Not Her Real Fiance

by Elana Johnson

  So she did, moving quickly into the kitchen where she could get some coffee. Gwen hadn’t left for work very long ago, and though the coffee pot as off, the brew was still warm.

  Celeste didn’t bother to heat it up again before pouring herself a mug. She poured hazelnut cream into the cup and added a spoonful of sugar before lifting a shaking hand to her mouth.

  Tears pricked her eyes, Gwen’s text burned in her brain. There’s an article in the paper where Brad calls you uptight and bossy.

  That single sentence wouldn’t have made sense if Brad hadn’t been standing on her front porch, frantic to explain.

  “You don’t want to see it,” she told herself. Gwen had deliberately not told her which paper, and Celeste knew the omission was deliberate. She took a sip of her coffee, but the taste she normally loved tasted bitter in her mouth.

  She dumped it down the drain and dialed her sister. “Celeste,” Gwen said, bypassing hello. “Did you get my text?”

  “Yes,” Celeste said, her voice so tight and so high-pitched. “I don’t understand. Brad and I were getting along so great.” She wouldn’t cry. Not over a relationship that had started out fake and had barely been going for two weeks.

  She sure did like Brad, though. She’d liked spending time with him. Liked talking to him. Liked learning that while he’d lived a high-profile life, he was down-to-Earth and human. Liked his family, and how close he was with them.

  “I’m coming home,” Gwen said.

  “You don’t need to do that,” Celeste said. “The Sunday brunch is busy.”

  “Teagan can handle it, and I’m tired of arguing with him anyway,” Gwen said. “I’m getting us tiger tails from the bakery. Do you want an orange juice?”

  “Yes, and one of those red grapefruit cups.”

  “Be home in fifteen minutes,” Gwen said. “Don’t read the article, Celeste.”

  Celeste hung up, and she only needed five minutes to power up her laptop and search for the article Gwen had read. It was a three-minute read, and it left Celeste feeling sick to her stomach.

  She put her head in her hands and wept, deciding a slow trickle of tears didn’t count as crying. At her feet, Midnight whined, and Celeste picked up the little dog and took her out onto the back porch. The waves continued to roll ashore in the distance, and Celeste liked their consistency. The way they never gave up.

  She’d just tapped out a message to Brad when Gwen entered the house. “Celeste? Where are you?”

  “Back porch,” she called, tapping to send the text before her sister could stop her. Why would you say that about me?

  She didn’t report everything I said, Brad’s text came back as Gwen stepped onto the porch, pastry bags and drinks in hand. “Here you go, sweetie,” she said, and Celeste shoved her phone under her thigh.

  “Thanks.” Celeste took her pastry and her fruit but opened her juice first. Maybe if she got her blood sugar back where it belonged, she could think clearly. Several swallows in, and she didn’t feel any different.

  “You read the article, didn’t you?” Gwen asked.

  “Yes.”

  Her sister sighed, but Celeste wasn’t going to apologize. “Maybe he’s right.”

  “He’s not right,” Gwent said.

  “I am bossy,” Celeste said.

  “Paige doesn’t think that,” Gwen said. “And neither do I.”

  “Olympia does.”

  “Oh, Olympia,” Gwen said, as if their oldest sister’s opinion didn’t matter. “You two have butted heads for so long, you’ll always think she’s grandstanding and she’ll always think you’re being bossy.” Gwen shook her head with a light laugh and bit into her doughnut.

  “Do you think it was her?”

  “That talked to Carmen Lunt? Why would she do that?”

  “Maybe she was talking to Brad, and Carmen overheard?”

  “That makes no sense,” Gwen said. “Why would Brad and Olympia be talking at all?” Gwen’s gaze on the side of Celeste’s face felt so heavy.

  “What?” Celeste said, finally looking at her sister.

  “The engagement was fake?”

  Celeste shrugged, because she didn’t want to say it out loud. Ridiculous, because everything with Brad had just been blown wide open anyway. There were no rules anymore. No reason to try not to lie.

