“You too, sir.”
“What do you do for my daughter?” he asks.
Shit! We didn’t talk about this. What did she tell them? Looking to Reese for help, she steps up and distracts her father for a few minutes before answering his question. I’m an agent, commercial real estate. She tells her parents more about me, making me sounds like an outstanding person and employee.
It’s not until we’re about to sit down for dinner that I notice her father piecing it all together. He’s been watching me, studying me, for hours now. He hasn’t said anything, and I don’t think he will, but he’s aware of who I really am. Had I known this could come up, that it could have been a problem, I never would have agreed to come here with her.
The last thing I want is to make more problems for Reese. This was supposed to be an easy assignment. Pretend to be the fake fiancé of some rich real estate woman. Take her to her high school reunion. Go home and get back to life as usual. I only agreed to do this because of the money.
I’m reliving a life that I left behind. The person I was, the things I did when I dated Tiffanie have always haunted me. Being back here, remembering the things I’ve blocked out the past ten years is torture. I didn’t sign up for this.
Mentally slapping myself, I kill the pity party.
This isn’t about me. It’s about Jane. If I thought I had it rough, that reliving all of this is rough for me, I’m in for a rude awakening.
She lived through worse.
She survived the nightmare that was Tiffanie.
The odds were never in her favor, yet she beat them.
Chapter Fifteen
Reese
Hunter is acting weird. I’m sure my dad makes him nervous. The way my dad’s looking at Hunter is making me nervous. I want to get out of here, but dinner is almost out of the oven and I promised my mom we would stay. What kind of daughter would I be if I skipped out on dinner with my parents the first time I come home in almost five years? I’d be a horrible daughter, and they’ve always been great to me.
Through everything.
Even the things I never told them about.
They supported me and my dreams. They made it possible for me to go to college far away from home. They made sure I had everything I ever needed. In spite of everything that happened outside these four walls, my childhood was pretty damn great. All because of my parents.
Sometimes I wonder if they know how much I appreciate them. I also wonder if they know everything I went through. There were times I assumed they figured it out, but others I knew they were clueless. That’s the way I liked it. I didn’t want them worrying about me when it wasn’t something they could control.
“So, Jane,” my mother starts as soon as I put a bite in my mouth. She’s famous for asking questions when someone has their mouth full. This won’t be the first time she does this tonight. “We were thinking about coming out there for Christmas this year.”
Almost choking on my food, I take a sip of water and clear my throat. I’ve lived in Colorado for nine years, and my parents have never once come to visit me. Not because I’ve never asked. My father hates to fly, so he won’t go anywhere he can’t drive in less than a few hours. Colorado would take them a while by car.
“Sure. I’d love for you guys to come visit me, you know that.”
“Well, your father says it’s about time,” she says, making eye contact with my father across the table.
“I can speak for myself, Nancy. I’m sitting right here,” my dad grumbles.
That’s the other thing my mom loves to do. She’ll talk about people like they’re not in the room. She’ll answer questions for them when they’re perfectly capable of answering themselves. It’s part of why I love her so much, for her quirks, but I don't enjoy talking on the phone with her. Texting is less stressful.
“Are you planning on driving out, Dad?” I ask.
“I figured we would take it slow, stop and visit a few places on the way. It might take us a few days to get there, but I have plenty of vacation days saved up. I figure I better use them before they take them away.”
My father hasn’t taken a vacation since I went away to college. The last time he was on vacation, we drove to Washington DC, spent a few days there, and drove back. It was a nice trip, but we wasted most of our time stopping every few hours for nothing. My dad can’t be cooped up for long, I get that, but what should have been a twelve-hour drive took us three days.
“You’ll have to let me know the dates, and I’ll clear my schedule,” I offer, making sure they both know how much I would love for them to come visit.
Dinner moves along slowly, my parents talking to each other from across the table mostly. I attempt to make eye contact with Hunter, trying to gauge how uncomfortable he is right now, but he’s avoiding making eye contact. That tells me more than he knows. As soon as dinner is finished, we say our goodbyes and hit the road.
“My parents can be a lot to take. I’m sorry,” I say. We’re almost to the hotel and the silence between us has finally gotten to me.
“You’re parents are great.”
“Really? You seemed like you were uncomfortable,” I confess, feeling like we’re about to have an honest conversation for the first time.
“I was. That doesn’t mean they’re not great people. I was trying to act casual like you asked me to, that’s all.”
“Okay,” I say, stretching the word out, hoping he’ll elaborate. He doesn’t, and I decide not to push him on it.
As I pull into the valet station, Hunter pops out of the passenger seat and immediately starts grabbing our bags.
“The valet can do that, you know,” I say.
“Or your fiancé can,” he suggests.
Ah! I get it. He’s playing his part. Good thinking. Who knows who might be watching.
Scanning the lobby, I don’t see anyone I recognize. Thinking about it, no one is going to recognize me, so who’s to say I would recognize them? I’m sure some of my classmates look the same, though, even if I don’t. It’s not like I feel the need to talk to any of them; I’m sure there will be plenty of time for that tomorrow night, but I’m curious now. Mainly, I want to see what she looks like now. I need to see her before she sees me.
