Mr. Man Candy: A Fake Boyfriend Romance

by Alessandra Hart

  “Mom was sick for quite some time. My brother and I moved back in with her to take care of her, and at some point we heard about this new treatment that was showing promising results in people who had the same cancer as her. We wanted her to get it, but it was exorbitantly expensive.”

  I sighed. “A lot of those things are. It’s horrible.”

  Nate nodded slowly. “No matter what we did, we just didn’t have the money to pay for it. Even if we sold the house. I got a real job and worked part-time on my company when I could, but it still wasn’t enough. I kept thinking if Mom could just hang on a few more months, we’d finally make enough for the treatment. But we didn’t make it, and she died in some shitty little room in the best hospital we could afford, which wasn’t saying much.”

  “I’m sorry, Nate,” I murmured, edging closer to the bed.

  He held up a hand. “Wait. I’m not done. Just one year after she died, my brokerage exploded. Suddenly I had a ton of money, just like that.” He snapped his fingers. “I had everything I wanted. Except Mom, of course. But I figured wherever she was, she’d be proud of me for finally making it somewhere in life. So at least I had that to comfort me, right?”

  “She would be very proud of how successful you are,” I said with a nod. I hesitated for a few seconds. “So what happened with Bobby?” I tentatively added.

  Nate was silent as he took another swig of scotch. Then he licked his lips and looked down at the floor. “When I went to tell him the good news, I figured he would congratulate me, or tell me he was proud of all my work paying off. But you know what he said?”

  “What?”

  Nate looked up again. His upper lip curled slightly. “He said: ‘Maybe you should’ve worked harder on it. Then it might’ve blown up like this a year ago, and we would’ve had the money when we needed it. Mom would still be here. That’s on you’.”

  My eyes widened, and my limbs froze as I contemplated the sheer nastiness of Bobby’s comment to Nate. No congratulation, no happiness… only blame. Blame for their mother’s death. It was one of the worst possible things I could imagine someone saying to their sibling. No wonder Nate resented him so much.

  “He really said that?” I asked, my voice a higher pitch than usual.

  Nate nodded and tapped a finger to the side of his head. “It’s all seared right into my memory. Those were his exact words.”

  He looked at me, granite-grey eyes piercing me as he waited for my next response. For the first time, I could truly see his vulnerability and pain. I felt a twinge of guilt for pressing him into telling me this story by bugging him about Bobby, but also a small sense of relief in seeing that he wasn’t as much of an ass as I previously thought he was.

  I shook my head slowly. “Nate… that’s awful.”

  I didn’t know what else to say. The whole time I’d known Bobby, which admittedly wasn’t long, he’d seemed so kind and gentle. He didn’t seem like the kind of man who’d say something so heinous to his own brother, but I could tell Nate wasn’t lying or exaggerating. The haunted expression in his eyes was proof enough.

  If Bobby was capable of that level of cruelty, maybe he was capable of ripping his own brother off as well. So maybe he really did take all that money from Nate’s accounts, and he’d successfully pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes.

  If that were true, then I didn’t want my little sister to marry him. No way. Nate had suggested earlier that Bobby could’ve changed for Libby, but if he really did take that money only four months ago, then that meant he hadn’t changed at all.

  But I couldn’t say these things to my sister. Upon my arrival, everyone already suspected that I brought Nate here to ruin the wedding. So if I brought these things up now, she’d start to think that was true, and she wouldn’t listen to a word I said. Who she married wasn’t up to me, anyway. In the end, it was her decision.

  All I could do was keep my mouth shut and pray that Nate was wrong; pray that Bobby wasn’t the guilty party in regard to the missing money. I also had to pray he’d never say something as cruel to Libby as what he once said to his own brother. If he ever did, I might just kill him.

  Nate cleared his throat and went on. “That’s the kind of person my brother is,” he said, looking up at me. “All that time, he’d been seething and blaming me for Mom not getting that treatment, and he didn’t say a word about it for a whole year. But you know what the worst part is?”

  I looked at him blankly. “What?”

