by Starling,Amy
My head throbbed as Carter and I boarded the plane. Guess that's what I got for guzzling all those shitty margaritas last night.
“Well, this is it.” He heaved my carry-on bag into the storage bin. “No going back once this plane takes off. From here on out, you're Mrs. McGraw.”
Alicia McGraw. I rolled our names around together for a moment and decided I liked the way it sounded.
What I didn't like, however, were the butterflies in my stomach when he looked at me. He was just a friend. Off-limits. Besides, he wasn't interested in me anyway.
He proved that to me ten years ago, when he moved on after one kiss. It was a kiss I'd never forgotten, but he obviously regretted it.
I'd never had the courage to ask why.
“This is your last chance to bail out,” I told him as he sank into the window seat.
“Not happening. How could I possibly pass up a free trip to Disney World?”
“Who said we were going to Disney World?” I took my own seat in the middle. “My grandparents live in Sanibel, which is several hours away. Plus, most of the activities have already been booked. Andy would never have agreed to visit a theme park.”
He balked. “What? But I thought you loved roller coasters and crap. I remember we had a blast on that trip to Six Flags.”
“Yeah, a blast. You insisted on riding the Texas Giant over and over again until you threw up.”
“Point is, what kind of guy doesn't like amusement parks?”
“He had a litany of complaints. Lines too long, the heat, people in costumes creep him out...”
“Sounds like a pain in the ass.”
I buckled my seat belt and thought about how right Carter was. Andy always had a complaint ready about something. I'd learned to tune him out, but his constant pessimism wore on my nerves.
Could I really have spent the rest of my life putting up with that?
It hurt to admit it, but maybe he did me a gigantic favor by cutting me loose. At least now I could find a man who didn't annoy me whenever he opened his mouth.
“So what kind of amazing 'activities' do we have lined up, then?”
“There are some museums he wanted to see. Golfing. Tickets to a jazz festival.”
Carter pretended like he was snoring. I smacked his chest, surprised to find that he was solid muscle beneath that t-shirt.
“What's wrong with those things?”
“You don't really want to do any of that stuff.”
“How do you know what I wanted to do?”
The pre-flight safety instructions came on before he could answer. Honestly, he was right – and that bothered me even more. Andy was the one who picked out most of our itinerary, usually protesting when I offered my own ideas.
I just shut my mouth and put up with it. Now that he was gone, I saw clearly that he wasn't such a catch after all.
Once the plane had taken off, Carter pulled something out of his pocket. He unfurled his hand and showed me two gold rings.
“I almost forgot. Picked these up just this morning. Hope you don't mind that they're from Walmart's jewelry department.”
I took the smaller ring and held it up to the light. It was a simple band, but he'd engraved our names on the inside.
“What is this?”
“We're married now. It'd look weird to show up without our wedding bands, don't you think?”
I hadn't even thought of that. Ugh, how were we supposed to keep up this lie for five days? My grandparents were old, but still sharp as tacks. They'd see right through the charade in no time.
“You bought this for me.”
He nodded and took the ring from my palm. “Let's hope it fits.”
He held my hand the way you would hold a lover's, not a friend's. There was a hitch in his breath as he slid the band onto my finger.
His touch made me shiver. Why did this have to feel so right?
“Perfect.” He let me go to put on his own ring. “I was worried I'd forgotten your size.”
I was too dazed to respond. Only when he pulled out a lunchbox did I come back to reality.
“Breakfast?” He handed me a blueberry muffin. “I know these cheap bastards won't give you more than a handful of stale peanuts, so figured I'd come prepared.”
A flight attendant glared at him as she strutted past with her cart.
“I've got to say, you do seem a lot more responsible than you used to be.” I popped a berry into my mouth. “Years ago, you'd forget you had a paper due until the night before.”
“Mm-hmm. If it wasn't for you reminding me, I'd have failed more than a few classes, I'm sure.”
