by Remi Grey
“Are you okay, Rae,” he asked, concerned probably because I looked like I was about to faint. “Was that not the answer you wanted to hear? Because if you don’t want to do this with me, we certainly…
"No, I'm okay. It's fine. Yes, I would like to move forward with this as well," I said, trying to hold my emotions together. "I think all that Brie kind of got to me."
I lied the best I could, trying not to explode with excitement in all directions.
“No more Brie for you then, snookums.” He laughed, grabbing my little disposable dessert plate full of cheese.
"Thank you, darling," I fired back, gauging his reaction, but he seemed calm and unfazed by my laughable term of endearment.
“Is that going to be your name for me now?” He smiled, giving me a devilish grin sexy enough to awaken my nether regions.
Get control of yourself, girl. We haven’t even discussed the details yet, and you’re already thinking about getting him into bed.
“If you don’t want me to…”
“I didn’t say I didn’t want you to. I just asked if that’s what you’ll be calling me from now on since we have to keep up appearances.”
"Sure," I said, trying to play it cool. "If you like it, I'll use it, it doesn't matter to me either way."
I've wanted to call him that for years; I'm such a lousy liar!
“Now that we have that settled, I guess we should go over the particulars, the rules and such, right?” He motioned toward me to speak. “Ladies first; I’m a gentleman after all.”
Me, first. What was I supposed to say?
“What did you have in mind exactly when you say particulars?”
He started to look a bit uncomfortable, so I assumed he was going to get very detailed with me.
“You know, what we can and can’t do, what to say and what not to say, all that stuff.”
“I do have one request before we move forward with this.” I cautioned.
“Anything, what is it?” He looked a bit nervous.
"I want to tell my mom and Lark the truth about us. Lark has been through enough heartache with her Dad coming in and out of her life, and I don't want to confuse her by lying to her and Nana K."
“You know I would never do anything to hurt the three of you in any way. If that’s what you feel comfortable with, then I will go along with whatever you say.” He agreed without hesitation. “Is that the only stipulation you have for me?”
“Of course not, Mr. Price. I hope you don’t think I’m that easy,” I joked.
“Believe me when I say this, Rae, and I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but one thing’s for sure, nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, about you is easy.”
There was a silence between that lasted only a few seconds but felt like an eternity. What was I supposed to do with that?
Dammit, Jackson Price, are you trying on purpose to make me fall in love with you? Well, too late, I already did.
Chapter 5
Changes
Getting to know all the different layers of Raegan Miller definitely kept me on my toes.
We’d been “together” now for over a month, and I’d had to recondition myself quite a bit since she’d said yes to our little arrangement.
Together, we made a list of the do's and don'ts and planned our mutual but civilized breakup.
The following night, just as she’d requested, we told Nana K and Lark everything about what we had planned.
Lark was totally fine with it, but Nana K didn’t like the idea one bit.
It took some convincing on my part to let her know that my intention wasn’t to break her daughter’s heart, and once I reminded her of the benefits of the two of us pretending to be together, she’d slowly started to come around.
I’d promised her no funny business as she called it, and she agreed to help support us, and so far I’ve been able to keep that promise.
I’d bought Rae the perfect ring and even pretended to get down on one knee and propose. It didn’t go over to well.
She didn’t speak to me for three whole days, which meant she was pissed.
I had to chase her down at work just to get her to talk to me again. I think she took it as me making fun of her, and it brought back some painful memories of her ex-husband. So I learned quickly not to refer to marriage ever again unless I really meant it.
I did use some of my powers for good, though. Lark finally received her acceptance letter to The Dancers of Contemporary Arts Academy, which earned me my stripes with Nana K and extra special looks of appreciation from both Lark and Raegan, but slowly, things between us started to really change.
I found myself looking at her more, staring at her as she was talking, not listening to a damn word she was saying, only paying attention to the shape of her mouth as she spoke.
Nope, I wasn’t looking at her lips, I told myself even though I totally was.
I started to notice so many breathtaking things about her other than her strength and obvious physical beauty.
Her walk, for one. She had a particular sway in her hips that made me weak, especially when she wore dresses that showed off her damn near perfect feminine curves.
We’d somehow managed to keep things totally platonic between us, but I wasn’t sure how long I could take it.
Chaste kisses on the cheek, barely holding hands and touching affectionately only in public. It was maddening!
I honestly thought we’d be further along now. I guessed I wasn’t as charming as I thought I was.
The closest we’d come to a physical connection in a month was when we were sitting on the couch together, hanging out like buddies, eating out of the same popcorn bowl, ragging on some horrible movie.
I thought I was in love with her before, but now it was ten times stronger.
I was in love with how she got on my nerves, taking too long to get dressed, how she never wanted me to open the door for her.
I was in love with her goofy side, her angry side, and the best side of all: her vulnerable side when she lets me see it.
I’d had women in the past who made me happy on the surface, but I’d never wanted to give them my heart or my last name.
Raegan was my soul mate, and the closer it got to our agreed-upon two-month mark, the more nervous I became that I might not succeed in winning her over.
The thought of us breaking up, hearing her say it’s finally over and that we had to go back to how it used to be tore me up inside.
I was thinking too hard; I still had time.
Lark had a recital tonight that we had been over the moon to see ever since Lark told us.
