I reached for it and opened the latch. My eyes widened seeing the small brown envelope. I grabbed it and pulled out the money. Wow. I’d never seen so many bills in one place.
“You can take it now if you want,” he said.
I bit my lip, counting out $3500.
I put the rest back into the envelope and put it in the glove box.
“I took half. I’ll take the other half when you take me home.” That was fair, right?
Half up front and half at the end. Not to mention all the clothes he bought me.
He didn’t say a word as he drove.
We made our way out of the city and up towards the lake front, passing through a few small towns that looked like, more than anything, they were made for tourists and campers. They were cute, though. There were lots of little restaurants and shops, though I was willing to bet most of them were overpriced.
“We’re almost there,” he finally said.
“Alright.” I was totally aware of just how nervous he sounded and didn’t like it one bit. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. It’s not like me getting stressed was going to do any good. I was just going to have to take it one step at a time, right? I’d do the best I could.
This wasn’t the first time I met people I had to impress, and every time before now, I’d nailed it. I was good with people, and I was going to do everything I could to make this trip a success.
I glanced over at Adam, and my heart twisted a little.
He looked so unhappy as we slowed down and he turned onto a street.
“Holy crap,” I muttered.
The houses were huge. They looked like something celebrities would live in, with huge brick walls. Perfectly landscaped laws led the way up to large doors with extravagant knockers.
“It’s a little bit over the top if you ask me. But whatever.” He turned into a driveway and parked. He turned to me, and for a split second, I was sure I saw a smile on his face. “Well, are you ready?”
“Yup.” I gave him a smile and grabbed my bag as I popped the door open, stepping out of the car.
Warm hands touched my fingers as I felt resistance. I turned to see Adam holding my bag. “I’ll get it.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but he had already slipped out of the car and was heading for the trunk to get his bag. I joined him, closing the car door behind me. “You know, I don’t mind taking my own bag.”
“I’m sure you don’t,” he said, grabbing a black duffle bag and closing the trunk. He headed for the door.
My pulse quickened as I hustled up the driveway with him. I was sure about winning his family over, but I never liked meeting parents. Even if the guy wasn’t really my boyfriend. He rang the doorbell before opening the door and stepping inside. “Hello!” he called.
“Adam!” A young girl called from the top of the stairs.
I was too busy trying to take everything in. We had come into a large hallway; there was a grand staircase leading up to the second level, and to the left I could see the kitchen. Wow. To the right there was a sitting room with a huge TV.
It all looked so … expensive.
The girl, probably the 12-year-old, ran down the stairs. Adam dropped the bags and pulled his sister into a hug.
“Hey Gabby.” He held her tightly.
“I … can’t …”
He let go of her, looking her up and down. Despite the fact that she was only 12, she looked well put together and wore simple makeup. She turned her attention to me, her eyes giving me a once over. “I forgot you said you were bringing a girl with you.”
My cheeks flushed.
“Um, hi.” I stepped towards her and held my hand out. “I’m Fiona.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Adam doesn’t bring girls home. We were all a little shocked when he said he was.”
“Gabby!” Adam’s brow furrowed.
“Sorry.” But she didn’t sound it. She turned her attention back to me. “I look forward to getting to know you.”
“I thought I heard you come in.” My heart skipped a beat. The woman sounded grown. I turned to see someone standing in the kitchen doorway. She had short brown hair, and like her daughter, she was well put together, wearing a pale yellow top and a pair of slacks that seemed to be made for her. She crossed over to Adam and pulled him into a hug.
“Hi Mom,” he said, hugging her back.
She pulled away and looked me up and down, her head tilting to the left. “You must be… Felice?”
“Fiona.” I stepped forward, holding my hand out to her.
“Oh.” She shook my hand for a fraction of a second. I could tell she was still passing judgment on me. “Well, it’s nice to meet you. And those shoes … so … interesting.”
Okay, interesting was never good. I was smart enough to know that.
I forced a smile over my lips. “Thank you!” I beamed, pretending I didn’t realize it was an insult. “I just picked them up the other day. I know they are a little impractical, but it’s always nice to have a statement pair of shoes, just in case. Right? I wasn’t going to wear them today but Adam ...” I reached out and took his hand, “insisted I wear them. He said there wasn’t any point in waiting for the right occasion.”
For a fraction of a second, she smiled.
I had to work hard to make sure I didn’t frown. I wasn’t sure what the deal was. Adam had said she was a bitch, but there was something about her …
“I got the guest house ready for you since we converted your bedroom into a gym.”
“You … oh yea, of course, that would make sense.” He swallowed as he looked down, pulled his hand away from me and reached for the bags.
I beat him to mine. His eyes locked on mine, and I gave him a smile. “I did pack it all; I made sure I’d be able to carry it,” I teased.
The truth was, all the clothes I’d packed for the weekend sat in his car right now after we’d been shopping. He’d put the used bags in the trunk, under a blanket so it didn’t look like we’d been doing last minute shopping.
“Suit yourself; I won’t be a gentleman.” He shrugged, heading for a glass door at the end of the hallway that led outside. I stepped close to him, going into the personal space zone.