The memories of our high-school friendship were as fresh as if they'd happened last week. We were close then, but adults now. We'd changed.
“We should probably get our story straight,” he said, crumbs falling onto his lap, messy as he'd always been. Okay, maybe he hadn't changed that much.
“Our story?”
“Yeah. Just how much do your grandparents know about your husband-to-be?”
“Not much at all. They don't touch social media, so it's unlikely they've even seen a picture of him. Even if they had, they're pretty blind – and you two look kind of similar, anyway.”
He feigned being hurt. “Aw, don't say that. At least tell me I'm better-looking than him.”
I'd never been so painfully attracted to anyone as I was to him. Of course, I couldn't tell him that.
“You're handsome, all right,” I admitted.
“That's all? C'mon, I worked my ass off to get these muscles.”
“I can't really make a fair judgment. It's not like I've seen you naked or anything.”
Both of us said nothing for a long while. Then he smiled, and there was a new kind of sparkle in his eyes.
“We can remedy that, if you like.”
“E-excuse me?!”
“Can I get you anything, ma'am?”
The attendant with her cart stopped by our aisle. I was so shaken that I could barely manage to order coffee.
Carter got himself cranberry juice. He sipped it and began to page through a magazine as if those words had never actually left his mouth.
Had I been hearing things? Did he seriously just offer to take his clothes off for me?
I wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or throw myself into his lap right freaking now.
“So, that cover story,” he said, a bit too nonchalantly. “They'll want to know all the juicy details. How we met. How we fell in love. Stuff like that.”
My heart beat harder at the mention of love.
“Just tell them the truth. We're high-school friends who found each other again after all those years apart.”
“It's a good, sappy story. Old folks will love it.”
Once the plane reached cruising altitude, he kicked back in his seat and put away the magazine.
“I've missed you, Allie. Really, I have.”
“Well, that came out of nowhere.”
“We've been apart for so long, but it doesn't really feel that way to me. Now that I've found you again, it almost feels like I never left.”
How nice it would have been to pick up right where we left off. But we couldn't do that, could we? We weren't seventeen years old anymore. We'd grown. Changed. Become different people.
“I shouldn't have left at all,” he muttered, shuffling his muffin crumbs into a napkin.
“What do you mean?”
“Maybe if I'd stuck around, I could have scared off guys like Andy. Assholes like him don't deserve you. I wouldn't have let any of them come close.”
The way he punched out that creep at the reception, I was inclined to believe him. He'd always been protective of me, and got somewhat cagey when a guy flirted with me at school. I'd told him to calm down and knock it off more than once.
“If I had you hovering around me, Carter, I don't think you'd let anyone get close. How would I ever get married in the first place if you're chasing off every guy who looks at me?�
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He cracked his knuckles and stared out the window. “You just seem to attract the wrong sort of guys, that's all.”
“As if you're the ideal person to judge who's wrong for me and who's right.”
We didn't talk much after that. He pretended to be listening to music on his phone, but the look on his face couldn't fool me. He was stewing over something I'd said. I'd seen it a hundred times.
What I couldn't figure out was why. Why the hell was he acting so weird?
And what was that line about him getting naked for me? That one bugged me most of all.
Three hours later, the plane landed at the airport. Carter dutifully hauled my bags on his shoulders though I assured him I could do it myself.
“My grandpa Ed and grandma Susie should be here to meet us,” I told him. “So try and behave.”
“What makes you think I wouldn't?”
“You sneaking into a wedding reception doesn't give off a good impression, for starters. Neither do those perverted friends of yours.”
“Aw, we just like to have fun.” He winked at me over his shoulder. “I'll show you a good time too, if you'll let me. Seems you could definitely use it.”
Before I could ask him what that meant, exactly, two familiar voices shouted my name from down the corridor.
“Yoo-hoo! Alicia, sweetheart! Over here.”