Check in is a disaster. Originally I booked two separate rooms, requesting for them to be next door to each other. The woman behind the front desk says that my assistant canceled one of the rooms earlier this week. It took me all of five seconds to put two and two together. Ireland is attempting to work her magic from halfway across the country.
No problem, I’ll just get him a room right now. Nope. The hotel is booked. Aside from the reunion, there’s a wedding happening tonight and another happening tomorrow night. Our only option is to share a room. One room with one king size bed.
I’m going to kill Ireland the next time I see her.
“I can sleep on the floor,” Hunter offers when he notices there’s only one bed.
“No, that’s not necessary. Why should you be punished for what Ireland’s done?” Anger is radiating off me in waves. I try not to direct it toward him, softening my voice to make sure he knows I’m not mad at him.
“What did she do?”
“She canceled your room so we would have to share. She’s trying to play matchmaker.”
He busts out laughing. “You’re mad at her for trying to get you laid?”
Shaking my head at him, I try to see things like he does. Yes, she was wrong to do what she did, but she had my best interests at heart. Or my needs at least.
“Yes,” I finally admit. “She likes to meddle when she shouldn’t. Plus, she knows that’s not part of the arrangement. In fact, it’s against the contract, so she shouldn’t be trying to push it on either of us.”
Nodding his head slowly, Hunter takes a step in my direction. Out of instinct, I step back.
“You know,” he starts. “We could pretend there’s no contract.”
“We’re already playing pretend
, Hunter,” I retort.
“I’m playing pretend. Tomorrow, you are just you.”
“No, tomorrow, I’m pretending to be Jane and you are pretending to be Jane’s fiancé.”
“You are Jane. Reese is Jane. No matter what you call yourself, you are who you are. You may have changed over the years, grown into a different version of yourself, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re still Jane. Nothing is wrong with being Jane.”
His words hurt. The truth hurts. I’ll always be Jane, no matter how hard I try not to be. Going by Reese is a Band-Aid. It covers the wound but doesn’t make it go away any faster. In fact, covering it deprives it of the oxygen it needs to heal.
A single tear streams down my cheek, and Hunter catches it with his thumb before it has a chance to fall.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry,” he apologizes. “I only wanted you to see how amazing you are no matter what name you want people to call you.”
Shit! If he keeps saying nice things to me I’m going to pretend there’s no contract and jump his bones. I need to take a step away from him, clear my head.
“I need some fresh air. I’m going to go for a walk. I’ll be back in a little bit, okay?”
Without waiting for an answer, I push past him and grab my purse and room key. I breathe a sigh of relief when the elevator doors close and I’m certain he didn’t follow me.
The lobby is bustling with people. Most are dressed in formal wear. Some look more casual. Me, I’m still wearing the outfit I put on at the ass-crack of dawn this morning. I’m sure I look disheveled by now. It would be my luck to run into someone who recognizes me right now.
Ducking around the corner, I find a cozy seating area just outside the main lobby. If Hunter comes looking for me, he’ll never find me here.
I need time to clear my head, to think about something other than tomorrow night. Suddenly, music surrounds me, a heavy hip-hop beat, startling me enough that I jump slightly. It’s an older song, I can’t think of the name of it, but I remember liking it. The fact that I can’t remember the name is going to bother me.
“Just a friend,” comes a voice from behind me.
“Excuse me,” I reply as I turn in my chair. Standing there is a man, about my age, looking almost as sexy as Hunter.
I can’t think like that. Hunter is off limits. Damn it! I blame Ireland. This is her doing.
This guy, though. He’s not off limits. Unless he’s married. A quick glance at his left hand tells me he’s not.
“The song. It’s called ‘Just a Friend.’ I can’t remember who sings it, but it’s a remix.”
“How did you even know I was wondering?” I ask, continuing to check him out as non-chalently as possible.
Dark hair, freshly cut. Eyes dark enough that they stand out against his tanned skin. Broad shoulders and toned arms. His shirt, a black oxford, has been pressed, a sign he cares what he looks like.
“You were focused on something, and biting your top lip. It was either that or the fact that you wrinkled up your nose after the music scared you.”
“Oh,” I finally say, realizing I’ve been quiet for far too long. “It didn’t scare me, I just wasn’t expecting it.”
“I noticed,” he replies, moving around my chair to take a seat across from me. “John.”
“Nice to meet you, John. Reese,” I say before I can filter myself. I’m not Reese this weekend.
“You look familiar Reese, but I’d never forget a name like that. What brings you to Indianapolis?”
Shit! If I look familiar, he’s probably here for the reunion.
“My fiancé and I came to visit my parents. They live outside the city,” I reply, lying through my teeth. I seem to be getting better at it. At least the lies flow off my tongue without a second thought these days. I’d rather not get used to that. After this weekend is over, I plan on returning to the truthful person I’ve always been.
“Well,” he replies, his demeanor changing at the mention of Hunter as I knew it would. “It was nice to meet you. Enjoy your stay.”
“Thank you,” I say, standing so he doesn’t feel like he needs to leave. “You as well.”