  “You didn’t even tell me that,” Gwen said, her voice a bit stung. “So why would Brad tell Olympia that?”

  Celeste nodded, because her sister’s logic was sound. “You’re right.” She didn’t know who Brad had told. According to him, he hadn’t told anyone.

  Under her leg, her phone buzzed. Gwen picked up her phone, and then looked at Celeste. “It’s not me.”

  “I don’t care who it is,” Celeste said. “I’m so tired of getting texts at six in the morning.”

  “It’s almost seven,” Gwen said, and that somehow made Celeste smile. And then laugh. She ate her fruit, and then her doughnut, ignoring the half-dozen messages as they kept coming in.

  “What do you think I should do?” she asked.

  “I’m sure all those texts are from Brad,” Gwen said, groaning as she got up. “You should probably talk to him.” She gave Gwen a pointed look and picked up one of Midnight’s favorite balls. “I’ll take your dog down to the beach.”

  Celeste smiled at her, a rush of gratitude and love for her sister overwhelming her. Gwen was such a good woman, and Celeste loved sharing a house and a life with her. But she wasn’t a husband, and Celeste did want one of those.

  As recently as last night, she’d been considering Brad for the job. “Stupid,” she told herself, as they really hadn’t known each other long. But sometimes the heart knew what it wanted, didn’t it?

  “Your life isn’t a romance novel,” she told herself, finally pulling her phone out from underneath her leg. Brad had indeed texted several times.

  She didn’t report everything I said.

  I was talking to James at the inn. Carmen must’ve snuck in—which really makes me mad. That’s my construction site.

  I also said that you have amazing qualities, and that I wanted things to be real with you.

  Please, Celeste. Talk to me.

  Several minutes passed before his last message had come in. You know where to find me. I’m so sorry. I know you hate publicity.

  And she did. And the fact that he knew she did said a lot.

  But what, she wasn’t sure.

  Later that day, Celeste opened her top desk drawer and dropped Brad’s engagement ring inside. She’d spent more than a healthy amount of time that morning staring at it, oscillating between throwing it in the ocean and wearing it for the world to see.

  As it had happened, she’d tucked it into her pocket and brought it work, just like she’d been doing for a couple of weeks now.

  Brad would not be on-site today, as he actually took weekends off. But Celeste had a fiftieth wedding anniversary party that evening, and the couple didn’t know about it. Their children had come in and booked the small banquet room, worked with Celeste on the menu, the décor, and the timing.

  Weekends were her busiest times for events, and she really should take a couple of days off during the week. But she never did. She hadn’t come to work until after noon today, and she honestly didn’t mind, because she loved her job.

  She closed the drawer as Paige entered the office, dressed and dolled up as professionally as ever. “Hey,” she said, barely glancing up from her stack of folders. “The napkins are here, and you said to let you know when they arrived.” She shuffled something. “The champagne is being chilled, and I just checked with the kitchen, and we’re on schedule for the first small plates.”

  “Thank you, Paige,” Celeste said. Her assistant started to leave, and Celeste asked, “Paige, do you think I’m uptight?”

  Paige dropped all of her folders, sending papers everywhere. She didn’t even try to pick them up as she turned to face Celeste. “Of course not.”

  �
��Really?”

  “You’re exceptionally good at your job,” Paige said. “You’re detailed, not uptight. Smart, not bossy. Beautiful, and talented, and if that meathead can’t see it, that’s his problem.”

  Celeste’s tears sprang right back to her eyes, and she hurried around her desk to hug the best friend she had that didn’t share her family name. “You’re all of those things too,” she said. “I apologize for anything I might have done over the years to make your life harder.”

  “Celeste.” Paige gripped her tight. “You don’t have a single thing to apologize for. I’ve loved working for you, and you’re my best friend.”

  Celeste stepped back and tucked her hair behind her ears. She hadn’t spent nearly the same amount of time on it as she usually did, but it didn’t matter. “I’ll take care of the napkins, and if you need me, I’ll be down in the banquet room.”