There was grandma, standing on a chair and flapping her arms like she was trying to take flight. Grandpa wobbled on his cane while recording us on video with his decrepit old camera.
“Well, don't they seem nice.” He reached for me. “Give me your hand.”
“W-what?”
“You're my wife from now until we leave here. If you want that inheritance, best make it look convincing.”
I let him scoop my small hand into his. An electric jolt of pleasure struck me when he weaved his rough fingers through mine.
He looked at me, and I at him. He'd felt it too.
“Oh, Ed. Don't they make a beautiful couple?”
Carter winked. My stomach did flips. I decided it was finally time to accept the truth:
If I made it through this week without tearing off his pants, it'd be a damn miracle.
Chapter 5 - Carter
Alicia's grandma, Susie, seemed to be quite a character. With her fluffy red hair, thick bifocals, and need for constant chatter, she didn't resemble her granddaughter in the least.
“We're so very sorry we couldn't make it to the wedding,” she said so quickly, each word blended into the next. “But you know that Ed only just got out of the hospital.”
“Bones break a lot easier when you're my age,” Ed grumbled, patting his arm in a cast. “That'll teach me to climb on the roof in a rainstorm again.”
The two of them squeezed Alicia in a tight hug, then turned their focus to me. Man, what if this didn't work? I was a pretty good liar, but these stakes were huge.
“So you must be our newest addition to the family.” Ed stuck out his hand. “It's very good to meet you, Andy.”
Alicia shot me a look of apology. “Uh, he actually prefers to go by his middle name. Carter.”
I thanked her for the quick save. If I had to be called by her ex's name for a week, I'd probably jump off a bridge.
“Is that so?” Susie frowned. “Well then, Carter. Your mother-in-law has told us many fabulous things about your cooking. I know you're here on honeymoon, but if you could perhaps whip us up a little something...”
“Damn it, woman, leave the boy alone,” Ed snapped. “He's on vacation. He didn't come to Florida to be your personal cook.”
“Oh, but Ellen's said his eclairs are to die for.”
I pulled Alicia aside while they walked on, still arguing, oblivious that we'd fallen behind.
“What's this about 'fabulous' cooking? The most advanced thing I do is throw burgers on the grill.”
She chuckled nervously. “Uh, yeah. Maybe I forgot to mention it. Andy happens to be a professional chef at a four-star French restaurant.”
I thought I might have a heart attack, and I hadn't even turned thirty yet.
“Are you kidding?” I stammered. “Allie, the only French food I can make is of the deep-fried potato variety – and I get mine frozen from the grocery store to boot.”
“I'm pretty sure fries aren't actually from France...”
“Oh, Alicia! Carrrter!” Susie whistled for us near the exit. “We've made lunch reservations, so hurry along. You wouldn't want to start your vacation on empty stomachs.”
They'd reserved a rental car – a top-of-the-line Audi, for God's sake. The thing cost two hundred a day, but hey, at least I wasn't paying for it.
I let Alicia drive, since I'd never been to Florida and she seemed to know the roads well. It was better that she took the wheel, because my head was spinning trying to figure out what sort of disaster I'd walked myself into.
“I get the feeling your grandparents know more about Andy than you told me they did.”
She nearly ran a red light to keep up with Susie, who drove like a teenager who'd just gotten her license.
“I have no idea what my mother told them. She never could keep her nose out of my business.”
“So what am I supposed to do now? They ask me a couple questions, I give some wrong answers, they'll know right away something's up.”
“You're a good actor. I have faith in you.”
At least the beauty of Sanibel managed to distract me from our problems. It was clearly a very expensive city, where the streets were lined with tall palms, expensive boutiques, and mansions far as I could see.
The turquoise sea was visible between the gaps in houses. Looking at it made me feel funny, almost like I'd come home.
“I've never seen the ocean in real life, you know.”
She turned to me with wide eyes. “What? How is that possible?”
