Just Good Friends

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “Right,” Tyler agreed, bringing his arm around her shoulders. “We were leaving the next day anyway.”

  Since her parents seemed satisfied with the answer, Tiffany and Tyler led them to the baggage section. The trip to the airport had seemed much too short as Tiffany braced herself for this ordeal. And now that her parents were here, she wasn’t sure if things would get any easier. Thank goodness she’d made the lie with Tyler. She didn’t think she could pretend to be someone else’s wife.

  “I hear my boss selected the best hotel in Omaha for you to stay at,” Tyler said as he retrieved her mom’s suitcase while her dad grabbed his.

  “Your boss is a nice man,” her mother replied and glanced at her. “I could tell he was smiling when I talked to him on the phone.”

  “Oh, he was definitely smiling,” Tyler said.

  Catching the subtle sarcasm in Tyler’s tone, Tiffany guessed Nathan had been smiling because he got a sick and twisted pleasure out of tormenting people. And lucky for them, they happened to be his current targets.

  “Did we get a good deal because you were really having all those special discounts at your company or was it because we’re family?” her dad asked, turning to Tyler.

  “It was a mixture of both,” Tyler slowly replied then shrugged when her parents turned away from them.

  It sounded good to her. She didn’t know how Nathan was able to get such good deals. He might have connections with people who owed him a favor, or he might have paid some of the cost out of his own pocket. Either way, it wasn’t her problem. Her problem was that she and Tyler had to live with the consequences of his generosity for two weeks. As long as they were careful and no one else found out, they should be okay.

  “By the way,” her dad glanced over at them as they headed for the surface parking area, “he said he’d be showing us around his company tomorrow. Is that something all family members get?”

  “No,” Tyler began, “but he does do it for his friends’ families. It’s a perk.”

  “Well, that’s very nice,” her mom added. “And so exciting. I’ve never checked out a travel agency before.”

  “It’s just like any other business,” Tiffany said.

  “Maybe, but this is where my daughter and son-in-law work. That makes it special.”

  Tiffany supposed so.

  “At Zoe’s work, co-workers are discouraged from dating, let alone marrying,” her dad said when they reached the parking lot. “Zoe didn’t believe us when we told her your boss doesn’t have a similar policy.”

  “Nathan changed the policy when he got married,” Tyler said then chuckled. “He had to. His wife insisted that she keep working there.”

  “He married someone who worked for him?” her mom asked, her expression indicating that she was enjoying this little piece of gossip.

  “It’s a long story,” Tyler replied as they got to his car. He unlocked the doors and opened the trunk so he could put their suitcases in. “But yes, he married someone who works in the company. In fact, her name is Amy, and she works in the same building with Tiffany. I’m sure you’ll get to meet her during the tour.”

  “Don’t you all work in the same building?” her dad asked.

  “No. Tiffany works where people come in to make their reservations,” Tyler replied. “I work at the main headquarters.”

  “Just how big is the company?”

  “Nathan just opened an office along the Florida panhandle, but he wants to expand more in the future.”

  “We all got to start somewhere. No doubt, he’ll succeed.”

  “I’m sure he will. If anyone is motivated to make things happen, it’s him.”

  Tiffany bit back the urge to laugh. She knew Tyler had meant it in a business sense, but there was no denying Nathan made things happen on a personal level, too.

  Once they were in the car, Tiffany relaxed a little. Her parents had never been to Omaha before, so they were full of questions on what there was to do and where things were. This saved her from having to talk since Tyler took over answering all their questions, something she was grateful for. It was hard for her to concentrate with so much going on.

  But at least the nauseous feeling in her stomach finally eased. Maybe, just maybe, she’d get through the next two weeks without feeling as if something horrible was going to happen at any moment. It’d been hard to sleep the night before. She kept having nightmares where Zoe came to Omaha and exposed her for being a fraud, and her parents got so upset they disowned her. She’d never been so glad for the alarm clock in her entire life.

