Dirty Fake Fiancé

by Sky Corgan

  “Oh, hello. I'm Melita.” I smiled at her, though I knew I had probably failed to make it look genuine. It wasn't that I wasn't happy to meet her; it was just my overwhelming nerves hampering my social skills.

  “This is exciting, isn't it?” Her large brown eyes had a sparkle in them.

  “I suppose.” I looked back down to my questionnaire, grasping the provided pencil in hand to begin filling it out.

  The packet was thick, and as I skimmed through it, I realized that it would, in fact, take an hour to complete. I did my best to stifle an annoyed sigh before jotting my name, age, and the date on the top line. After I had filled out the basics, I scanned down to question number one.

  The first page appeared to be all medical related questions. It asked about medical conditions, psychological conditions, any medications that I was taking, and if I was a drug user.

  The next page got into the grittier stuff, such as my level of sexual experience and experience with BDSM. I answered “none” to both questions. Then it asked about my level of interest in various activities. The list itself went on for seven pages, and I was certain it encompassed every sexual thing any person on the face of the entire planet had ever come up with. Some were abhorrent, like forced bed wetting and being used as someone's toilet. I was supposed to put a number between zero and five next to each act to indicate how willing I was to try it. Most of the stuff seemed absolutely horrible. Things like asphyxiation and needle play, I knew I would never want to do.

  The more I sat there and read the list, the more repulsed I felt. I swear, the first time someone tries to pee on me, I'm calling Liam to come get me and calling off this whole stupid marriage. In a fit of frustration, I zeroed the entire list, not even bothering to go over each item individually. For the rest of the packet, I wrote none, no, or zero wherever the most negative and unwilling responses would go. I did not want to be here, and I planned to make it known.

  Having hurriedly completed the questionnaire before the other girls, I simply sat and watched them in my peripheral vision as they finished theirs. They all seemed very attentive to the questions, going over each one carefully. One of the girls, a modelesque brunette, had a smile on her face through the entire thing, and Mary seemed to be writing a paragraph for each question that required a short written response. It took her all the way up until Master Neil returned to finish, and even then I wasn't sure if she had fully completed it.

  Quietly, he collected our papers and then went to the wall-mounted TV in the corner of the room to set up a video before leaving again. I looked across the row of seats, hoping that someone would be interested in conversation, but all eyes were glued to the television as the video began to play.

  “Welcome to the Napa Valley Body Awareness Resort,” it began with an image of the resort. “We take pride in providing the most professional and intimate body awareness classes in the entire country. Our top of the line establishment is well equipped to train our students in a variety of things, including: domination, submission, bondage, and kink play. Our professional staff will guide you every step of the way, providing you with a comfortable and safe environment to explore your sexuality.”

  About fifteen minutes into the video, Master Neil peaked his head inside the door. “Melita, can I see you for a moment?”

  The other girls didn't take their eyes off the screen as I slunk out of the classroom, following Master Neil down the hall to a small office. He gestured to one of the two chairs that faced his desk and then quietly closed the door as I took a seat.

  “I wanted to talk to you about the answers on your questionnaire,” he began, sliding into the plush black office chair across from me. “You didn't want to come here, did you?”

  “No,” I admitted quickly. “My fiancé signed me up for these classes. I have absolutely zero interest in BDSM, as is indicated on my questionnaire.”

  A warm smile crossed his aged face, and I could tell that he found the situation amusing. “It appears that Mister Kemble left out that little tidbit during our conversation earlier this week.”

  “I'm not surprised. Mister Kemble tends to leave out a lot.”

  Master Neil leaned back in his chair, steepling his hands. “I saw on your questionnaire that you have no experience with BDSM, and I know from my conversation with Mister Kemble that you don't have much experience with anything else either. Is that correct, or is that just something that you told him so that he wouldn't send you here?”

  This question caught me off guard, and I felt my face flush in unmerited embarrassment because of it. “That is correct. I am a virgin. I didn't just make it up to get out of this.”

