Plus, she can stop by morning, noon, and night with a cover story beyond a booty call. Though I hadn’t been averse to everyone thinking she was coming by for her daily dose of my dick, but I could also understand her resistance to developing that reputation.
Courtney looks around, seeing the same industrial cold décor that my home possesses. Black leather, gleaming metals, everything simple and luxurious. “What’s wrong with your office?”
I’d been surprised at what a couple of throw pillows and a fuzzy blanket had done for my living room, and I’m interested to see what Violet will do with this space. “Nothing, but Violet’s a magician with her designs so I’m going to let her work her magic. She already did great things at home.”
“Home?” Court says, her perfectly sculpted eyebrow raising.
I smirk. “Yeah, when we moved her in this weekend. We’re engaged, Sis. It only makes sense for us to live together.” I use the same logic on her that I did on Violet, hoping it works just as well.
“You moved in together?” She screeches in shock.
Yep, pretty much the same reaction.
Courtney composes herself, uncrossing and then re-crossing her legs before smoothing her skirt. I can see her take a calming breath too. She’s going in for the kill.
Is it weird that a twisted part of me can’t wait? I live for this shit—the verbal debate, the battle of wills—and I’m glad Court’s finally grown up and skilled enough to be a worthy adversary. She keeps it interesting at the office, at least.
“Seriously, Ross? How can you be in love with her? I mean, seriously, she was just engaged days before you two hooked up!” Evidentiary point, Courtney.
“But I wasn’t engaged,” I point out. “I was single. And what I feel for Violet means I don’t care about before that. I’m just glad we finally found each other.” Rebuttal point, me. Bonus point for using emotions as a tactic because Courtney can’t refute those.
She rolls her eyes. “How do you know it’s not just a rebound? From what I’m hearing, it’s not even a rebound. She was so freshly broken up with Colin, the ball hadn’t even hit the rim yet!” Her eyes widened. “Oh, shit, did Colin break up with her because of you?”
We’d wondered when someone was going to question the timeline of our getting together. I’d expected it to be the media painting Violet as a cheating man chaser, not my sister.
“They broke up because Colin is a dumbass who didn’t appreciate what he had. Abi and Archie took Vi out to comfort her. Kaede and I saw them at Club Red, and one thing led to another. We talked all night, and things changed.” It’s the truth, one hundred percent, just not the whole truth.
“You’re getting played, Ross,” Courtney reiterates. “I’m not saying Violet’s doing it on purpose. She’s Abi’s best friend, and I think she’s pretty damn cool, personally. But her head’s gotta be all sorts of messed up after Colin, and now this. Seriously, it’s been days and I still can’t wrap my head around it. It’s fast, too fast.”
“Don’t care,” I reply with a calculated laugh. “Courtney, have you ever been in love?”
Courtney blushes, her eyes narrowing. “Don’t be a dick, Ross. You know I’ve had my heart broken.”
“Of course I do. I distinctly remember throwing Eric Butterfield off our boat into the middle of the lake during your senior year of high school for just that reason,” I remind her. Not that I minded. He fucking deserved that and more. “But think back to those moments before it all went to shit. Did you ever just feel it in your gut, in your heart, in your soul that he was it?” She bites her lip and I know I have her. Reminding her of the guy who broke her heart is a shitty thing to do, but it’s the only way I can get her to remember what love feels like and let this go.
“Courtney, I can’t really explain it, but it’s real. There was just this moment when I looked in her eyes and I saw . . . I saw the two paths my life could take. On one hand, I could keep going the way I have been, and in some ways, it looked good. I was happy, carefree, and adventurous. But then, I saw this other path with Violet. A houseful of kids, a dad bod, the picket fence, the whole nine. And I could see that life without her was empty. I picked her, knowing it would be messy and hard and that people would doubt us. But it just happened. We fell. Hard.”
