Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Nothing.” I just cried like a baby.
“Then why wouldn’t he like you?”
Elizabeth sighed. She should have known this was the wrong tact to take with her sister. “I don’t know,” she said. “Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t matter.”
Connie looked like she was going to keep arguing so Elizabeth intervened. “But why would he do it? It’s not like he’ll be getting anything out of this aside from the spotlight.”
“He’ll do it for Robbie. Those two go way back and he’d do anything for Robbie, especially once he sees how much this means to him.”
Elizabeth couldn’t help the little huff of a laugh that escaped her at that. She tried to picture Robbie—sweet, gentle, unassuming, humble Robbie—excited about being the center of attention. “Is this really what Robbie wants?”
Connie’s chin tilted up in a familiar way. Uh oh. Connie was like a dog with a bone on the best of days, but put her on the defense and she was terrifyingly stubborn. “Robbie wants to make me happy. He knows how much this means to me.”
Elizabeth didn’t miss the inflection her sister added. A not so subtle way of saying that Elizabeth wasn’t living up to her sisterly duties. Nice, Connie, real nice. She swallowed back another sigh. How had this conversation turned into “what Connie wants” yet again? She was the heartbroken one here, shouldn’t she be the one who people try to cheer up?
She wouldn’t bring that up though, it would just lead to one of Connie’s “bridal pep talks” as Elizabeth thought of them. She’d heard all about how it was her big day and if there was ever a time to be selfish, your wedding was that day.
So no. Now was not the time to point out that Connie’s feelings weren’t the only ones involved. Instead Elizabeth switched to her earlier argument. Mark would never play along.
“So you really think that Mark will agree to this just to make Robbie happy so Robbie can make you happy even though he’d be forced to lie and pretend to be someone he’s not?”
Crossing her arms, she fixed her sister with her most serious glare. “Have you really thought this through? I mean, even if Robbie can convince him—and that’s a big if—how is this going to work exactly?”
Connie’s face lit up with excitement. “I have it all worked out.”
“You do? I thought you just learned about this.”
Connie shrugged and her eyes refused to meet hers for a moment. “The interviewer may have mentioned the story idea the other night.” She had the good grace to look embarrassed as she shifted from one foot to the other. “She may have mentioned that Mark was the best selling point.”
Before Elizabeth could respond, Connie added, “You have to admit, he was brilliant the other night. That guy is charismatic and he’s hot as hell—we both agreed he’d be a natural in front of the cameras.”
Elizabeth was still wondering how her sister had managed to sneak in a little side chat with the interviewer as her words sank in. Hot as hell? Check. Charismatic? Elizabeth’s heart picked up its pace as she remembered his wicked smile and the way he kept trying to get under her skin in the car. Charismatic was one word to describe him. Annoying was another. Irritating, for sure. Conceited, perhaps.
Dangerous.
That thought brought her back to the moment with a jolt. “You have to tell them no.”
“I already said yes.” Connie’s mouth pulled to the side in a look that was an attempt at being apologetic while actually being quite pleased with oneself.
“I’ve got it all planned out. I told them no last names could be used and your fiancé wasn’t allowed to discuss his job at the hospital.”
“How convenient,” Elizabeth murmured. She didn’t know whether to be pissed or amused that her sister had planned all this out without waiting for anyone’s consent.
“They already know that you’re shy, thanks to your mime impersonation the other night,” Connie continued, “so no one expects you to talk much.”
“So your plan is to lie on national television?”
Connie rolled her eyes. “Oh, please, everyone does it.” She paused and pulled back to give Elizabeth an assessing glance. “You don’t actually believe those reality TV shows are real life, do you?” Then she gave her ‘oh honey, please’ laugh that always made Elizabeth cringe.
“I know they’re not real.” For the life of her, she didn’t know why she felt compelled to defend herself.