  “I’m off tomorrow,” Paige said. “Remember?”

  “Yes, you’re going to your sister-in-law’s for a few days. Baby shower.” Celeste turned and walked backward, a real feat in high heels. “Have fun.”

  “Oh, the only single woman at a baby shower. There will be no fun involved.”

  Celeste laughed with her friend, reassured that she hadn’t treated anyone badly. She hadn’t lied to anyone, not really. She had no reason not to hold her head high.

  As she waited for the elevator, she pulled out her phone. Her fingers flew across the screen, almost faster than her mind could work. She read over the message as the elevator dinged.

  Without second guessing herself, she sent it and stepped into the car, ready to be done thinking about Brad.

  Chapter Fifteen

  We’ve been looking for a way to end things, and this feels like a good way. Please come to my office to get your ring back at your earliest convenience.

  Brad stared at Celeste’s text, wishing the air didn’t whoosh out of his lungs because of the words. They were just words, but they hurt more than any others he’d ever read or ever heard.

  Is this a real break-up or a fake one? he texted.

  Real, Brad. Her response felt clinical, and Brad didn’t like that. But there was very little he liked about today. After going to Celeste’s he’d gone home and showered. Sat on the couch for a while.

  His stomach grumbled, which meant he hadn’t eaten. He didn’t really keep food in the house, so he grabbed his keys and headed out. The inn had food, and bonus, he could get his diamond ring back.

  The last thought was made of sarcasm, and Brad’s anger multiplied as he drove to The Heartwood Inn. The resort was magnificent, and Brad sat in his truck and breathed in deeply, appreciating how every flower bed was immaculate. The land held a sense of peace, and while it was hundreds of acres of pools and tennis courts and beaches, it still possessed a family feel.

  He got out of his truck and gave the keys to the valet. “Hey, you’re Bradley Keith,” the kid said, and Brad nodded, his public relations smile coming right to his face.

  “That’s right,” he said, walking away before any more questions could be asked. Surely The Island Weekly didn’t have a huge circulation, but Brad felt like everyone had their eyes on him.

  He got a table at Redfin, which was surprisingly busy for mid-afternoon, and he spent a long time over appetizers and Coke, a meal and dessert. When he finally couldn’t stay any longer because the dinner crowd was arriving, he went up to Celeste’s office. He didn’t have to check with her to know if she’d be there. She usually came in on Sunday afternoons, especially if she had an event that night. And he knew she had an anniversary party that evening.

  He stepped off the elevator on the second floor, his eyes going right to his construction site. He bypassed it in favor of Celeste’s office down the hall, and one step into the refreshing room had regret choking him.

  “Afternoon, Paige,” he said when the woman didn’t look up from her desk. She still didn’t, and Brad took a few steps closer only to find she was asleep. Moving quietly now, he advanced to Celeste’s door, almost hoping she wouldn’t be there. Why he’d want to torture himself by coming here again, he wasn’t sure.

  Of course, he’d have to come to this floor again, as his build wasn’t completed yet. Thankfully, he didn’t have to deal with Celeste on the construction. He’d only seen her a handful of times in the few months he and his crew had been working to get the VIP pool built. He could avoid her for another week or two.

  “Hey.” Celeste stood from behind her desk, and she was an absolute vision. Brad’s heart pulsed out several rapid beats and then stalled altogether.

  “Hey,” he managed to say.

  She opened her drawer and pulled out his ring. She walked toward him, because Brad couldn’t seem to move.

  He took the ring from her, looking at it for several long seconds. “I’m really sorry,” he said.

  “I didn’t mean to sound bossy when I said you should come here and get the ring,” she said. “I would’ve brought it to you. I’ve just been busy this afternoon with this party.”

  “Celeste.” He lifted his eyes to hers. “I don’t think you’re bossy.”

  “So Carmen made that up?”

  “Can’t opinions change?” he asked. “I mean, how would you like your first impressions of me printed in the newspaper?”