It’s bullshit, but at the same time, as the words tumble out of my mouth, I find myself liking what I’m saying. Having a few kids and a home with a woman like Violet . . . okay, I could do without the beer gut, but the rest doesn’t sound half bad.
Shit, maybe my parents were right . . . just a tiny little bit. Not that I’d admit it to them, ever.
Maybe after this pretend relationship is over and Violet and I have had our respectable breakup, I should think about actually settling down. This could be like a trial run to see if I’m cut out for that lifestyle. The thought surprises me but might be worth a bit of consideration.
I’m about to continue when there’s a knock on my door, and I look up to see Violet opening it slowly, Archie peeking over her shoulder. “Hey, honey,” she says with the practiced ease we worked on over the weekend. “Is this a bad time?”
“Not at all, babe,” I reply, getting up and going over to the door. I pull her in close, my hands clasping around her waist before I kiss her hard. This is one part I don’t mind at all. Violet’s lips are delicious, and as she moans against me, I reach down to cup her ass, squeezing lightly and causing her to whimper into my mouth.
“Honey . . . we have an audience.” Violet gasps as she pulls back, blushing even as she scolds me.
“I don’t mind one damn bit,” Archie answers for himself, hip-bumping his way past us and into my office. He sits down in the chair next to Courtney. “By all means, feel free to carry on.” He waves his hand like he’s the queen, encouraging us to kiss again. I wink at him and press one more chaste kiss to Vi’s lips as Archie grins evilly.
He looks to Courtney, whispering conspiratorially. “Ain’t love grand?” Her brows shoot together and he laughs. “You should see your face. Speaking of face, I can see the resemblance. You must be Courtney, the sister? I’m Archie Hornee, the one tasked with keeping Violet in line—no easy task, mind you.” He shoots Violet a glare, but it seems to be in jest.
Courtney looks gobsmacked. Whether it’s by Violet’s appearance in the office, our steamy kiss hello, or Archie’s over-the-top comfort with basically everything and everyone, I don’t know.
I take advantage of her momentary silence and look Violet up and down, virtually salivating. She’s stunning, her work pants sexy but professional, her blouse hugging her curves perfectly. And now . . . she’s all mine. Or at least, I get to pretend she is.
“Courtney, I’ll have to cut this short,” I comment over my shoulder as I stare into Violet’s eyes and feel my head start to spin. “But I’ll see you at the meeting today?”
“Meeting?” Violet asks, and I nod. “I didn’t know you had a meeting. Is this a bad time?”
“Sorry, babe. I was so caught up in . . . well, you, that I forgot about the weekly Monday meeting,” I tell her, linking my arms around her waist to keep us as close as possible. I stare into her eyes deeply, wondering what’s going through her head, what she thinks of my office, and what she thinks of me.
There’s a small piece of me that worried she would freak out once we separated this morning to go to our respective offices. But if she did, she’s got the part of dutiful fiancée down pat now, and she looks lovingly back at me as if she missed me in the few hours we’ve been apart. I realize with a start that I did miss her.
Courtney hums under her breath as she walks past us, and I know the war’s not over, just this round. “I’ll see you there, Ross. Nice to see you again, Violet, and to meet you, Archie.”
I shut the door behind her, giving us the room. “It’s fine. The meeting’s no big deal, more of a weekly informal pow-wow. Normally pretty cut and dry because we hash everything out via email beforehand. But Dad likes to do things old s
chool and look people in the eyes so he doesn’t miss anything. Speaking of which . . . I missed you this morning, you know that?” A truth I didn’t intend to share, but it came tumbling off my tongue before I could stop it.
I don’t want to think about the whys of that, nor do I want Violet to, so I lower my lips to hers. There’s no Courtney, Kaede’s still going to be gone for a little while, and Archie doesn’t matter because he’s in on the whole ruse.
But I do it anyway, kissing Violet simply because I want to. She’s a beautiful woman, she’s in my arms, and kissing her makes us both feel good.