Connie leapt on that. “So then what’s the big deal? No one you know watches bridal shows and it’s just one episode. It will be a blip on the radar. Over and done before you know it. And once the attention of the wedding planning dies down, we’ll quietly announce that your wedding is off. All the show is interested in is the lead up to the wedding, no one will be filming the actual ceremony. It’s not like I’m asking you to marry a complete stranger.”
“No, you just want me to pretend that I’m marrying a complete stranger.”
Connie either didn’t hear the sarcasm or she was ignoring it. “Exactly!”
And then she did it. Her sister took her hands and pulled out her pathetic puppy dog eyes that all but guaranteed Connie would get her way ever since they were little kids. “Please, Lizzie. This is my dream. I actually have the chance to live my fantasy and have my ideal wedding to the love of my life.”
That last part stung a bit. Apparently her sister had already forgotten that Elizabeth was also supposed to be marrying the love of her life. But not anymore. She needed to get it through her thick skull that her dream wedding was not going to happen.
But her sister’s could. Just because her love life was circling the drain didn’t mean Connie should have to suffer. She inhaled a deep breath. Her sister had done so much for her over the years. She was always looking out for her, maybe this was her chance to give something back.
Besides, there was no way Mark would agree to it. Connie had no idea just how badly he must think of her between her ridiculous weeping session at the bar and her breakdown the other day. He would run in the opposite direction before he agreed to spend any more time with her.
“I’ll make you a deal,” she said. Connie’s pathetic puppy dog eyes were replaced by a brilliant smile.
“I’ll go along with this ridiculous plan….if Mark agrees.”
Chapter Three
Mark and Robbie were in a standoff. Neither had spoken a word for the past few minutes aside from a grunting noise of agreement from Robbie when Mark opened his fridge and pulled out two beers.
It wasn’t every day Mark told someone that he didn’t like their bride-to-be. Really, this situation called for beer. Robbie had born it well, in typical Robbie fashion. He’d shrugged and said, “You don’t have to like everyone I like. But you do have to respect my decisions.”
At which point Mark, in true Mark fashion, had opened his big mouth and told Robbie just how bad of a decision this was. At one point, he may have compared his best friend’s engagement to their decision to skateboard off of the library roof when they were twelve years old—a move that everyone agreed had been a catastrophically bad idea.
At that point Robbie had clammed up and Mark realized that his wise words of wisdom were falling on deaf ears. Time to regroup and come up with a new strategy. Before he could come up with an effective way to convince Robbie of the error of his ways, his friend broke the silence. “You know, I didn’t come here to get your take on my engagement.”
Mark watched his friend pick at the label on his beer bottle as he took a swig of his own. “No, I didn’t think you had.” But he’d done it anyway and he refused to feel guilty about it. What were friends for if not to give you a wake-up call when your head was buried in the sand?
But the longer Robbie’s tense silence grew, the more Mark’s interest was piqued. “So why did you come over? Not that I’m not happy to see you.”
He could see his friend take a deep breath and set his jaw. Uh oh. This could not be good.
And then Robbie exploded in a
barrage of words, only a few of which caught Mark’s attention. Reality TV. Play the part of Elizabeth’s fiancé. Only for a little while. Mean the world to us…to me.
The words washed over him and Mark had a hard time not laughing. He could not be serious. But then Robbie’s next words stopped the laugh in its tracks. “Elizabeth is having a really hard time with the breakup.”
Mark leaned forward so quickly his metal chair nearly toppled. He really needed to get proper furniture. “What did you say?”
Robbie looked surprised by the interruption. “Um, it would mean a lot to me if you said yes.”
Mark waved away the comment. “Yeah, yeah, we’ll get to this remarkably stupid plan in a minute. What did you say about Elizabeth?”
His friend looked confused. “About Elizabeth? Oh, just that this breakup has been hard on her. I mean, I haven’t talked to her about it directly but it was pretty obvious.”
Mark felt something foreign niggling at his gut. What was this feeling? Guilt? His mind’s eye flashed on a sight he’d been trying desperately to forget for the past two days—the sight of Elizabeth’s face as tears streamed down her cheeks. And here he’d thought she’d felt guilty for going home with him when she and her fiancé got into a fight. But no….she was heartbroken.
