“Is there anything that interests you?” Riker asks me. He supports his chin with the back of his hand as he leans in slightly. A small smile plays on his lips, his eyes shine with the help of the sunlight and the chandelier above us.
“I’m not sure…” I answer as my eyes trail up and down the menu.
“Don’t worry about the money if you’re thinking about it, I’ll handle it.”
“I wasn’t thinking of it.”
“You look like you were.”
I pass him a look before returning my attention to the menu. “I think I’ll get the strawberry crepe.”
“That’s a good choice,” Riker comments.
“What will you get?”
“Eggs benedict.”
“Mmm.” I nod, I considered that, but the crepe sound so delicious. Already I felt my mouth watering by just thinking of it. Though, before I can indulge further into the thought, I decide to call Terry to see if I had anything coming up in my schedule. I excuse myself shortly in order to make the call.
“Wait, I have nothing?” I ask Terry once I asked about the schedule.
“Yes, you’re all cleared for now,” Terry tells me, there’s a smile in her voice.
“Really?” I ask to make sure I’m hearing this correctly.
“Yes,” Terry repeats, that smile is still in her voice. “Now, go take care of Mr. Billionaire. We’ll talk later.”
Terry ends the call and I return to my seat. I know I should be pissed that Terry doesn’t have anything for me, but there’s something in me that’s glad I’m taking a break.
Riker had taken our orders while I chatted with Terry, so we sit there and wait in silence until Riker speaks,
“How’re things at the firm?”
“Good. Terry’s cleared my schedule for now, so I don’t have to work for a while.”
“Oh?” Riker’s mouth forms a small ‘o’ from the surprise. “That’s great, that gives us more time together.”
I smile lightly. “Yeah.”
Riker smiles too. “What would you like to do after breakfast? Tour the city? Shopping?”
“I think I’d like to do shopping,” I said, “I haven’t done that in a while. I’d like to get some new dresses.”
“We should do that then. There’s a great mall near here that we can go too. I could use a new watch.”
“Don’t you have a dozen?” I inquire as I raise an eyebrow.
Riker chuckles. “Yes, I do, but you can never have enough.”
“I think you can.”
Riker shrugs and a waiter comes to deliver our coffee. Riker got black coffee, while I got myself a cappuccino. I take one sip of the cappuccino and already my taste buds are dancing.
“How is it?” Riker asks
“It’s delicious,” I comment. It’s probably the best cappuccino I’ve had, but I don’t want to admit it.
“That’s great to hear,” Riker says.
Soon our food arrives, and I stare in awe at the display. Luscious looking strawberries and whip cream top the golden-brown crepe, and next to it is a plate of toast that’s smothered in honey. Riker’s food also looks scrumptious.
The two eggs benedicts he ordered drip with hollandaise sauce, and are topped off with spices. Riker cuts into the food with ease as egg yolk oozes out and forms a gold pool underneath. I’m tempted to steal a bite of it, but I disregard the thought as I focus on my food.
I take a bite of the soft crepe and, with the addition of the warm whip cream, it feels like I’m floating. Then I take a bite of one of the strawberries, and it just melts right on my tongue.
We also order a plate of Danishes at the side, and I take a bite out of one of them too. The soft crunch of the Danish is so satisfying, and what makes it better is that it’s jelly-filled. The jelly tastes like raspberry, and there’s a tangy aftertaste.
While Riker and I enjoy our meal, we get startled by flashes of light. We turn to see a bunch of photographers huddled at the window. They take several photos of us as we awkwardly eat our meal.
“Sorry, I had hoped we would’ve been able to sneak past them,” Riker chuckles.
“Perhaps we shouldn’t have sat next to a window.” I pointed out.
“True,” Riker says, “Should we move somewhere else?”
“It’s too late now,” I say and take another bite of the Danish. I steal a peek outside to see the photographers still out there. I give them a small smile, and the photographers are loving it as they continue to take pictures.