  Nate’s nostrils flared. Then his shoulders sagged. “He could be right.” He grabbed the fringed end of the white waffle fabric throw rug on the bed and squeezed it so hard his knuckles turned white.

  I shook my head and sat down next to him. “No, he’s dead wrong,” I said firmly. “How could it be your fault? You tried your best.”

  He shook his head slowly. “If I just put more hours into the company, things might’ve taken a turn for the better sooner. I could’ve had the money for Mom’s treatment. But I failed. I let her down.”

  I squeezed his arm. “You can’t think like that. For one, it wasn’t just your responsibility to make enough money for that treatment. Bobby was just as responsible. And how could you have put more hours into your company? You were working hard at your other job and also taking care of your sick mother. There’s only so many hours in a day.”

  Nate grunted but didn’t say anything in response.

  I pressed on, trying to comfort him. “Look, I don’t know much about all the cryptocurrency stuff you work with, but I know enough to tell you that you weren’t in control of when it all blew up and became popular. It happened when it happened, that’s all. You couldn’t have made the market soar sooner just by putting more hours into your company.”

  “I suppose so, but still, that shit stings. I went from feeling on top of the world to feeling like I practically killed my own mother.”

  “Yeah. I can only imagine what it felt like.” I sighed, then tilted my head to the side. “Why did you let him keep working for your company after that?”

  He shrugged. “I always said he could so I didn’t want to go back on my word. And he did help out at the start, remember? He helped me build it all up.”

  “But not much. You said he only contributed about ten percent.”

  “Yeah, but after Mom died, he was the only close family I had left, and he knew the company better than anyone apart from me. So I wanted to at least try with him, even after what he said. Besides, ten percent is still a fair amount in the grand scheme of things.”

  I nodded. “Well, for what it’s worth, I think it was very big of you.”

  He threw up a hand. “I guess, but it didn’t help much. We drifted apart anyway, even though we saw each other nearly every day at the office. It was business only. Hell, I never even knew he proposed to his girlfriend. Didn’t even know who she was.” He paused for a moment and looked out the window. “Mom would be so pissed if she saw us like this. But what can I do? It is how it is.”

  I followed his gaze outside. A gentle breeze was blowing, making distant palm trees sway. “I don’t really know what to say,” I admitted softly.

  Nate’s eyes snapped back to my face. “It’s okay. I don’t expect you to say anything. I just wanted you to know why I’m like this when it comes to my brother. When that money went missing, I didn’t suspect him for no reason. There was a lot of buildup to it. Years and years of resentment between us.”

  I nodded. “I get it. Thanks for telling me. It can’t be easy to talk about.”

  He gave me a tight smile. “Kinda feels good to let it out, actually.”

  I heard a sudden vibrating sound, and he pulled his phone out of his jeans pocket. I didn’t mean to look, but the screen was right in my field of vision, so I could see his notifications popping up. One made my throat tighten painfully.

  It was an email from the address GinnyM81@gmail.com, and there were two love heart emojis in the subject field.

  I bet if I Googled Ginny
Morell, I’d find that 1981 was her birth year. My stomach hardened at the thought, and I tore my eyes away from the phone screen, lowering them to my lap instead.

  Nate abruptly stood up. “I should go. I have a ton of work emails to reply to.” He strode toward the door, and he turned when he reached it, stormy grey eyes coasting over me again. “I’m glad the dress fits. You look stunning in it.”

  “Thanks,” I said, my voice barely above a mumble. I stood up and followed him over to the door. “I guess I’ll see you at dinner? Mom wants us to eat at that seafood place downstairs.”

  He smiled, and the dimples around his mouth made my knees quiver. “Yeah, I know. See you at seven, doll.”

  He softly patted my shoulder before heading out, and I almost collapsed as tingles shot up and down my spine from his touch alone.

  I was so damn confused. So mixed up I barely even knew what to feel anymore. On the one hand, I craved Nate more than my lungs craved oxygen. He’d just poured his heart out to me and made me understand so much more about him, and I couldn’t help but feel for him; couldn’t help but want to wrap my arms around him and tell him it wasn’t his fault. On top of that, the mere brush of his fingertips against my skin made me melt.