  “Listen.” Master Neil leaned back again. “I know that this is all new to you, and I know that you're scared. That's natural, especially for someone in your rare, delicate position. You need to understand, though, that we're not here to hurt you or corrupt you. What we're here to do is help enrich your life.

  “Mr. Kemble has given us explicit instructions to start with the very basics. We're not going to just toss you into the middle of the BDSM world and expect you to sink or swim. You have nothing to worry about, I assure you,” his voice sounded genuine, but I still didn't trust it. “I need to know, though, before we begin, that you're willing to actually give this a chance. If you do not give consent, then you shouldn't even be here. I won't force you to stay.”

  While leaving sounded incredibly appealing, I had to remember that the happiness of my marriage could potentially be on the line if I did.

  “Do you think that this is a good fit for me?” I asked shyly, letting my vulnerability shine through.

  A warm smile creased Master Neil's lips. “I think that you're a blank slate, and that makes you a perfect candidate to benefit from the classes we offer.”

  It sounded very generic, but I decided to take it as a yes.

  “I'll tell you what,” he continued. “Go finish watching the video with the rest of the girls. There are about thirty minutes left. After the video, we're going to break for lunch. Let me know what you want to do then. If you still want to leave, I'll arrange for a limo to come pick you up.”

  I nodded, my mind feeling a bit more at ease.

  Master Neil escorted me back to the classroom and then took his leave.

  “What did he want?” Mary leaned over to whisper.

  “He wanted to know if I want to leave.”

  “Why would you want to leave?”

  “Because I didn't sign up for this. My fiance signed me up for it.”

  “Oh.” She paused for a moment. “Well, you should stay. It's going to be a whole lot of fun.”

  It was obvious we had a different idea of what fun was.

  While my eyes stared at the images on the screen for the next thirty minutes, my mind was worlds away, fighting an epic battle of should I stay or should I go. I went over the list of pros and cons in my head, trying to see which way the scale was tipped.

  I sighed, knowing that this just wasn't for me.

  About five minutes before the end of the video, Master Neil returned to the room to watch the ending with us.

  “It's time for lunch,” he said as he turned off the television. “I'll expect you all to meet me back here in an hour.”

  “We should eat together,” Mary told me.

  “I'll be along shortly.” I smiled at her, again falling flat with my genuine happiness.

  She nodded and was out the door with the rest of the women.

  “So, have you made your decision?” Master Neil asked after everyone had left.

  “Yes.” I took a deep breath before responding. “I've decided to leave.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Nothing was going to make me feel comfortable with the idea of taking these classes. If Jack Kemble wanted me to learn about BDSM, he would have to teach me himself.

  Instead of going to the dining room, I headed up to my room to pack my things. Negative emotions attacked me from all sides. Anger at Jack for insistin
g on sending me here. Disappointment in myself for not really giving it a chance. And depression over the general situation.

  I didn't want to go back to New York. There was no way that I could handle facing Jack right now, especially when he believed that the happiness of our marriage depended on me taking these classes. So I did the only thing I knew to do, I called Liam.

  “I'm in Napa Valley,” I told him between sobs. “Book me a flight out of here. I want to come home.”

  “Alright.”

  Just hearing his voice was enough to sooth my nerves, and the thought that I would soon be safe in his arms was grounding.

  Before my hour lunch was even up, I was piling into a cab without telling anyone where I was going. It was time to disappear for a while, to get away from this BDSM school and my horrible arranged marriage. I needed some normalcy back in my life, if only for a little while.

  The flight back to Texas was somehow comforting. I knew that when I got into the SAT terminal, I wouldn't have to look around for a bodyguard holding my name on a sign. Liam would be there waiting for me with the warm, genuine smile I was so used to seeing.