Riker takes the opportunity to take my hand and plant a small kiss on it. That really gets the photographers excited, but I wonder when they’re going to leave. I want to finish my Danish in peace.
“Do you like the attention?” Riker asks me with a grin.
“I think I’m getting used to it,” I answer, though sometimes it is quite overwhelming. I notice that Riker’s smile drops as he observes my left hand that he’s still holding.
“What is it?” I ask.
“We need to get you an engagement ring,” Riker notes. “When we go shopping, we should get you one.”
“Alright,” I say. It makes sense, it does seem odd that since I’ve been engaged for a bit, I don’t a ring.
After breakfast, we go to a mall to do some shopping. Fortunately, we’re able to get away from the press and grab ourselves some alone time. Though when we are out and about, we do grab the attention of some people who want to take pictures. Besides that, we manage to get some shopping done, but there’s something missing.
“I want to treat Nia to something special,” I say. “Something that she deserves.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
24
Riker
Jane and I enter a jewelry shop that’s owned by a good friend of the family, Maxwell Carton, or Max for short. He’s an elderly man that dons several gold chains around his neck, and gold rings on each digit. He even has a gold tooth that he likes to show off. Glasses with gold frames are always perched on his head, but he never wears them. It’s just for show.
Once we enter the shop, Max is busy talking to a customer, so I bring Jane to one of the glass counters to look at rings. The place is filled with so much jewelry, it can take hours looking at every single one, so I’m sure we’ll be here for a while.
“Is there anything in particular you like?” I ask Jane.
“Hmmm…” Jane thinks as she stares down at all the rings. There are rings flanked with diamonds, and rings flanked with gems. There are rings with crazy designs, and rings so bright they look like they always capture sunlight.
Jane takes some time to consider until Max comes to our aid. He places his hairy hands onto the counter, his gold rings always sparkling. He leans into the counter as he shows off his smile. That gold tooth of his gleams like an old coin.
“Ah, Riker, my boy!” Max greets in his heavy Brooklyn accent. “Welcome, welcome, I see you brought your lovely fiancée here today. It’s a pleasure to meet you, miss. A great pleasure, indeed.”
“You too,” Jane greets.
“Jane, was it?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, a beautiful name for a beautiful lady,” Max comments, his smile growing. His beady eyes smile as well. “Now, what are you two looking for today? Hmmm? Diamonds? Pearls? I got everything you need right here. If there’s something that seems missing, not a problem ‘cause I definitely have it.” He winks at us at the end of that sentence.
“We’re looking for an engagement ring,” I tell him, and Max claps his big hands together. His clapping makes a great thunderous sound.
“Ah, yes, of course. Of course. We have some beauties right here. Yes, right here.” Max digs into the counter and brings out several rings. He picks up one in particular between his thumb and forefinger, and it glistens from the lights above us. The ring is tiny compared to his huge fingers, he can easily snap it in half with one wrong move.
“This beauty here is named Alexia. She's 14k gold crowned with a
perfectly cut center diamond. If you look closely, the band has a floral engraving on it. What do you think, miss?” Max turns to Jane for approval. She looks at the ring with great intrigue.
“It’s lovely,” Jane says.
“Ah, so she is, but let’s look at a few more, shall we? Yes, let’s shall.” Max carefully lays the ring down and picks out another one. “This one here, her name’s Celeste. She's 18k white gold with seven oval-shaped diamonds encircling the band.” Max replaces that one with another. “And here, this one’s Marceline, she’s also 14k gold, but her beautiful round center diamond is surrounded by three accent sapphires.”
“I always did like sapphires,” Jane notes.
“Ah, you have wondrous taste. Let’s look at the sapphire collection then,” Max suggests, and he carefully places the rings back into the counter. Once he does that, Max leads us to another counter that’s primarily filled with sapphires. The sapphires glisten like a small pool of water, and I watch as Jane’s eyes widen with awe. I can’t help but smile at her reaction, she’s adorable.