Making a beeline for the elevator, I’m back on our floor before I realize where I’m headed. I’m not ready to talk to him. I’m not ready to deal with all of this yet. If I stay out here any longer I’m bound to run into more people I don’t want to see, though. Hunter is the lesser of two evils. At least for now.
He’s lying in the middle of the bed, on his stomach, watching TV and eating a bag of chips when I walk in. Looking up, he smiles at me briefly before returning his attention to his show.
Opening my bag, I pull out my sleeping clothes. Shit! I forgot I brought my sweatshirt and running shorts. Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal. No one sees me in these clothes. If I had known Ireland was going to pull this stunt, I would have packed accordingly. I’m guessing she was counting on the fact that I wouldn’t.
“Did you figure it out?” Hunter’s asks from his spot on the bed.
“Did I figure what out?”
“You said you needed to clear your head, but you weren’t gone very long. I’m sorry if what I suggested bothered you. I was joking, you know.”
He wasn’t joking. Maybe he wants me to think that so I’m not as apprehensive about sleeping next to him tonight, but it’s not going to work. The words he chose, the tone of his voice, none of that leads me to believe that he was joking. And, if he was, why in the world did he let me leave the room thinking otherwise? I call bullshit, but I’m not going to say it out loud.
“I ran into someone from high school, so I came back here,” I reply, refusing to acknowledge anything else.
“A friend?”
“Not exactly. He thought I looked familiar, but I didn’t recognize him.”
“Well, you’ll see him again tomorrow.”
“Yes, but he won’t see me,” I reply, pulling our masks from my bag. I almost forgot to pack them. If they hadn’t been on the table next to my purse, I wouldn’t have thought twice. “Plus, I didn’t bother to tell him who I really was.”
“Why?”
“Why what?” I ask, tossing Hunter his mask.
“Nice,” he says, grinning at the mask. “Why didn’t you tell him who you were?”
“Because my mask covers enough of my face so no one will know it’s me unless I want them to. I’m not sure I wanted him to know who I was.”
“No one will recognize me either,” he replies jokingly, putting the mask over his face.
Chapter Sixteen
Hunter
Good shit. This mask covers most of my face. No one will recognize me at all. It’s not like they’ll be looking for me, but the fact that the majority of me will be covered makes me less on edge. Especially when it comes time to be face to face with Tiffanie.
The mask has me thinking, though. Who did she run into downstairs? Did anyone else see her who may have recognized her? If it took me a minute to realize who she was, it’ll take others a minute, too. She’s done a damn good job of reinventing herself on the outside.
Too good.
In high school, no one was interested in talking to her. She was judged by the way she dressed, the rumors that Tiffanie spread, and the fact that she was a loner. People didn’t seek her out.
Things have changed in that department. She may still be somewhat of a loner, but people aren’t going to care about that. She’s gorgeous, and people will migrate toward her. Men because of her looks, women to see if she’s competition. With me on her arm, I’m hoping most people stay away.
She’s taken.
At least for tomorrow night. We can work on our longevity after that. One step at a time.
Earlier was a mistake. I thought I could put her at ease a little, get her to lighten up. Ireland made a big mistake pushing this on her. I wish she had at least run the idea past me so I could have prepared her before we arrived. Even I was a little irritated when I found ou
t.
Not because I mind sharing a room with Reese. I’m thrilled about that. To see her upset like she was, with no control over the situation, that’s what irritated me.
Reese is used to being in control. Of everything. Every aspect of her life. This threw her for a loop. I’m sure she took the time to carefully make plans for this weekend. From what I overheard, our rooms were to be next to each other with an adjoining door. She wasn’t trying to escape me completely, just while she slept. She wanted her own space, a little privacy.
Completely understandable.
After ordering a late night snack for us from the restaurant downstairs, Reese excuses herself to change and I do the same while she’s in the restroom. Unaware that we would be sharing a sleeping space, I only brought gym shorts and my favorite t-shirt, the one I ripped the sleeves off a long time ago. The rip has since elongated and stretches down both sides. It’s barely held together by a thin piece of fabric at the bottom hem. Digging through my bag for something more appropriate, I fall short. Oh well. Hopefully, she doesn’t mind.
I hear the door to the bathroom open just as I’m pulling the shirt over my head. When I turn around, I find Reese tugging at an old sweatshirt, pulling it down as far as it will go. If she’s trying to tease me, it’s working. I’m sure she has shorts on under it, but you can’t see them.
“It looks like neither of us planned this very well,” I joke, trying to ease her fear. The look on her face tells me how uncomfortable she is. She doesn’t need to voice it. Her eyes are darting around, looking anywhere but in my direction. Her lips are pressed together, and she keeps fidgeting with her sweatshirt.
One step in her direction and I have her full attention.
“I told you, I can sleep on the floor. It’s not a big deal.”
“I’m not making you sleep on the floor, Hunter. We’re both adults. We both know exactly what this is.”
Her words are very matter-of-fact and cut a little deep. I wish things were different between us, and maybe someday they can be, but not tonight. Tonight we are what we are. I’m her hired date, and she’s my client. That’s all we can be.
Sticks & Stones Page 10
