you. I don’t find comfort in routine, I find it stifling.”
“I know.”
“If I have to do another year at The Morning Sunrise, I’m going to go crazy. I can only write so many engagement announcements and county fair reviews before I go mad.” Genevieve clicked on the apply button, and her heart skipped slightly when the next page loaded. “The most creative column I wrote this year was about a snowdrift shaped like a sailboat. Riveting.” She took a sip of her Budweiser that had been sitting beside her computer. Her friends never understood how she could drink room-temperature beer, but Genevieve found a Bud dependable in its delicious satisfaction.
“But that last fair made for such a great article,” Jeremy said. He chuckled deeply into the phone.
“A kettle corn stand going up in flames made the cover, yeah, but I want to write articles that help people.” I want to meet new people, too, Genevieve thought. Growing up in a small town limited her interactions. She knew everyone’s story because they either grew up with her or helped raise her. Inspiration was hard to find. “I proposed a cultural piece today, and I got laughed at. Laughed at, Jeremy. I would’ve been humiliated if I didn’t already know far more embarrassing things about my coworkers.”
“What makes you so sure that this new job will give you everything you’re looking for?”
“I’m not certain.” Genevieve started to fill in her information in the blank boxes. “But it’s the most promising listing I’ve seen in a while.”
“I know you’re going to do whatever you want to do in the end, but will you at least think about it a little longer? Maybe through the weekend? We both know how you have a tendency to act a bit too spontaneously sometimes. You walk into a new situation with blinders on half the time.”
“I don’t,” Genevieve said. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from lashing out at Jeremy. He was just being the cautious, logical boyfriend he had been since they had started dating their senior year of high school. Jeremy had even been hesitantly understanding of Genevieve’s refusal to entertain the idea of marriage until her career path was in place. She knew this job could mean the first significant change in their relationship, so she couldn’t blame him for wanting her to take her time with a decision. “I’ll think about it.”
“Good.”
“I’m surprised you’re not pushing me to apply.”
“Why is that?”
“Because the sooner I land my dream job, the sooner you land your dream wife.”
“This is true. I should be applying for you.” He laughed lightly, and Genevieve finished her beer before Jeremy changed the subject. “Are we still on for tomorrow night? Ben and Theresa are expecting us.”
“We’ll be there.” Two of Genevieve’s friends from grade school had gotten engaged a month earlier. She was honored to write up the announcement for them. “You know how much I love engagement parties.”
“You’re being sarcastic.”
“Am I?” She rolled her neck and sighed when she felt a satisfying pop.
“This one will be fun. They’re having it in the Andersons’ barn.”
“I had my first kiss in that barn, and I saw a horse euthanized there as well.” The memory caused Genevieve to shudder.
“There’ll be no horses, but Tommy Fowler will be there. Maybe he’ll be looking for a reenactment.”
“Too bad he’s married.”
Jeremy laughed. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at six. I love you, Gen.”
“Love you, too.” Genevieve ended the call and turned her attention back to her empty beer bottle. Another Budweiser would do her good. She went to the kitchen, a short distance from the small corner of the living room she called her office. When she came back with a fresh beer, she stood in the middle of her small, one-bedroom house and thought of what to do next.
Genevieve was already in a T-shirt and sweatpants by nine o’clock. She took a sip of her cold beer before looking between her worn, inviting couch and her computer. The screen was still alive and bright, yet to be put to sleep by the timed screensaver. She had recorded several shows and had even more books piled up that she had been meaning to read. Genevieve was about to retreat to her king-sized bed and lose herself to fictional characters for hours when a late summer breeze came through an open window causing the houseplant on her desk to sway invitingly, beckoning her back to the computer like come-hither fingers.
“I thought about it long enough,” Genevieve muttered to herself and marched back to her computer. She uploaded her tweaked resume and proofread every piece of information she had offered up. She was an experienced writer looking for the challenge of a new job in a new environment. Genevieve took another quick glance at the company’s title. She was strongly tempted to click on the link and peruse the website, but Genevieve was a firm believer in fate, jinxing the good, planets aligning, and letting destiny do its thing. She submitted her application with one comforting truth echoing in her mind: Out Shore Magazine would be lucky to have her.
Step Two
Be Careful with Your Introductions
Genevieve’s predictable life allowed her to do just that—predict. She could predict the exact time her neighbor would start to mow his lawn on a Saturday morning, when the local market stocked the freshest produce, and whose birthday would be celebrated that week in the neighborhood.
What Genevieve didn’t predict was a phone call first thing Monday morning from Dana at Out Shore Magazine asking if she’d be available the next day for an interview. Every moment from then to her arrival in Asbury Park, New Jersey, was a blur. Genevieve stared into the mirror and looked over her simple black pantsuit with a scrutinizing eye. She had been blessed with genes that allowed her face to appear ageless, fresh and far younger than her twenty-seven years, but sometimes she felt it was more of a curse. She looked like an adolescent dressed in her mother’s clothes.
“Lose the jacket,” she said to her reflection. She tossed the black blazer onto the bathroom countertop. Genevieve unbuttoned the first two buttons on her green shirt, opening the collar just enough to ease her breathing. “Calm down,” she prepped herself, “talk about your work and you’ll be fine.” She ran her damp palms along her tight ponytail. “Too severe.” Genevieve checked her watch and removed the small elastic from her hair. She ran her shaky fingers through the straightened strands and reevaluated her image. “Better.” She turned abruptly and made her way back to the reception area. Before Genevieve could take a seat, a casually dressed young woman approached her.
“Yes,” Genevieve said while straightening her posture subconsciously.
“I’m Dana Matheson, Harper Davies’s assistant.” Dana extended her hand quickly, and Genevieve fumbled with her portfolio folder.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Ms. Davies is ready when you are.” Dana started to lead the way through a labyrinth of desks and work stations.
The office was wide open, outlined by an abundance of tall windows that lit the space with a natural, therapeutic glow. Genevieve knew how much of an improvement it’d be from the harsh yellowed lighting at the Sunrise.
“Have a seat.” Dana gestured to one of two soft leather chairs just inside the office. “Can I get you anything? Water, coffee…”
Genevieve declined the offer politely, and Dana left. Once she was alone, Genevieve glanced around the small office. The desk was tidy, and framed covers of past issues lined the walls. Before she could get a close look, however, she sensed someone beside her.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Genevieve turned in her seat, the leather protesting loudly against the material of her pants. “Ms. Applegate,” said a tall woman her right hand outstretched, “I’m Harper Davies.”
“I…it’s…” Genevieve tripped over the greeting she’d rehearsed when she met Harper Davies’s gaze. She took a breath to steady herself. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Davies.”
“Harper, please.” She smiled broadly, showing deep dimples on either side of brilliant white teeth. “Only Dana calls me Ms. Davies, and that’s because she refuses to listen to me.” Harper chuckled.