“Unlike you, I don't have family who live on the coast. My parents weren't the sort to waste money on trips out of state. When I was little, though, I did beg 'em to drive me to Galveston. Never got to go.”
“I couldn't imagine growing up without the sea in my life. I'm sorry.”
“Don't be. I've got plenty of time to check it out now, thanks to you.” I took her hand, eager to feel her warmth again. “I've always wanted to try scuba diving, you know.”
She flinched when I touched her; clearly, she wasn't expecting it. It was a bold move, possibly a stupid one, but I couldn't help myself.
“I've never been. Andy refused, saying the thought of swimming in dirty water with fish grossed him out.” She gazed at the road. “But he doesn't matter anymore. I shouldn't be talking about him.”
“You spent three years of your life with the guy. He ruined your wedding day less than twenty-four hours ago. It's okay to talk.”
I was surprised when she squeezed my hand back. “Thanks, Carter. You're still as good a friend as you always were.”
But I didn't want to be just a friend. I wanted to undress her, to explore her body for hours and give her so much pleasure she couldn't stand it.
This was something I could not comprehend. Mostly, when I got a girl to come home with me, I didn't worry much about them – because I didn't plan on hanging around long after that.
Not so with Alicia. If she'd give me the chance, I promised I'd give her the best night of her life.
We soon arrived at the restaurant, some fancy cafe called Blue Bay. It was the sort of place where waiters wore tuxedos and poured water into wine goblets, which equaled way out of my budget for sure.
“We used to come here all the time when Alicia was a little girl,” Susie twittered. “She just adored the lobster macaroni and cheese. Remember, Ed, how she'd ask for bacon on top – and eat the entire thing all by herself?”
“She certainly had quite the appetite.”
“I'll just get a salad.” She hid behind her menu. “Who needs all that butter anyway?”
Like I said, an embarrassed Alicia was
too cute to resist. I put my arm around her, and she let out a little yelp.
“Aw, c'mon, sweetie. We're on our honeymoon. Go ahead and live a little.”
She glared at me, but she couldn't hide the smile playing on her lips. The look in her eyes, though, said I was going to be in trouble later.
“Now I'm certain you've found a keeper.” Susie batted her eyelashes at me. “So when are you two going to start working on those grandchildren?”
Ed groaned and threw down his cloth napkin. “For the love of Pete, they only just got married yesterday. Give the kids a break.”
“You can't blame me for being eager, can you? I'd like to have at least one new baby in the family before I die.”
Maybe it was stupid to be sipping white wine on a weekday afternoon, but who was I to turn down free booze? Then again, me plus any alcohol in my bloodstream wasn't a smart combination where women were involved.
“You've been here a million times before, Allie. What would you suggest I order?”
I put my hand on her thigh. Guess I was getting a bit too into this “pretend husband” role, because she didn't seem terribly amused.
“Hmm, I don't know. Heard the foie gras was amazing.”
I stared blankly and waited for her to explain in English. She didn't bother, but did stick her tongue out at me when the others weren't looking.
There she went again, teasing me like she used to in twelfth grade.
Damn, how I'd missed it.
While we waited for the food, Susie regaled me with stories of Alicia's childhood. I didn't mind one bit; better to let her talk than have her ask me a bunch of prying questions I had no hope of answering.
Not only that, hearing about her as a little girl was entertainment in itself.
“She just loved the beach so much, she'd cry when her mother said it was time to leave,” Susie went on. “Alicia could spend hours collecting shells and making sandcastles.”
“Is that so? We'd better make some time for beach-combing between all those museum visits, then.”
I'd grown up in a pretty redneck family, so I thought I was doing well, acting like I was one of the upper class. Neither of them seemed suspicious. Maybe we could pull this off after all.
“Ah, I almost forgot.” Susie yanked her phone out of her bulging purse. “I'd just love some pictures of the happy couple. Ed bought me this gadget, and it actually takes real pictures! Can you believe it?”