  On the other hand, he was still the guy who’d lied to me about his love life when I specifically asked, most likely due to the fact that his secret girlfriend was married.

  I groaned and chewed on a nail as my mind arrived at a blunt conclusion. Maybe Nate was a morally-bankrupt love rat, but I was worse, because I still wanted him anyway. Letting out a whimper, I sat down on the end of the bed and put my head in my hands.

  I was in trouble.

  So much freaking trouble.

  15

  Georgie

  “Woo! Who’s ready to party?”

  My sister’s spacious penthouse hotel suite echoed with enthusiastic hollers and cheers as someone called out from the main entrance.

  It was finally Friday, and the pre-drinks for family and wedding party members had started about half an hour ago. In an hour, we’d be meeting up with the other newly-arrived wedding guests at the ferry port to make our way over to Saint Arnaud for dinner. After that, we’d be off to Saint Australind for the real partying to begin.

  I turned to the door to see who had just yelled. Four unfamiliar men were entering the room, their faces lit up with excitement and their hands filled with bags and bottles. Bobby’s groomsmen, I presumed. They weren’t family members, and they certainly weren’t part of the bridal party.

  “Sully, Chris, Jake! And… Toberman!” Bobby shouted, clapping each of the newcomers on the back. “Was wondering when you guys would show up!”

  I nudged Nate, mentally brushing aside the immediate tingles I felt when our bodies came into brief contact. “Your brother is friends with a guy nicknamed Toberman?”

  Nate snickered. “Yeah, that’s Toby. All those guys went to college together. None of them ever grew out of the frat boy phase, except Robert.”

  I could see what he meant. While Bobby was usually quiet and reserved, the four groomsmen were boisterous and loud. They were already pounding drinks with all the constraint of gorillas on steroids despite having only just arrived a few seconds ago.

  I turned back and scanned the room. Mom was standing with my Aunt Glenda and her two early-twenties kids, my cousins Edward and Nicola. Libby was near a balcony with her bridal party, huddled together in a semi-circle. Various other extended family members were scattered throughout the suite, chatting and sipping champagne.

  I’d already done the rounds and introduced them all to Nate, and every time I referred to him as my boyfriend, I swore I could feel a little part of my soul leaving my body. Introducing him to Libby’s bridal party was even worse. Each of the bridesmaids practically swooned when they realized who I was dating (allegedly), which immediately made my green-eyed monster stand to attention. The maid of honor even licked her lips, for god’s sake. Up until that moment, I didn’t know anyone actually did that outside of tacky films, but this brazen woman literally darted her tongue out and slowly ran it over her lips as she looked Nate up and down.

  I wanted to scratch her eyes out. Even now, staring at her from across the room, I could feel my blood pressure rising as I recalled the way she batted her lashes at Nate.

  I knew I was being ridiculous. He wasn’t my boyfriend, and he was the last person I should want, let alone feel jealous over… but I did anyway. Obviously I wasn’t the most well-adjusted human to have ever existed, but hey, I already knew that. If I was, I wouldn’t be here with a fake boyfriend in the first place.

  Nate followed my gaze over to the balcony. “I forgot to ask. Why aren’t you one of them?” he asked, lifting his champagne glass in the direction of the bridal party.

  “Hm?” I snapped my attention back to him at the sound of his voice.

  “Why didn’t Libby make you a bridesmaid?”

  “Oh. We made a pact years ago to not be each other’s bridesmaids, just in case one of us went full Bridezilla. We like being sisters too much to ruin it with that.”

  Nate chuckled. “Ah, I see.”

  My eyes narrowed with confusion as I looked across the room at Bobby’s friend, Toby ‘Toberman’. He was smoking something out of a vape pipe and dancing like a maniac, one hand fist-pumping the air as his skinny legs flailed around.

  “What on earth is that guy doing?” I asked, nudging Nate again. “He looks like he’s trying out for a new season of Jersey Shore.”

  Nate chuckled. “Maybe he’s born with it. Maybe it’s methamphetamine.”