“Who said I like gentlemen?” I whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.
I’d meant it to be teasing, to lighten the mood. But I saw him swallow.
We stepped outside and was met by a pool. My jaw dropped. The whole outside was gorgeous.
Though I wasn’t sure why they had a pool; the house looked out onto the lake, and it seemed like there was a small swimming spot down there. I took it all in.
“Come on.” He headed for a building that was about the same size as the majority of my apartment.
I looked around with wide eyes as we entered into a small common area. The living room, and a small kitchen. I’d stayed in hotel rooms that weren’t half as nice as this.
“There are two rooms,” he said.
“Alright.”
“You can take whatever one you want. I don’t care.”
The truth was, I didn’t really either. I bit my lip as I dropped my bag in the living room for now and kicked off my shoes.
“Adam!” I didn’t recognize this girl’s voice.
I turned to the door to see two girls. One younger, and one a teenager.
“Hey.” He turned as he dropped his bag and headed for his two other sisters.
I watched as he pulled them both into a hug. The hugs he gave his sister weren’t like the one he’d given his mother. Although it looked like he was happy to see his mom, the hug had almost looked cold and had been quick. The hugs with his sisters were long like he didn’t want to let go of them.
I watched as the girls turned their attention to me. I gave them a smile but didn’t want to get in the way of them spending time with their brother, so I didn’t move.
“Gabby mentioned you actually brought a girl home. We all thought you were joking,” the teenag
er said. She crossed over to me and smiled. “I’m Becky.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Becky,” For the third time today, I extended my hand, and we shook.
“I’m Merissa!” The little girl said, following her sister over to me.
I crouched down and shook the little girl’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you too, Merissa.” My eyes sparkled as the little girl beamed, thrilled that I was happy to be meeting her.
“Will you come play with me?”
“Don’t be dumb,” Becky said, “they just drove all this way. They probably need a break.”
“Oh.” The little girl sounded upset.
Honestly, I really didn’t want to play with the little girl. I bit my lip. “You know, your sister’s right. I really could use a bit of time to rest up and refresh. If I went and played with you now, I’d be no fun. But, how about we play later. Alright?”
“Really?”
“Yup.”
If I was going to make him look good, I was going to have to take one for the team, and that meant playing with his sister.
“Okay!”
When I looked up from Merissa, I found Adam staring at me with wide eyes. My cheeks flushed. Had I not answered the way I was supposed to?
Becky grinned. “Come on, let’s give them a while to freshen up.” She motioned for her sister to follow her out of the guest house. “Come join us in the sitting room once you get unpacked. I’m sure we’re all excited to chat more.”
She closed the door behind them, and I turned to Adam. “I hope it’s okay I said no.” I didn’t want to upset him.
“You didn’t. Say no, I mean.” He sounded surprised as he stared at me.
My heart skipped a beat. Why was he looking at me like that? My cheeks turned a deep shade of pink as I looked away and found something—anything—else to look at.
“So, this was your place growing up?”
“For a while. My dad and I lived in town when it was just us, but when he married her, we all moved out here.”
“So she’s your stepmom?”
“Yea.”
I nodded. I wonder if he likes his stepmom.
“She seems …” complicated.
“She’s not evil if that’s what you’re trying to say. It’s not a fairy tale.”
Are you sure? It sure felt like a fairy tale. At least for me. “No, I was going to say that she seems nice. She seemed excited to see you.”
“That will wear off soon.”
“What do you mean?” I reached for my bag and pulled out the makeup. By now, I probably needed to touch it up. I padded to the bathroom, leaving the door open so we could talk soon.
“I mean that my mother is judgmental and doesn’t like keeping her onions to herself. As I’m sure you noticed with her comment about your shoes.”
“Oh, that. That wasn’t all that scary.” I shrugged.
“You’re tougher than I thought.”
“Remember, it’s not like I actually have a reason to care what she thinks of me.” Some girls would be scared because they did actually want to date Adam and win his mother over because they were expecting to be her daughter-in-law.
That wasn’t my case.
“I guess it’s a good thing I brought you instead of anyone else.”
I reapplied my lipstick and turned to him. “How did you decide to bring me?”
He looked away and shrugged. “I just did. Does it matter?”
Yes.
I wanted to know why he thought of me of all people to pretend to be his girlfriend. I didn’t think it was all that crazy a thing for me to want to know. I thought it was actually pretty damned fair, but I didn’t say that. Instead, I just sauntered out of the bathroom, pretending it didn’t matter.
“Well, I guess we’d better go see the rest of your family.” I bit my lip. I have to admit, I was a little nervous.
52. Chapter Five
It went better than I thought it would, but I was starting to see what Adam meant about his mom. She had seemed so happy to see him, but it quickly became question after question. When was he going to buy a place? When were we going to move in together? Was I in school? And when I told her I was in school to become a vet—oh boy. The look on her face. I had actually wanted to laugh.
“That sounds like a disgusting job.”