  And there he was, looking as stunning as always. His long blonde hair was trimmed neatly, his normally gruff beard shaven down to stubble. I always found it amusing how Liam's facial hair was about two shades darker than the hair on his head. Most people didn't believe he was a natural blonde, but I knew it was true because we had been best friends since we were children.

  “Melita,” Liam sounded relieved to see me, scooping me up into his arms and hugging me like he'd never let me go.

  “Oh Liam, I missed you so much.”

  He held me at arm's length. “Do your parents know that you're here?”

  I shook my head. “No one does. I didn't tell Jack or my mom or anyone. I just . . . needed to get away for a while.”

  “Well, I'm glad you came to me. You can stay with me until you're ready to return to New York.”

  Would I ever be ready, I wondered. And even if I was ready, how would Jack respond to my running off with Liam? The truth was that he had pushed me away by forcing me to go to the BDSM school. He would have to see that.

  By the time we got back to Liam's house, I was absolutely exhausted. All I could think about was sleeping off the misery I felt inside. Hopefully, I'd wake up in a better mood and with a fresh mind that could handle sorting out the mess I had made.

  As I walked into Liam's living room, I sighed softly, hugging myself while I looked at the quaint country ambiance. Everything about it reminded me of home, from the western landscape paintings to the smell of leather. It was calmly familiar, and for the first time since I left for New York, I felt truly at peace.

  “Can I make you something to drink?” Liam offered, always the gentleman.

  “No, thank you. I think I'd like to go to bed. I've had enough excitement for one night.”

  “Alright. You know your way around. Just make yourself at home. I'm going to stay up for a while longer. I have a case I need to do some research on.”

  “I'm sorry, Liam. I didn't mean to drag you away from work just to come get me.” I avoided his gaze, suddenly feeling guilty.

  “You didn't drag me away from work. I got off at five o'clock. Your flight didn't get in until eight. Stop bothering yourself with such nonsense. You know you come before everything in my life anyway.” He smiled warmly at me, and I swooned silently at his words. Why couldn't Jack be more like Liam? Oh, Jack was charming and handsome, but he didn't love me—didn't know me well enough to love me. And he hadn't cared enough to get to know me.

  As I stood there and looked at Liam, I realized everything I had taken for granted. I had wanted a man who was into the finer things in life, exotic cars, exquisite fashion, and buying me expensive gifts. Wasn't that what most girls wanted? But when it came down to it, all that I needed was standing right in front of me. Good, simple, sweet Liam.

  “Goodnight,” I whispered, glancing shyly into his eyes.

  “Good night, love.”

  A stupid grin creased the corners of my lips as I turned from him, enjoying the flood of romantic feelings that captivated my heart from being in his presence.

  As I passed by Liam's bedroom, a devious thought crossed my mind. Quiet like a church mouse, I scurried to the guest bedroom to change into my pajamas. Then, just as stealthily, I crept into Liam's room, crawling under the covers.

  I moaned softly as I inhaled his scent on his pillow. How I had missed that scent. Clean yet masculine at the same time. The familiarity of it was enough to carry me off to sleep faster than I had been able to fall asleep in a long time.

  The next morning, I opened my eyes to the sunlight shining through the windows. For a moment, my mind was tricked into thinking that I was late for class at the BDSM school, but when I tried to rise, something was holding me in place, and I looked down to see a strong arm wrapped around me. That's when I remembered that I was in Liam's bed . . . and so was Liam.

  My cheeks burned as I flattened myself on the bed, fearful that I might wake him. I wasn't sure what time it was, but it was bright enough to indicate that he was late for work. Briefly, I wondered if I should wake him, but then selfishly settled on staying nestled in the comfort of his arms instead. It felt so good to be there again, like I belonged in his arms—in his bed.

  It was a shameful thought, though, and I realized that in my moment of insanity the previous day, I had made a big mistake. Not only had I jeopardized my marriage to Jack by running away, but I was also messing up my relationship with Liam by deciding to sleep in his bed. Knowing Liam, he would think the situation to be more than it actually was. I had just been trying to escape, not to betray Jack.