  I giggled and elbowed him. “Oh, come on. Don’t joke about that!”

  “You laughed, didn’t you?” he said, quirking an eyebrow.

  I was about to reply when a tentative voice startled the two of us. “Hey… Nate?”

  We turned. Bobby was standing behind us, holding two glasses of champagne. “Thought you two might want refills,” he said.

  “Thanks,” I murmured, taking one of the glasses and setting my old one down on a nearby shelf.

  Nate accepted a glass as well, but the amused twinkle had vanished from his eyes. There was an awkward pause as we waited for Bobby to speak up again.

  “I just wanted to say, I hope we can be civil tonight. Libby and I want everyone to enjoy the party,” he finally said.

  Nate nodded. “Sure. I’ll be civil.”

  Despite his acquiescence, I could tell he was seething. Against all better judgment, I placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. I felt him relax under my touch, but I was immediately wracked with guilt and regret. I shouldn’t touch him; it only made things harder for me. Then again, we were trying to convince everyone in this suite that we were together, so I could justify it that way, I guess. At least that’s what I’d keep telling myself for now.

  Bobby gave Nate a tight smile. “Thanks.”

  He headed off, and Nate turned to me. “I’m going to use the bathroom. Back in a minute.”

  I nodded. “I’ll go hunt down a snack while you’re gone.”

  I’d avoided food all day in the hopes of having extra room in my stomach for all the amazing food at the restaurant later, but now I was starving, and we wouldn’t be eating for another hour at least. One small snack couldn’t hurt.

  I scanned the room again, and my eyes honed in on something promising a second later. Ooh, a plate of mini choc chip cookies! They were sitting on a small coffee table by the edge of the room, and no one was touching them. One of Libby’s bridesmaids probably brought them to be cute, but there was no way any of those skinny-minis would ever eat anything that contained over five calories. All the more for me.

  I crossed the room and popped one of the cookies into my mouth, savoring the buttery chocolate goodness. Then I quickly glanced around to make sure no one was looking and wrapped three in a tissue before stuffing that in my purse. I might get hungry on the ferry, right? Plus, I’d already lied to everyone about having a boyfriend, so I
may as well add ‘cookie thief’ to my rap sheet.

  “What are you doing?”

  I turned to see Nate staring at me. Apparently he’d finished in the bathroom and hunted me down. Swallowing my last bite of the first cookie in a hard gulp, I closed my purse and tried to ignore the heat in my rapidly-flushing cheeks. “Um… I’m hoarding snacks for later.”

  His eyes crinkled with amusement. “Thought so. Why?”

  “They’re really good, and no one else is touching them anyway. But keep it on the down-low. They might actually belong to someone, so I probably shouldn’t be stealing so many.”

  Nate grinned and touched an index finger to his lips. “Don’t worry. My girlfriend’s secrets are always safe with me, even if she’s a hardened criminal.”

  My stomach did a familiar flip-flop at his words. Was I ever going to get used to hearing him call me his girlfriend, even though it was all pretend?

  My mother sidled up to us a moment later, insisting that we join her and Aunt Glenda in some discussion over whether Nicola should pierce her nose or not. Champagne flowed as time sped by, and soon it was time to head down to the waterfront to catch the ferry to Saint Arnaud.

  I nibbled on another cookie as I stood by the ferry railing, watching the sun set over the water as we glided between the islands. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Nate said, leaning over to me.

  “Yes. It’s like an oil painting,” I murmured. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Mom watching us, so I entwined my hand in one of Nate’s to keep up appearances. I didn’t feel any guilt for touching him now. My mood was lighter, happier, ready to party. The drinks had definitely aided in that.

  “Woah, careful.” Nate grabbed me in his strong arms, and it was only then that I realized I’d fallen.

  “What happened?” I asked, staring up at him in confusion.

  “The ferry went over some choppy water. You slipped,” he replied, pulling me up and releasing me from his grip.

  I blinked rapidly. How did I not remember it happening when it only just occurred five seconds ago? Damn, I really should’ve eaten breakfast this morning. Clearly, the three glasses of champagne I had back at the suite were hitting me extra hard.