  “We’re staying here?” her dad asked, bringing her attention to the hotel as Tyler pulled up to the front doors.

  Tiffany’s eyes grew wide. Yes, Tiffany had heard it was nicer than most, but this place was like a mini-paradise. Just from sitting in the car, she could see the plush furnishings and the sparkling waterfall in the middle of the lobby. The place had to cost a fortune. And her parents got it for thirty dollars a night? Nathan had to be drowning in money to give them that steep of a discount.

  “Nathan doesn’t do anything halfway, does he?” Tiffany finally managed to ask once she found her voice.

  “I feel underdressed,” her dad said. “And I wore my good clothes.”

  Tiffany glanced at the back seat and blinked. Why didn’t she realize her dad was actually wearing a tie? Because she was distracted with pretending to be Tyler’s wife and praying they wouldn’t figure out the truth, that was why. Taking a deep breath, she got out of the car and waited for the others to join her.

  Tyler helped her dad carry the suitcases to the lobby, and she followed with her mom, who stopped to take a picture with her phone.

  “No one back home is going to believe this,” her mother said. “And there’s free wireless Internet! I can send so many pictures to my Facebook account.”

  “Um, Mom, are you sure that’s a wise idea?” Tiffany asked. What if those pictures ended up being seen by the wrong people?

  “Everyone back home knows I’m here.”

  “You aren’t friending anyone else in Tyler’s family, are you?”

  “No. I only friended that cousin of his. Ryan. I couldn’t find his parents on there.”

  That was because his parents weren’t on Facebook, but she saw no reason why she should tell her mother that. “Good.”

  Her mother turned to her as Tyler and her dad checked in at the front desk. “Why don’t you want me to friend any of his family or friends?”

  “It’s complicated,” Tiffany hedged. When her mother was ready to argue with her, she continued, “I know it doesn’t make any sense, but I’ll explain it later, okay?”

  “But I’d like to meet them. I’m sure they’re lovely people.”

  “They are. His family and friends are great. But since we eloped, this is all new. I need time to settle into my new life.”

  Fortunately, the answer satisfied her enough so she backed off.

  Tyler and her dad came over to them, and Tyler lowered his head so he could whisper to Tiffany, “Want to see what the suite looks like?”

  “Ah, that’s so cute,” her mother gushed. “Remember when we used to whisper endearments to each other?” she asked her dad.

  “I sure do,” her dad replied and winked. “Those were the good old days.”

  “He was only asking me if I wanted to see your room,” Tiffany told them.

  “Or so she’ll have us think,” her mom teased and giggled.

  “Come on, let’s see their room,” Tyler told Tiffany and took her hand to lead her to the elevator.

  Despite the heat in Tiffany’s face, she went with him, acutely aware that their parents were close behind them and that her mom was still giggling as if seeing her and Tyler holding hands was the cutest thing she’d ever witnessed. Tyler squeezed her hand, and she looked up at him in time to catch his sympathetic smile. She smiled in return.

  Her dad pressed the button they needed. “I tried to tell Nathan that he didn’
t have to go all out for us. We don’t require more than a bed and a bathroom.”

  “I understand,” Tyler assured him. “Nathan can be persuasive when he wants to be.”

  “I knew he’d set us up in a nice place, but I had no idea it was this nice.” He glanced at her mom. “At the front desk, they asked if we wanted something to drink or a little snack to tide us over until dinner. They have a full service restaurant with complimentary breakfast, free wireless Internet in all the rooms, wine and snacks in the evening, and shuttle service to anywhere we want to go.”

  “Wait until Zoe hears about this,” her mom replied and took out her phone.

  “Mom, are you going to text her right now?” Tiffany asked, appalled that she’d brag about the hotel to her sister.

  “I have to. Zoe was sure that for thirty dollars a night, we’d be in a dump,” her mom replied. “This way she won’t worry about us.” With an amused grin, she added, “She kept fretting over things like busted heaters, water damage and other nonsense, not to mention how worried she was that we’d have nothing but a tiny cot and a communal bathroom.”