Max bends down to unlock the counter, and he pulls out several rings for us to see.
“This great beauty here,” Max raises a ring in the air, “her name’s Elenore, she's 14k white gold with a winding band that entwines towards a marquise cut sapphire.”
“Mmm,” Jane nods with intrigue but looks towards a couple others.
Max once again picks out another one. “This here is Cordelia, she's 14k gold with a cushion-cut sapphire that’s accented by two smaller sapphires on either side. And this one here…ah, this one is my favorite, actually.” Max picks out yet another one. “This here is Odette, she’s 18k white gold with an elegant halo of diamonds encasing an oval-shaped sapphire. The band is also lined with diamonds. She was imported from Italy, actually, a real gem if I do say so myself. Would you like to try her on?”
“Sure,” Jane says.
“Allow me.” I take the ring from Max and slip it on Jane’s ring finger. Her finger is a bit tiny for the ring, but we can fix that.
“What do you think?” I ask her.
“I like it very much,” Jane immediately answers. A sweet smile spreads through her face. Her hand flicks from side to side as she admires the ring. That’s when I know that’s the one.
Jane observes the ring for a few minutes more until she decides she wants it. Max has to fix the size of the ring first so it can properly fit her finger, so while he does that, I decide to pick out some accessories to match the ring.
I go over to a glass cabinet to find a lovely sapphire necklace and earrings. Jane comes to my side and smiles towards me.
“Are you getting those too?” she asks.
“Yes,” I answer her immediately. “I’ll also get something for Nia, what would she like?”
“Well, these are all a bit much for an eight-year-old, how about a bracelet?”
“Sure, why don’t you pick one out?”
“Alright.” Jane browses through the counter in search of a bracelet. Soon, she picks out a bracelet that’s of white gold and is lined with tiny sapphires.
“I think she’ll love it,” I insist.
“Mmm.” Jane nods. “Let’s keep this out of the press, though.”
“Of course.”
We wait a while for Max to fix up the ring, and when he does, he hands it to me. I take Jane’s hand and slip it onto her finger. It fits perfectly.
“It’s perfect,” I tell Max.
“Excellent! Wonderful!” Max comments with a huge smile, showing off that gold tooth once again.
We need to show this to social media, so I hand Max my phone. “Can you take a few pictures of us?”
“Of course,” Max answers without hesitation.
I get on one knee as I hold Jane’s hand, acting as if I’m proposing despite already being engaged. Though it’s amusing to see how social media reacts regardless. They’ll eat anything up. Max takes the picture, and the next one he takes shows the ring in all its glory. The picture doesn’t serve the ring justice since the real thing is so beautiful, but again the internet is going to love it.
After that, Max takes pictures of Jane wearing the necklace and earrings. Jane looks stunning in them, more so if she wears a dress to match with it all. As promised, though, we don’t take a picture of Nia’s bracelet. Finally, I take a picture of Max and his shop to promote it, and once I upload the pictures on social media, comments go ablaze.
‘Oh my gosh, look at that ring!’ one comment exclaims.
‘They’re all so pretty! The ring! The necklace! The earrings! I’m so jealous!” another comment says.
‘I want a rich husband so bad!’ yet another comment says.
‘My heart is about to explode!’ another claims.
‘Riker must love Jane so much to get her all that! She’s the luckiest girl in the entire world!’ That comment brings Jane to smile.
“Do you think that’s true?” Jane asks.
“Of course,” I say, and I kiss her on the lips. Max manages to take a picture of that moment, and of course, we share that online too.
“Let's go,” I say to her as she takes my arm with a smile. “We have more shopping to do.”
25
Jane
Riker takes me to one of the largest and most extravagant malls in New York. I’m swept away by all the shops, and immediately I go in one to try on some clothes. Riker follows me close by, but he loses track of me when I sweep through all the racks and grab whatever I think will look good on me. When I finish, I head to the dressing room and start changing.