  Was it really a betrayal, though? I was still so confused. For once, a good night's sleep hadn't done much to clear my head.

  When Liam finally began to stir, I pretended like I was asleep. With so much going through my mind, I wasn't ready to explain how I ended up in his bed. For a moment, he pushed himself up onto his elbow, and I could feel him leaning over me, watching me. Then he moved a strand of my hair away from my face and kissed me on the cheek. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach from Liam's gentle touch. The way he affected me was so deep that it made me have second thoughts about returning to New York.

  Finally, he rose from bed, and I listened to the bathroom door close and then the sound of the shower head turning on. Impure images filled my mind—images I knew I shouldn't be having. Why was my body begging for Liam's touch when I had held him off for so long?

  Feeling like it was a good opportunity to make my escape, I crawled out of bed and went back to the guest room to dress. Liam and I met in the hallway when I was coming back out. He was toweling off his hair, and I was on my way to the kitchen to make breakfast.

  “I was wondering where you went,” he said.

  For a moment, I was dumbstruck, standing there staring at his broad muscular chest. He was so much bigger than Jack, with a thin covering of light blonde hair on his chest and stomach. The lines of Liam's hips pointed down into his boxers, and I felt my face flush as my eyes flitted lower for just a second before coming back up to his face.

  “I-I was going to make you breakfast,” I stuttered, pointing behind me like an idiot when the kitchen was in the opposite direction. I had known Liam practically my entire life. Why was I reacting this way to him now? I didn't understand it, but I liked it. “Wait, aren't you late for work?”

  “I am.” He smiled, noticing my awkwardness. “As much as I'd like to stay here with you, you'll have to just make breakfast for yourself. I'll catch something on the way to work.”

  “Oh, alright.”

  “You act like you've never seen me shirtless before,” Liam teased, and I instantly felt playful anger building up inside of me.

  “Just, shut up and go get dressed,” I laughed, not knowing what else to say.

  The day was long and lonely, but at least it gave me time to contemplate my predica
ment. I would have to call Jack sooner or later. It was only a matter of time before he found out where I was, and it was best that he heard the news from my mouth. About an hour before Liam was scheduled to get off work, I finally got up the nerve to dial Jack's number.

  He answered with more concern than anger, “Where are you? The school told me that you left yesterday, and no one has heard from you since.”

  “I'm at a friend's house.” Now it was my turn to be vague. “I'm sorry Jack, but that school was horrible.”

  He sighed. “Alright. You gave it a chance. Now come back to New York. We'll figure something else out.”

  “I think I'd rather stay here for a few more days,” I told him boldly.

  “I'll switch your plane ticket so that you can come back on Sunday,” Jack agreed, returning to the calm demeanor that I was used to. “I miss you.”

  This last bit surprised me, and I couldn't tell if it was genuine or not, nor was I sure if I returned the sentiment. We still barely knew each other.

  “Text me the time that my flight leaves.”

  “I'll call you tomorrow to let you know, and to check up on you.”

  “Alright.”

  “Have fun, and try to relax. I'm sorry things didn't go well at the school.” He sounded sincere.

  “It's alright. I'm fine now.”

  “I'll talk to you later, honey bee,” and with that, he hung up. There was that strange pet nickname again. Honey bee. Like Jack actually had some kind of affection for me.

  Liam kept his fridge well stocked with fresh cuts of beef, so I made filet minion with baked asparagus and new potatoes for dinner. It was a hearty meal, something I knew he'd enjoy.

  “Honey, I'm home,” Liam called out as he walked through the front door.

  I came running only to find that he had two big bags from Salsalitos in his hands. My smile sulked a bit but didn't disappear.

  “Surprise.” Liam's eyes glimmered with pride.

  “Great minds think alike,” I said, trying not to sound disappointed. “I cooked dinner.”