  “Zoe has an overactive imagination,” her dad chimed in, chuckling.

  “Yes, you should tell Zoe how nice the hotel is,” Tyler piped up. When Tiffany looked at him, he continued, “You wouldn’t want your sister to worry about your parents, would you?”

  Tiffany sighed but chose not to answer. She knew very well Tyler wasn’t worried about Zoe. He was just enjoying a moment to win one up on her sister. And she couldn’t blame him in light of everything her sister had done.

  The door opened, and they stepped out of the elevator then followed her dad down the hall while her mom typed into her phone. When they reached the door, her dad slid the card through the doorknob. He led them inside, and Tyler whistled.

  Tiffany touched her jaw to make sure it hadn’t fallen to the floor. The suite was huge. It had three spacious rooms. One was the bedroom. Another was a TV room with a large flatscreen TV and a bar. The other room had two large sofas, three chairs, and a coffee table. This room also had patio doors overlooking a golf course and large pool.

  “This place is bigger than my apartment,” she blurted out as she went to the large bathroom with a hot tub and a regular tub with a shower. “And nicer, too.” She glanced at Tyler and whispered, “Just how much did Nathan spend on this room?”

  Tyler shrugged. “Whatever it was, I don’t want to see his bill.”

  She didn’t either. This was crazy. “Nathan doesn’t even know my parents. Why would he go through all this just for them?”

  “Because he thinks it’s a good idea you and I end up together.”

  Not sure she heard right, she asked, “What?”

  Before he could answer, her mom ran over to them and showed her the pictures she’d taken of the suite. “My friends will die with envy,” she said as she posted them on Facebook. “They’ve never been anywhere this fancy. I swear, I feel like a princess in a place like this.”

  “Yes, Nathan really goes all out,” Tiffany muttered, wondering if this was only going to make her parents want to visit again…and soon.

  “I must give him something for his generosity,” her mom replied. “Even at a family discount, this is an unbelievably sweet thing for him to do.”

  “Well,” her dad called out from where he stood by the patio doors, “he did tell us to enjoy the trip with our daughter and son-in-law.”

  “Oh, we’d do that anyway,” her mom said then took a picture of the bathroom. “I’ve always wanted to try a hot tub. This is going to be the best two weeks of my life!”

  “I’m sure Zoe will be pleased to know you’re having such a good time,” Tyler said.

  Tiffany shot him a pointed look, hoping he’d get the hint and stop. She had no idea that he’d taken Zoe’s putdowns so personally.

  “Are you hungry?” Tyler asked, turning his attention back to her parents.

  “We ate a full course meal on the plane,” her mom said then flipped through the pictures on her phone. “See?”

  “You took pictures of your meal?” Tiffany asked.

  “I had to. Zoe thought the airplane was going to be nothing but a tin can with no comforts because we got such a good deal on the tickets.”

  Before Tyler could comment, Tiffany said, “You don’t need to send Zoe pictures of everything. I’m sure she knows by now that you’re comfortable.”

  “You’re right.” Her mom put the phone away. “This is about you and Tyler. I need to focus on you two. Oh,” her mom pulled the phone back out, “I need another picture.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  “Of course, I do. You were so self-conscious in that dress at the wedding. This way, I’ll have a picture of you and Tyler in clothes you actually want to be seen in.”

  “Mom, it’s fine. You can get another picture later.” Much, much later.

  “What’s wrong with getting one now?”

  Tiffany struggled to come up with a suitable reply but only came up with, “You’ve been taking a lot of pictures already. Give the poor phone a break.”

  “Well, alright,” her mom finally relented. “Though I want a picture of you two before the night is over. And I won’t take no for an answer. I already have lots of pictures of Zoe and Brad. It’s only fair I get some of you and Tyler.”

  Tiffany let out a long sigh. As much as it pained her, her mom had a good point.