As I change, I hear a knock at the door, followed shortly by Riker’s voice, “You in here, babe?”
“Yes,” I reply back.
“Do you want me to come in?”
“Mmm, I want to surprise you with what I got,” I say.
“Alright.”
I first put on a sleeveless, cocktail dress that droops to my knees. I show Riker the dress and a smile is drawn on my face. He examines me from head to toe, looking like he wants to fuck me right here in public. He restrains himself though, and just says, “You’re stunning.”
“Thanks,” I say and try on something else. Next, I slip on an evening gown with a plunging neckline. There’s also a slit at the side that shows a good portion of my thigh, and the dress is finished off with a train that trails off a bit. It’s practically a dress for the red carpet, and I look amazing in it. Once I step out to show Riker, he tells me in a serious tone, “You’re getting that.” In other words, he wants to fuck me in that dress, so I’m definitely getting it.
“That was easy,” I chuckle and return to the room to change. Though, I take a few minutes to admire the dress some more before switching. The third outfit I try is a blouse with a matching skirt. The blouse has cute ruffles on the sleeve while the skirt has a striped pattern. More importantly, it has pockets. I show it to Riker and he nods with approval.
“That suits you well.”
“Thanks.” My cheeks always heat up from his comments, and I move onto the next outfit. The fourth is a denim shirt with the sleeves rolled back to the elbows. It’s simpler than the other outfits, but I find it cute, and I show it to Riker who instantly likes it.
“Not bad, you should also get it,” he comments.
That I will. I try on another shirt, and this one is black and white with dots scattered all around. Buttons line the collar, and the long sleeves end with frills. This will look good for a party.
“Very nice,” Riker comments once I show him.
“Mmhmm,” I nod and I try on yet another outfit. This one is another dress, it’s a bright orange, but it has something that I really like about it.
“Guess what I like about this dress?” I ask Riker.
“What?” Riker asks curiously.
I stick my hands into the dress. “It has pockets.”
“That’s great.” Riker grins at my enthusiasm and I move onto another outfit. This one is just a pair of jea
ns, but it comes with a belt that’s lined with gems. Riker still wants to see me in it, and he nods again with approval.
“It really defines your ass,” Riker notes.
I chuckle, guess I need to get it then.
After that, I pick out a few cardigans and a denim jacket, and with that, I show them to Riker who once again agrees.
“Those are all good,” he comments.
“I might as well just buy everything,” I note.
“Go ahead, I won’t stop you,” Riker states with a grin.
I smile back and slip back in the room to change. I definitely did consider buying all these clothes, they looked so good on me. I never felt so good when trying on such extravagant attires. So, I tried on a couple more and showed them to Riker. Each time, Riker tells me to get it. There isn’t an attire that he disapproves of, so in the end, Riker buys them all for me.
We then go to another store where I happily browse through. I pick out a few more outfits to try on and show Riker each of them. My favorite outfit is a summer dress with a floral pattern stitched in the fabric. It’s off the shoulder and comes with a cute little belt that hugs my waist. I spin the dress around, and the fabric sweep about. I can dance in it all day.
“You have a great taste in fashion,” Riker tells me after what I think is my twentieth time trying on clothes. “I think you’d make a good model.”
“Mmm, I don’t think so,” I disagree as I shake my head.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Alright.” Riker looks somewhat disappointed, but we don’t take the matter further and continue shopping.
I get myself a few more outfits before we go to a makeup department. Riker buys me some lipstick and other items that he proposes will look good on me, and I even had a small makeover. My cheeks are more rouge, and my eyes are lined with mascara. I wear dark red lipstick that makes my lips more prominent, but I don’t mind. I feel much prettier now than I did before, and there’s confidence in my stride as Riker, and I continue shopping. Well, I’m doing most of the shopping.
The Billionaire's Fake Fiancée Page 10
