by Claire Adams
Our dinner arrived, and Maddie happily dug in. She didn’t seem nearly as upset about the entire situation as I was. I barely touched my food throughout the rest of the meal. I did, however, finish my drinks.
“So, I’ll stay at your house a few nights a week. Dinner with your mom once a week. Be the perfect fiancée, and take lots of pictures. Tell everyone that we’re in love, and refrain from sleeping with anyone else, but I can’t sleep with you.” Maddie summed it all up. “Are those all the rules?”
“I reserve the right to add more if necessary,” I said. “But yes, those are the rules. Do you think you can handle that?”
Maddie took a long swig of her drink and tore off a piece of bread. She had finished her chowder, and dunked the bread into my soup. It somehow came off as an intimate moment, and I wanted to yell at her for it.
“I think I can handle that,” she said. “Actually, I know I can. I accept.”
I nodded, expecting as much.
“Now, you said you wanted to be compensated for this. How much?” I asked.
It seemed Maddie hadn’t truly considered it until then. She bit her lip and looked at the ceiling as she said, “Half a million.”
I heard her, but I asked her to repeat herself.
“Half a million,” she said. “Up front.”
I ran my hand down my jaw and stood. “Half a million,” I scoffed and shook my head.
“Up front,” she repeated.
I left before I destroyed something and returned to my car without looking back. I punched the steering wheel as her words repeated in my head.
Half a million dollars to convince my mom that I was in love so that she would be happy in her last remaining months.
The last thing I wanted to do was give that bitch a single dollar, but as I thought about my mother and how happy she had been to hear who I was dating, I realized that I was going to have to give her exactly what she asked for.
I only prayed that I could figure out some way to make sure that Maddie was fucking miserable through the entire ordeal. She’d earn every damn dollar I threw her way.
Chapter Twelve
Maddie
I stayed to finish my drink. Gavin had run off yet again, leaving me with a guilt that would never be erased. The waitress apologized after taking our finished plates away as if she had anything to do with my date leaving early. I told her it was expected, and that I just had the worst luck when it came to dating. She glanced around us, at the several men who had been staring at me the entire night, and chuckled.
“The beautiful ones always do, I suppose,” she said and left me to my drinking. I realized I had been doing a lot of it lately, as if the alcohol would help me feel less like a shitty person. Was half a million too much? I had blurted out a number without really thinking about it. But that was practically chump change for someone with several billion dollars, right? And it’s not like the situation would have been easy for me either. I had to convince everyone in my life that I was head over heels and in love with a man who I had seen three times in the past decade. That wouldn’t be as easy as I’d hoped. And not to mention all of his ridiculous rules.
I groaned and leaned back as the last few drops of my cocktail slid down my throat. I should have gotten straight shots, but I was driving myself home, and it didn’t take more than a single shot to leave me passed out on the floor.
All of Gavin’s rules made sense, I supposed. One dinner a week with his mother was the entire reason why the situation would have existed. Convince everyone that we were in love. It would have to be a great act if we were going to be engaged shortly. But maybe the hardest one was not sleeping with anyone else. It wasn’t as if I wanted to sleep with other men. I hadn’t bothered with that in a while, too long possibly, but I at least appreciated having the choice. I hadn’t realized that pretending to be his pretend fiancée meant giving that up. And it wasn’t like we were going to be sleeping together either. It would be six months of cold showers, for the both of us apparently.
I shook my head and contemplated ordering another drink. It wouldn’t make me feel any better, but maybe it would make me forget about the dinner for a while. The waitress returned saying my date had paid the bill at least. It was a surprise to the both of us.
I decided against ordering another drink and readied my stuff to leave. A man with a balding head and dark blue eyes approached me as I slipped into a leather coat, and introduced himself politely.
“I just can’t believe any man would be dumb enough to walk out on a woman like you,” he said. It was a compliment that any other day would have made me blush, but tonight it only irritated me.
“A woman like me?” I asked. “What does that mean?” He had no idea what a woman like me was capable of.
“Oh,” he stumbled, “I just meant that you’re beautiful. Definitely the best-looking woman I’ve seen in a while.”
“So, he should have stayed just because I was beautiful?” I knew I was being unfair to this poor man who had just wanted to pick up a woman who had been abandoned by her date, but the drinks had made me bold, and my own actions made me angry.
The man held up his hands. “I didn’t mean anything by it, I swear,” he said. “I just wanted to compliment you.”
I opened my mouth to tell him to save his compliments for someone who cared, but I remembered that I needed to add more followers.
“I’m sorry,” I said and lowered my tone of voice. “It’s just been a rough night. Can I buy you a drink?”
He smiled and relaxed. “I’d love that.”
We spent the better part of an hour chatting at the bar and enjoying the jazz band. He placed his hand on the upper part of my thigh, and I decided against moving it. Nancie always explained that we were technically selling ourselves while looking for potential followers and that every once in a while, it wasn’t a bad idea to let them a little closer than I’d like.