  “We could have a light snack if you want to go out to eat,” her dad said, coming over to them. “But this will be our treat. We feel bad enough about all the nice things your boss did for us. The least we can do is spend some of the money we got from my investment on you two.”

  “Your investment?” Tiffany didn’t realize her dad invested his money into anything.

  “Nothing fancy. Just a few stocks. I didn’t put a lot in.”

  “He was so excited, he wanted to finally visit you,” her mom said. “We wanted to come here ever since you moved, but we never had enough money to make the trip. And with your dad’s back being the way it is, we didn’t want to drive.”

  “Flying was the best option, but we knew it’d be more expensive.”

  “We’ll remodel the kitchen when we get another windfall.”

  Tiffany winced. “You gave up remodeling your kitchen so you could visit me?” As an afterthought, she glanced at Tyler and added, “Us?”

  “We wanted to visit you anyway. This way, we got an extra nice reason to come.”

  Tiffany didn’t know how to respond to that. For the first time, it occurred to her that her parents might have a pleasant side to them. All she’d ever thought about while growing up was getting away so she could become her own person instead of the person they’d expected her to be.

  They had dreams of her becoming a school teacher and marrying one of the local boys in town. But Tiffany never felt called to teach, nor could she see spending the rest of her life with any of the boys she’d grown up with. So she left in order to figure out what she wanted to do with her life and find someone she wanted to marry.

  It’d been a gamble on her part, but then all of life was a gamble. Her life motto had always been, “Nothing ventured; nothing gained.” She didn’t want to live her life wondering what would have happened if she’d taken the chance and done something different than what her parents wanted.

  That was also why she liked to go from job to job, especially temporary and seasonal work. Zoe thought it was because she was a loser who couldn’t hold onto a job, but that hadn’t been it at all. The only constant she wanted was that special someone to marry, but she hadn’t found him. At least, not yet. Maybe her parents were afraid that she’d never find someone. Maybe they didn’t want her to live her life alone. Maybe they had simply wanted her to be happy. But man, she sure wished they had taken a more subtle approach to it.

  “Tiffany?”

  Turning her attention to Tyler, she waited for him to repeat his question.

 
“I just asked if you’re ready to go,” he said, gesturing to the door where her parents were waiting.

  Blinking, she nodded and hurried to join them. She hadn’t realized they’d been trying to get her attention. “Sorry,” she told them. “My mind was on other things.”

  They glanced at Tyler and smiled in a way that told her they understood, and she was sure her face turned bright red. Maybe she wasn’t going to have to pretend to be in love with him. She seemed to be giving them that impression if she appeared to be daydreaming all the time. Lowering her gaze, she headed down the hall for the elevator. She could only guess what Beth would say if she’d been here.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Well, this is it,” Tiffany said, a hesitant tone in her voice that Tyler suspected her parents missed.

  They stepped into Tiffany’s apartment, and Tiffany gestured to the living room. “It’s not much. Just a simple place to call home.”

  She glanced at Tyler as if asking what he thought of her choice of words, and he nodded to indicate it was fine with him. He couldn’t recall a time he’d seen her this nervous. Even during Thanksgiving weekend, she hadn’t been biting her lower lip as much.

  “It’s so quaint,” her mother said in a pleased tone, lifting her phone to take another picture.

  The woman sure lived to take pictures and post them on Facebook, Tyler thought. “Have a seat,” he encouraged Tiffany’s parents when her mother was done.

  “Oh no,” her father shook his head, “you and Tiffany ought to sit together. You two are the newlyweds, not us.”

  “So true,” her mom replied and sat in the recliner. “And I promise I won’t take another picture of you two unless you say it’s okay.” This last comment, she directed at Tiffany.

  Once Tyler shrugged out of his coat, he settled next to Tiffany on the couch, and since her parents looked expectantly at them, he put his arm around her shoulders. At least, that’s what he thought they were hoping for. When they smiled and her dad sat in one of the kitchen chairs he pulled into the room, Tyler figured he’d made the right move.