  Celeste shook her head, her emotions getting shut behind a mask. “It doesn’t matter. Thank you for coming.” She nodded as if she’d taken care of one more thing on her to-do list, turned, and headed back to her desk.

  “That’s it?” he asked.

  “I really don’t have anything more to say,” Celeste said, situating herself behind her desk again.

  A band of tension settled around Brad’s chest, and he didn’t know what to say either. He didn’t want to leave. He couldn’t stay.

  He backed out of the room, wishing she’d call him back. She didn’t.

  Brad spent Monday at The Heartwood Inn asking his crew if they’d seen Carmen around the site in the last week. No one had.

  He spent Tuesday at another build site, unfocused and out of sorts. He didn’t go to work on Wednesday and instead, dropped by Bella’s house, expecting her to talk his ear off.

  “There you are,” she said, grabbing onto his collar and dragging him into the house. She peered left and right before closing the door. “What took you so long to come by?”

  “Embarrassment?” he offered. “Humiliation? The fact that I don’t want to admit that I screwed up?”

  “So you did have a fake fiancée,” Bella said, not really asking. “And you called her bossy and uptight.”

  “I said that to a close friend,” Brad said, already tired of explaining it. “And immediately afterward, I said she was fun to be with, and she used her somewhat unsavory qualities to be really good at her job. I said she was smart. I said—”

  “I know, Brad.” Bella wrapped her arms around him and held on, and Brad needed a hug more than anything. He hugged her back, closing his eyes and taking the comfort from his sister.

  “So what do I do?” he asked, clearing his throat and stepping back. He put his hands in his pockets and watched his sister. “I liked her. I mean, I like her. I don’t want to break up with her.”

  “I’m assuming you went and talked to her.”

  “Yes.”

  “And it didn’t go well.”

  “No, it did not.” He sighed and sat down on his sister’s couch. “She gave the ring back.”

  “I can’t believe you bought her a real ring for a fake engagement.”

  “It was just for a few weeks,” Brad said.

  “Why didn’t you tell Carmen Lunt you just didn’t want to go out again?”

  “I did,” he said. “She was relentless. Wanted to know why. I’m not good with women.”

  Bella sat down beside him. “That’s just not true.”

  “Oh, it’s true.” Brad exhaled heavily. “Where are the kids? I want ice cream.”

  “It’s ten o’clock
in the morning.”

  “And I’ve been waiting all day.” He gave his sister a smile, hoping it looked genuine enough.

  “They’re in the pool already,” she said. “When’s the last time you ate?”

  “Diner, this morning,” he said. “As usual.” The problem was, he hated “as usual.” He didn’t want usual anymore. He wanted extraordinary, and that was Celeste Heartwood. He hadn’t realized it until that very moment, but he’d started to fall in love with Celeste.

  “Stay until lunch,” Bella said. “I’ll start making that turkey chili you love.”

  “It’s a million degrees outside,” he said. “I don’t want chili.”

  “I’ll cut up watermelon. I just got one yesterday. And I have parmesan, and you love salt and parmesan on your watermelon.” She sing-songed the last couple of words, and Brad couldn’t argue with her.

  “I’ll go grab some hot dogs,” he said. “We can have a little wienie roast with the watermelon, and then I’ll take the kids to get ice cream.”

  “Deal,” Bella said, smiling. She paused and looked at Brad. He knew what she was going to say before she said it. “You’re a good man, Brad. This will blow over.”

  “I don’t want it to blow over,” he said. “I just want Celeste back.”

  “How were you planning to transition from a fake relationship to a real one?” she asked.

  “We hadn’t decided yet.”

  “Wait.” Bella sucked in a breath and then started laughing. Brad didn’t see what was so funny, but he just waited for his sister to calm down. “Wait, wait. Just wait a minute.”

  “What, Bella?” he asked, his exhaustion rolling over him in waves.

  “You and Celeste were talking about a real relationship?”

  “Yes,” Brad said.

  “So you were always planning to break off the ‘engagement,’ and then start a real relationship later on?”

  “Yes,” Brad said, watching his sister. “So what?”