Why her heartbreak seemed to have a direct effect on his gut was an issue for another day. But he couldn’t shrug off the guilt he felt over the way he’d acted in the car and the way he’d just left her like that.
He looked up from his beer bottle to see Robbie watching him with unabashed interest. “Are you all right?”
Mark took a sip and pushed all thoughts of his weeping angel to the side. This wasn’t about her…or was it? “Did she ask that I do this?”
“Excuse me?” Robbie looked thoroughly confused. “Who? Elizabeth?”
Mark rolled his eyes. “Yes, Elizabeth. Did she agree to this? To me being her pretend fiancé, I mean?”
Robbie settled back against the worn cushions of Mark’s sole piece of living room furniture—a rather dilapidated old loveseat he’d inherited from a past roommate somewhere down the line. “I don’t know,” Robbie said.
“What do you mean, you don’t know?”
Robbie cleared his throat. “Connie was going to talk to her earlier this evening.”
Ah. So she was just as in the dark as he was. Some of his initial excitement ebbed a bit and he relaxed back in his chair. Well, he relaxed as much as one could while sitting on a cold metal folding chair.
“Do you think she’ll say yes?”
Robbie shrugged. “I imagine she will. Connie has a tendency to get her way.”
Mark’s eyes narrowed. There, right there. That was why this marriage was a disaster waiting to happen. Robbie was the best, most loyal friend on the planet. But he was also a softie, a people pleaser. He wasn’t one to push the envelope or cause a scene.
Mark loved him like he was a brother but he knew better than anyone that someone like Connie would eat him alive.
Robbie seemed to be reading his mind. He held up one hand to hold off any more lectures. “Please. I know how you feel about Connie and about this wedding. But you wouldn’t be doing it for her, you’d be doing this for me.”
Mark groaned. That was a low blow. This was the guy who’d stood by his side his entire life—through every mistake and heartbreak—and who’d never judged. This was the guy who’d been there when he was at his lowest right after the breakup. He was the one who never said I told you so. And in return, he’d never asked for anything. Until now.
“I don’t think Elizabeth will go for it.” He winced at the memory of her face just before he’d shut the door. There was no way a woman that sensitive could lie to the world at large. And the odds that she would ever opt to be his fake fiancé? Well, they were slim to none.
“So you’re actually considering this?” Robbie asked.
Mark folded his arms across his chest. “On two conditions.” He ticked them off on his fingers. “One, you and I know that I am in no way supporting your marriage and if you want out at any point, I will be there to help you escape.”
Robbie rolled his eyes but he gave a little nod of agreement. “And two?”
Mark held up another finger. “I talk to Elizabeth myself to see if she’s really on board. I’m not doing this if she’s been bullied into it by your charming bride-to-be.”
Robbie’s face split in a grin as he stood up and took two large strides toward Mark with an outstretched hand. “Deal.”
The handshake was followed by an ominous sense of foreboding. What had he just signed up for? But no need to worry. Elizabeth was most likely hating this plan even more than he was. “So where do I find her?”
Robbie glanced at the time on his phone meaningfully. “Right now? In bed, most likely.”
Mark opened his mouth to speak but Robbie cut him off with a menacing finger in his face. “Don’t. Even. Think about it.”
Mark grinned at his friend. “Who me?”
Robbie’s expression turned unexpectedly serious. “She’s vulnerable right now, Mark. And she’s a sweet kid. Don’t even think about getting her in your bed.”
Too late. But he kept his mouth shut. Elizabeth hadn’t exactly leapt to tell her sister and Robbie about that night so he sure as hell wasn’t going to rat them out. He owed the girl that much at least after the shitty way he’d treated her in the car. “So where can I find her tomorrow then?”
Robbie moved to pick up his jacket where it was crumpled up on the floor. If Mark didn’t have a proper living room chair, he sure as hell didn’t have a coat rack.