Behind us, Archie makes a pretty good wolf whistle, and I pull back, both of us flushed and feeling the heat in the small space between us. “Wow,” Violet whispers quietly, looking up at me before shaking her head, seemingly to clear it. I fight back the victorious grin at having made her lose herself for a moment.
“So, your office?”
For the next hour, we talk ideas for my office suite. Violet’s spent the past two days living in my penthouse. She knows my style well enough, so her suggestions are on point. Archie adds ideas here and there and takes copious notes. I can see that Violet and he are a great team, built on creative genius and respect, much like Kaede and I are.
“So, a basic update, nothing major,” Violet summarizes. “We’ll add some warmth for a more welcoming feel, using wood and brass instead of the blacks and steels of the penthouse. Silk drapes on both ends of the window, even though you’ll probably never close them with a view like that. It’ll frame it nicely and draw attention to the main feature of the space. New chairs for guests in a subtle pattern, and a casual seating area with a couch and coffee table for less formal meetings.”
“Isn’t that going to be a lot of unnecessary clutter?” I ask, looking around the sparse space. I’m one for function and efficiency—desk, chair, bar, and a chair or two for guests. I don’t need much else, and honestly, I only got the guest chairs because Kaede refused to continue rolling his chair into my office to have a place to sit.
“No, it’ll still be clean and simple, but more . . .” She pauses, eyeing me, and I can feel her relax viscerally. “Look, I’m going to ditch the professional speech and tell you straight out, ‘kay?” I spread my hands, open to an unfiltered version of Violet. “You have impeccable taste. Each piece is top-notch and gorgeous, but the fact that you keep your office like the rich boy’s version of a bachelor pad, i.e. transient and empty, tells everyone from your Dad to the board that you’re not all in. They see you as temporary because you’re telling them you’re not putting down roots.”
Well, fuck. Guess the gloves are off. And ouch.
I look around my office, the one I’ve worked in for years and that feels like a symbol that I’ve made it. But I can see her point. I could move out of here in one truckload, a small truckload at that. And that’s if I was taking the furniture with me. Realistically, I could walk out today and never return. There’s not a single picture, no artwork other than the generic modern art canvases that are unemotional filler. Hell, I don’t even have a plant for Kaede to water.
“And you think putting a couch and some pillows is going to solve that?” I ask, my lip curling with recognition that she’s right.
She nods. “Yes. A couch, some pictures, some trinkets, some personality. Partner that with settling down with a wife, and you’re a whole new Ross Andrews, aren’t ya?”
Archie clears his throat, garnering my attention, and I realize he’s enjoying watching Violet take me down a notch or two. “This is the part where you say ‘yes, ma’am’ and let her do her thing, man.”
I cut my eyes back to Violet. “Yes, ma’am.” There must be a god somewhere with a soft spot for me because I’m saved from her gloating by a beep from my computer.
“You have a call? Need us to step out?” Archie says as Violet and I eye each other.
“Meeting,” I correct. I stand up, going around my desk, and offer Violet my hand. She slips hers into mine and I pull her to stand with me. Her eyes search mine, looking for what, I’m not sure.
I don’t think about what I’m doing. I just press my lips to hers and she gasps. I take advantage and sip at her deeply. She pushes against my chest, but it’s a split second too late and I know, could feel, that she sank into me for a moment. “Have at my office. Have at the penthouse. Show me what you can do.”
I stride toward the door, but she calls my name and I stop, wondering if she’s going to filet me for taking liberties. The anticipation has me on edge, a sensation I like where she’s concerned. “What’s your favorite color?” she asks, but I can see her lips twitching, and I wonder what she was going to say.
“Violet. My favorite color is violet.”
Just outside, I can hear Archie’s voice carry. “I’ve never been that close to actual porn before. You two were this close to combustion, and you know I was keeping my mouth shut so maybe you’d forget I was here and just go on and get underneath that man. Fuck, Vi.”
I smile to myself, walking away before I hear her answer, not sure if I want to hear the protests I know she’ll throw out.