“It probably will be, but the truth is, I can’t see myself doing anything else and loving it as much. Animals have always had a soft spot in my heart.” I wasn’t going to give them that story, though.
She gave me a look, her nose wrinkling. “Will it pay well?”
“Depends on what you consider well.” I shrugged. Looking around the house, I was sure being a vet wouldn’t pay well enough to get me something like this. And that’s okay. “But I’m not doing it for the money. I’m doing it because it’s what I’m passionate about. I know firsthand that a good vet, who can save a family pet, will forever be engrained in someone’s memory. In a way, they don’t just save the pet’s life.”
My cheeks turned a deep shade of pink. I hadn’t meant to say that much.
Everyone stared at me.
“We had a dog growing up.” Becky cleared her throat and glanced towards her mom. Her eyes sparkled, lost in the past. “When it was just the two of us. She was this annoying little thing who would try to bite almost everyone. Except me and Mom. She … she passed away a few years ago due to cancer.”
“I’m sorry.” I gave her a sympathetic look. I really was sorry for her loss. Sometimes losing pets was harder than losing people that we knew.
The front door opened, and everyone turned to look. My heart raced. Who’s there? I took a deep breath as I heard steps. An older man stepped into the room, and my brow furrowed. I’ve seen him before, I thought. I just wasn’t sure where.
Why would I have seen him before? “Hi.” He smiled, looking around the room. His eyes landed on me. “You must be Fiona. I hear you’ve stolen my son’s heart.”
I stood as he crossed over to me. So this was Adam’s dad. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”
“Please, call me Mike.” He smiled, and we shook hands. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He turned to his wife and crossed over to her, placing a soft kiss on her cheeks. “Remember, Kathrin, we’ve got an appointment after dinner.”
“Haven’t forgotten. I just don’t get why we had to have this dinner.”
Mike shrugged. “Danny and Rachel have something to tell us.” Without another word, he walked out of the room. I heard him head up the stairs.
I cleared my throat. “Um, what time is dinner? I’d like to change before then, and I don’t want to be rushing or anything.”
I was craving the chance to get away from here and take a couple seconds to myself. We hadn’t gotten much time to recharge when we’d been left alone in the guest house.
“We’ll be leaving in an hour and a half,” Kathrin said, glancing at the clock.
I stood. “If you’ll excuse me. I’d like to give myself ample time.” I gave everyone a smile as I headed for the guest house. Adam didn’t follow me.
I watched her leave the room and heard the door shut behind her. Everyone turned on me.
“How long have you two been together? My stepmother asked.
“About a month.” I’d have to let her know I said that.
“And you did buy her those clothes, didn’t you?”
“No,” I lied, “she bought them herself. She’s very careful with her money.” Alright, so it was a lie, but if my mom knew I’d bought those clothes, she would think that Fiona was a gold digger, and if she hadn’t worn something ‘suitable’, she would have thought Fiona was trash. It was a lose/lose, and I knew it. So I’d picked the lesser of the two evils. I’d much rather have to put her mind at ease than her go on about Fiona being trashy looking.
Her brows furrowed. “I’m not sure I like her, Adam.”
“I like her,” Becky said.
“She seems nice, and she’s well spoken,” Gab
by added. Although she wasn’t the oldest, Gabby was the most concerned with that type of thing. My brow creased. I didn’t like them picking her apart like this.
I knew she was supposed to be a pretend girlfriend, but … dammit, maybe I shouldn’t have brought her with me. But when my best friend had suggested it, I hadn’t been able to deny the fact that it was a good idea. It gave me a chance to actually get to know her, without calling her into my office all the time.
I stood. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go see if Fiona needs help with her zipper.”
I walked out of the room without another word, and no one said anything until I was out of earshot, thankfully. I was just about to step outside when I felt someone’s eyes on me.
I turned to see my dad standing there.
“I have to admit, I didn’t think you were actually going to bring someone,” he said, his eyes bright.
“I’m not sure why everyone seems to have that feeling. I did tell you in advance that I’d be bringing someone.”
“She seems nice.” My dad closed the distance between us.
“I just hope she makes it the weekend.”
“I told your mom to be nice.”
Despite the fact she was actually my stepmom, Kathrin had been like a mother to me. She wasn’t perfect, and she was definitely judgmental, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t been a mother to me. She had raised me and my sisters, and she had never been evil.
“I just hope she remembers that talk.”
“She does have your best interests in mind. I know … she doesn’t always show it well, and sometimes things come out wrong, but she does have your best interest at heart.”
“I know she does.”
Despite the fact she’s been pressuring me for years to do better, to get better, to buy a house before I’m 22, to be a billionaire before I’m 25.
I was getting there. I just … wasn’t getting there fast enough.
Of course, it’s not like I was starting from the ground up. “How’s the start-up going?” My dad asked, snapping me back to reality.
“Slow. I’ve got this jerk of a boss that always needs my help.” I grinned, and my dad laughed softly.
“You’d better not be late for work on Monday.” His eyes sparkled as he spoke. It had been a long time since we had a chance to really chat about something other than work.
Interview with a Billionaire: Billionaire Romance Box Set Page 34