“The high school,” Robbie said.
Mark’s eyebrows shot up. “Jesus, Robbie, how young are these twins?”
“Funny,” Robbie said with exaggerated patience. “Elizabeth works there. She’s a teacher.”
Teacher, huh? That brought up a whole new batch of fantasies for him to obsess over. Just what he needed, more fuel for the fire for this ridiculous crush.
Was that what this was? It had been so long since he’d had anything more than a one night stand, Mark almost didn’t recognize the sensation. He went through the checklist of all the stupid symptoms. Ridiculous amount of time fantasizing about that one person? Oh yeah. Weird, fluctuating emotions when the person is around? Frustratingly, yes. Doing and saying stupid things to get their attention?
Oh holy hell, it was official. He had a crush.
* * *
It was official, Elizabeth’s classes were the only thing keeping her sane. She wasn’t always so smitten with her teens but that day they had kept her pleasantly distracted from her obsessive worrying about what Mark had said to the ridiculous proposal. She’d texted her sister first thing that morning but Connie hadn’t replied, which meant…what? Was Mark still thinking it over? Had he said yes and Connie was reluctant to tell her? Had he said no and Connie was hatching a plan to change his mind?
All of these seemed plausible and no matter how much she thought it over, she couldn’t decide which was the most likely scenario. But luckily her sixth period class of AP calculus were engaging and responsive because otherwise all she wouldn’t be able to think about anything other than—
“Hey, Miss Hayes, I think there’s someone here to see you.” Cassie Walbert, one of her brightest students was pointing toward the door.
Elizabeth turned to look and let out a little squeak.
“Are you okay?” one of the boys in the front row asked.
Mark. His face was right there, framed in the door’s window. If he leaned in any closer his face would be smushed up against the glass. When they made eye contact, he grinned, making his eyes squint and revealing adorable dimples.
Not adorable. Just dimples. The surprise of seeing him made her nervous…or flustered, at least, and she found herself at a loss for words.
“Miss Hayes?” It was Cassie again and the girl’s high-pitched voice brought her back to reality. Teaching. She was teachi
ng. She spun back around to face her class. “Will you excuse me for a moment? Get started on the sample problem and we’ll discuss your answers when I get back.”
She hurried over to the door and slipped out, only to find him waiting for her in the hallway. Leaning against the lockers with his hands in his pockets, he looked like an older version of James Dean.
“What are you doing here?” she hissed.
His grin never faltered.
Inhaling deeply, she reminded herself of her new goal…to be nice to this man. And sane. It wasn’t his fault that she had tumbled into bed with him. Hell, she may have even been the one to make the first move. And it wasn’t his fault that her sister had dragged him into her crazy scheme. Which was probably why he was here. Oh God, he was going to say yes. What other reason could he have for coming here if not to talk about their new, fake relationship?
She wasn’t sure what gave her away—maybe she’d cringed—but his sexy grin melted and he was watching her with concern. “Are you okay?”
Elizabeth couldn’t stand the suspense. “Please tell me you didn’t say yes.”
His brows shot up at that. “I beg your pardon?”
She hated how amused he sounded. Every time she talked to him it was like she was the butt of some private joke she knew nothing about. Her stomach twisted in horror. Oh God. Maybe every time he saw her he was reminded of that night and she had been so horrible in bed, it was hilarious.
He leaned over a bit so his face was level with hers. “Are you going to throw up?”
That comment had her staring in surprise. “No.” She shook her head and cleared her throat. She was a grown up, dammit. She could deal with this situation and this man, one-night stand or not. “I’m fine,” she said, this time sounding far more stable and, she was happy to note, almost sane.
“Okay then.” He didn’t look entirely convinced but a small smile returned—did this man ever not smile? He must know how distracting it was—to women, at least.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” he continued, gesturing vaguely toward her classroom. “I just thought you and I should talk.”
The Morning After: Starting from Zero Box Set Page 18