He wasn’t so bad, to be honest. His eyes were captivating, and while he wasn’t as muscular as Gavin, many guys weren’t; he at least had a good body with a great smile. Gavin made him look like a has-been, but my handsome sugar daddy did that to most men. He was gorgeous, rich, and hated me. I let out a soft sigh as I thought about it.
“There’s something about jazz that really lifts the spirit,” he said as the band finished a song. He glanced at me. “Hopefully you’re feeling better now, right?”
“I am, thanks,” I said. “I barely even remember the guy’s face.” It was a blatant lie. It would be impossible to forget Gavin’s face.
“I can’t believe the asshole,” he said. I frowned; it wasn’t fair to Gavin that he was known as an asshole.
“I wouldn’t really blame him,” I said. “He said he had something important to take care of. And it was just a first date; I don’t expect him to tell me private matters.”
“Look at you, making excuses for him.” He shook his head. “The guy is an asshole; you can say it.”
“No,” I said sternly. “I really can’t. Look, I should probably get home.”
“But you haven’t even taken a sip of your drink,” he said and gestured at my full glass. I had only ordered it to make it look like I would be drinking. “I won’t talk about your date, I promise.”
“Thanks, but I need to get home,” I said and swung my purse over my shoulder.
“Well, here’s my number,” he said and handed me a piece of paper. I wondered briefly if the number on a napkin trope would ever die. “Call me if you’re ever feeling lonely again.”
“Thanks,” I said and pocketed it. As I was leaving the restaurant, I realized that I didn’t even know his name.
A shadow hung near my car, giant and tall, and I looked for my miniature can of pepper spray buried deep within my purse.
“Maddie,” Gavin said and walked out of the shadows. I gasped and pulled my hand out of my purse.
“You scared the shit out of me,” I said with a slight chuckle.
Gavin didn’t la
ugh, didn’t even crack a smile. He had his hands stuffed into his pockets, with sleeves rolled up to the elbow and a shadow beneath his eyes. He hadn’t had a good night either.
“I’ll do it,” he said. There was a single light on the street that illuminated his face with a golden hue. It made his blue eyes even brighter and showed off the muscles where his sleeves hugged his arms. “I’ll do it, for a half million. But half of that up front, and the rest afterward.”
“Afterward?” I asked, but a single grimace from Gavin was my answer. After his mom died, of course.
“But if you violate any of my rules, and I mean any of them, you don’t get the money. I’ll sue the shit out of you if you break a single one. Understood?”
I gulped; it was a big agreement. A huge decision that would affect the rest of the year.
“You can’t tell anyone about it being fake. Not a single person,” he reminded me. I realized that I had told Nancie about the deal, but she wouldn’t be too difficult to convince.
“Okay,” I said after a moment’s hesitation. “Agreed.”
He nodded, and said, “I’ll draw up an official agreement and contract, and I’ll send it to your email. Text me your email when you get home.”
“Okay,” I said, unable to say anything else.
“Dinner with me and my mother on Saturday,” he said. “I don’t want to see you until then.”
“Saturday, dinner, got it.”
He nodded and turned away. “Half a million,” he mumbled with a shake of his head and walked away.
I bit my tongue to keep from screaming, but my nerves were on edge, and my heart was thumping so loud that even he probably could have heard it. Half a million dollars! Never once in my life did I ever imagine I’d have so much money. Half now, half in six months. I thought about everything that I could do with it. Move to Hollywood, start a new life, build a better career. Start with modeling and move to being an actress, maybe.
But waiting the six months would be hard for so many reasons. The guilt worsened, eating at me as I slipped into the car and turned the key. The engine stalled for a moment before roaring to life; just another reminder of how desperate for money I was. I was a terrible person. I would get the rest of the money after his mother died.
I was more than just a terrible person. I was a greedy piece of shit.
Nancie was still awake when I arrived at our apartment, sitting on the couch while munching on salt-free and butter-free popcorn. She turned to me briefly with a subtle wave and returned her attention to the TV.
“What are you watching?” I asked and sat my purse on the counter. A plate of black bean brownies sat beside the sink. I tore off a piece and chewed on it. It had been a gift from one of Nancie’s admirers, a teenager who knew she was attempting a gluten-free diet. I had been given a handful of gifts over time as well, a few free books from fans and several coupons for free candy. Nancie always tried to throw out the coupons before I could redeem them.
“Some documentary about serial killers,” she said. “It was the first one on the recommendation list, and I didn’t feel like browsing.” The TV had been depicting a gruesome death that occurred in the hills of Hollywood nearly 20 years prior, with a couple hanging over the signs and a man in the shadows watching. I shivered, remembering Nancie’s offer to move to California. A part of me secretly hoped she wouldn’t go.
“By yourself?” I sat beside her. “I don’t think I could ever watch a scary documentary alone in an apartment.”
“It’s a safe neighborhood,” she said. “Plus, I figured you’d be home soon from your date, or whatever you call it. How did it go?”
She knew I had a meeting with Gavin about the proposition, and I realized I might have possibly made a mistake in telling her. I didn’t want to lie to her; I didn’t want to lie to anyone. But Gavin had a point. If we were going to lie to his dying mother, we might as well lie to the whole world.