* * *
The meeting takes place in the big conference room, Dad sitting at the head of the table. He’s looking pretty good for a workday, all smiles and congeniality, until I come in and his face immediately goes to stone. Paul Washington, the head of the R&D department, says something and catches his attention, pulling his assessing glare from me.
The meeting’s just like normal, everyone basically saying that their divisions are clicking along and no major updates from Friday’s email dumps.
Dad asks a few questions, pointedly avoiding me until the end. “Okay, if there’s nothing else—”
“I have something,” I reply, sticking my hand up and rising. I glance around the table, meeting each member’s eyes like my dad taught me to, and then settle on Courtney, who sits to Dad’s right, taking notes. “Courtney, could you bring the guest from my office, please?”
Her eyes widen and her jaw drops. “Ross?” I give her a nod, letting her know that I have a plan and know exactly what I’m doing. She shakes her head but does as I request, heading down to fetch Violet.
The rest of the board members look at me in confusion. But they’re the ones who started this, either by pressuring my father to get me in line or by going along with him. At this point, it doesn’t matter which came first, the chicken or the egg, because the scheme’s hatched and has a life of its own. My life with Violet.
“I’m sure you’ve all read the papers, heard the rumors, and seen the scandals,” I start, stepping back and starting to circle the room. “Some of them are true, and some of them aren’t.”
I reach the end of the table, opposite Dad and nearest to the door, and stop to turn and face the room. “But I understand your concerns. Each and every one of us is a representative of this company, twenty-four seven, in the office, in public, and even in the privacy of our own homes.”
I let that sink in because while I might be a bit too loose around town, all of us have things we’d prefer to not have splashed across the society pages of the paper. And if these people are going to judge me, threaten me, I feel quite all right returning the favor. I am giving in to their ultimatum in some ways, but it’s on my own terms, at least. Some of them wouldn’t be able to say the same if their dirty little secrets were to be exposed as liabilities for the company.
“Even so, I’d like to apologize for any negative publicity I might have unintentionally created by my actions with an acquaintance.” The words drop with a heavy silence, and I can see a few people looking at me in shock. I get it. Apologies from me are about as rare as four-leaf clovers. But the reality is, this one is heartfelt.
“And while I can promise until I’m blue in the face about how things are going to improve, the fact is, my metrics are solid,” I continue in what is perhaps the understatement of the century. Even Dad can’t argue with that, and I’ll beat anyone to death wi
th my numbers if they want to challenge me. “But this isn’t about metrics. It’s about leadership, respect, and image. That’s the reason I wanted you all to know right away about some changes in my life.”
“Ross—” Dad starts, half getting up, but Courtney appears in the doorway with Violet, who looks a little flustered. But she composes herself quickly when she sees the people in the room, her professional demeanor taking over.
I plan on shaking her from that. “This is Violet Russo,” I announce, going over and taking her hand. “I’ve known her since she was . . . well, just about as tall as the table you all are sitting around right now. And I’m going to be honest. I was pretty damn terrible to her a lot of the time. More than once, Violet told me she hated me when we were in high school.”
Violet blushes, nodding in agreement, but she smiles softly. “He deserved it.”
I smile back, basking in the glow surrounding her right now and helping to spread it throughout the room of nay-sayers. “Recently, Violet and I reconnected, and something was different. I think I was different, finally seeing the truth that had been right in front of me all along. And for some reason, Violet saw something in me too.” I press a soft kiss to her lips, right there in front of everyone, and then tuck her to my side, wrapping my arm around her shoulders as we face the board.
“I’ve asked Violet to marry me, and she’s accepted.”
There’s a beat of silence, and then another as the bomb ticks before detonating. As what I said sinks in, Violet holds up her hand, showing off her ring. That’s when it becomes reality and people start to react.
“Congratulations, Ross. Violet,” everyone echoes. There’s even a small golf-style smattering of applause in celebration of the news.
My Big Fat Fake Wedding Page 14