“I took the offer off the table,” I said. She whipped around to look at me. “I was going to go through with it, but we ended up talking all night about our lives, and what we want in the future, and really about everything. I just couldn’t do it.” I wished it was the truth.
Nancie paused the movie and looked at me.
“What?” I asked as she shook her head. The disappointment in her eyes was obvious. I knew she would have gone through with it herself, and it was so hard to keep the truth from her.
“You were going to get a big chunk of change from a hot, rich billionaire, and you just took it off the table? Are you fucking with me?” She had the smile of someone who wasn’t sure if they were being tricked or not.
“I’m serious, Nancie. I just couldn’t take the money from him. He’s sweet and kind, and actually cared about what I was saying.” I realize that I was thinking about our first dinner date when it truly felt like there was something between us. “No guy has ever listened to me the way he did. He’s special,” I said honestly. “Not to mention my parents both think he’s the second coming of Jesus.”
“Maddie, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you actually have feelings for him,” Nancie said. “Please tell me you don’t.”
“I don’t,” I said immediately, and then realized that I had grown defensive for no reason. I was supposed to tell people about our relationship. “I mean, maybe? I don’t know. I think I do. He asked me out on another date this weekend.”
I winced as Nancie’s eyes bulged out of her head.
“Maddie! You’re being ridiculous! You and I both know that having a boyfriend while modeling is impossible. It would be jealousy from both sides! Men have to think that you’re always available, not tied down to some rich guy.” She had a point; I had to admit it.
“You know I’m more interested in acting,” I said. “And no one cares who you’re with when you’re on stage or in front of the camera.”
Nancie rolled her eyes. “Yes, but right now you’re a model and promoter. You can’t post pictures of you cuddling up with some guy and expect to gain more followers. If anything, you’ll lose them,” she said.
I hadn’t considered that. One of Gavin’s request had been to post pictures for his mom to see, but I didn’t expect to lose followers because of it. Still, half a million dollars was worth it. But I needed Nancie to believe that Gavin himself was worth it.
“You should meet him,” I said. “I think you’d understand.”
“I wouldn’t even if I could,” she said. “Which brings me to another point: what are you going to do when I’m in Hollywood and you’re stuck here playing girlfriend to this guy?”
“Hollywood?” I leaned forward. “Are you going?”
“Oh.” She pursed her lips. “I forgot I hadn't told you. I accepted the offer today. And I was hoping you would meet me out there within the next year or two.”
I sat against the back of the couch and closed my eyes. One deep breath. Two deep breaths.
“I’m sorry, Maddie. I know it’s your dream as well,” Nancie said in a whisper. “I’m leaving at the end of the week, though.”
“So soon?” I asked.
“They need me ASAP,” she said and stood. “You should watch the documentary from the beginning; it’s really good.” She left me alone in the living room with a movie about serial killers. I sighed and started it from the beginning. Might as well watch it while I still had a roommate.
I hadn’t expected Nancie to move so soon. I knew she would eventually accept the offer, but it still felt like a blow. I needed time to process it, but I also had so many other things to worry about, mainly my half-million-dollar scheme.
I ended the night beneath several blankets with a scary documentary and tried forcing my brain to stop processing and stop thinking, but it was useless. I couldn’t stop.
Chapter Thirteen
Gavin
The whiskey swirled in the glass as I sat at my bar waiting for the door to ring. Dinner was starting in a little more than an hour, and I told Maddie to a
rrive early. She was already getting on my nerves, and our pretend relationship hadn’t even started yet.
Mom was ecstatic when I asked about dinner later that night. I told her I was planning a dinner with Maddie and wanted her help, and she insisted on having it at her house. According to mom, Maddie and I were practically in our honeymoon phase already, and I knew I would have to act the part. Still, I sent over the first half of the money the day after I received Maddie’s signature on the contract, and while it hardly made a dent in my various bank accounts, it still stung nonetheless. It was the principal of the matter.
I didn’t want to even be in the same room as her.
But mom was so happy that she made the dinner menu herself, and decided on cooking everything from scratch. I begged her not to. I offered to hire a top chef from one of her favorite restaurants to come over and cook in her own kitchen, but mom had gotten offended and asked if her cooking wasn’t good enough.
“Of course it’s good enough,” I said. “I just don’t want you getting tired.”
“I’m always tired. If I did nothing while I was tired, I wouldn’t ever do anything again.” she said and went back to her menu planning.
All I knew was that it would be a night of Italian cuisine, mom’s specialty. I wasn’t sure where she got her energy from, but something about dinner with Maddie and me gave her such a boost. Even Karen had noticed and had commented on how alive mom was acting. She had even eaten more than a pudding cup mixed with protein powder.
My stomach rumbled at the thought. I’d had a double workout earlier and had time to enjoy only an extra-large protein shake before meeting Ron on my boat. The lake hadn’t given him a bucket full of fish, and he was upset at his takeaway. I offered for us to grab lunch together, but he refused and said he was meeting with a woman from the other night.
My mind had been too full of thoughts that it wasn’t until the early evening I realized I hadn’t gotten lunch myself. A single protein shake later, and I was desperate for food.