That kid really had fantastic talent, and I was so proud that I could be a small part of her realizing her dream.
I took a look at my cell and realized that I was running a few minutes late. I had been running around like a chicken with its head cut off since I’d focused on pursuing other medical avenues: doing less and less with fertility and more with rare illness studies.
Finding a cure for something had always been my true medical passion.
My phone vibrated, and I know it’s Rae.
Raegan: Where are U??!!
Oh, I was in trouble.
Me: I'm on my way. Ran late at the hospital. I had to go home and change. Be there in 10.
I grabbed my jacket, my keys, the fresh bouquet of pink roses I’d gotten Lark, and ran out the door.
I hadn’t even made it to the car door before another text came in.
Raegan: Hurry, she’s about to go on stage!! Screaming at you right now…
If I took the back way and crossed over the railroad tracks, I could make it in just enough time to catch her first steps across the stage.
Lark had shown me her routine so many times now that I knew her parts by heart. I had about five minutes before she did her first turn; I knew I could make it.
The parking lot was packed, but I managed to find a spot over on a side street pretty quickly.
I ran insi
de and there she was, dancing on stage for the world to see.
It was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. I felt so proud of her. Like I was her real father.
Look what that asshole Neal was missing, I thought as I watched her glide across that bright stage and back again.
I just stood there, watching her have the time of her life.
I forgot all about finding Nana K and Rae; all I saw was Lark, happy.
The buzzing in my pants reminded me that I needed to find my eager party of two who probably thought I was stuck somewhere missing all of this.
Raegan: You’re missing it! She’s going to be so disappointed, J!
Me: I’m not missing anything. Look back toward the entrance.
I saw Raegan’s head pop up and turn around toward me.
The auditorium was huge, but all I could see was her. She excused herself to the other parents, and the entire room disappeared.
As she made her way to me, I couldn’t help but drool a little.
She was jaw-droppingly hot in her little halter dress that I was sure none of the other mothers in this room could ever pull off.
It sent my temperature rising, watching her come to me with that sway in her hips, smiling at me like I was a prince on his noble steed, waiting to rescue his princess.
“You made it, after all,” she said as if more than just happy at the sight of me.
She was turned on; I could see it in her body language.
It was radiating off her like the bright blinding lights from the stage. I wanted her in my bed with that little dress of hers off and on the floor.
“You look very handsome tonight, Mr. Price,” she said, looking me up and down while grabbing a stray hair that escaped her bun and putting it back into place.
"You like, snookums?" I joked, looking at her hungrily. "I can also say the same about you. Damn, girl, you and that dress spell trouble."
“Trouble, what kind of trouble?” she teased, standing just a little too close for comfort.
"The kind of trouble that I promised your mother I would stay out of."
Clearing her throat, she immediately stepped back, inviting me to the seat she and her mom had saved for me.
Once the recital was over, everyone was ushered over to the reception hall for refreshments.
Raegan and I stayed together, holding conversations with the chairman of the Academy while Nana K hung out with Lark.
“When are you two finally getting married?” asked the Artistic Director, who looked very skeptical.
I don’t think Mrs. Larson ever thought we were really getting married; she just loved the sizeable donation that she’d received once Lark was accepted.
“Soon, Mrs. Larson, soon,” I said, changing the subject before Rae and I excused ourselves to congratulate Lark on her performance.
"You did a beautiful job, baby," Raegan said to Lark, who was wearing the biggest and brightest smiles.
"Thank you, Mom, thank you, Nana K, and thank you, Uncle J," she said, giving each of us a warm hug. "Without you, I wouldn't be able to dance here, and I'm so happy. I love you, Uncle J," she murmured as she leaned into the hug.
We couldn’t help but look at each other.
"I love you more, mini-me, and these are for you," I said, handing her the roses and giving her another wide hug right back.
“I love them, Uncle J; they’re my favorite color.”
“I know, and your mothers too,” I said, reaching in to pull out one of the long stem pink roses. “Do you mind?”
“Not at all.” Lark was smiling from ear to ear.
“This one’s for you.” I handed Raegan the rose, praying that it didn’t make her uncomfortable.
She took the rose from my hand, sniffing it with her eyes closed, then she looked right at me with those big bright eyes of hers.
She was telling me that she was ready. But I wanted to know for what.
It was taking everything in me not to grab her and kiss her so deeply that she could never again mistake my love for fake.
“Thank you, Jackson, it’s lovely,” she cooed.
I watched as her breathing changed as she moved the petals from under her nose, holding the single stem in her hand like it was a thousand roses.
I enjoyed watching her all night; she moved with grace and the kind of confidence that you couldn’t teach.
I stood by her side for the remainder of the reception, admiring her, supporting her when she needed me.
When the reception concluded, Lark was tuckered out, and it was getting late, so Nana K offered to take Rae’s car and get Lark into bed.
I offered to take Rae straight home, but Nana K told us that she had it all under control.
I took that as a sign of her approval and invited Rae out for drinks at my favorite bar.
If I kept her as far away from my place as possible, then I wouldn't get into trouble.
“All alone now, Pres.,” I teased, opening the passenger side door to let her in.
“It’s not like we haven’t been alone before, J,” she said, buckling her seat belt before we pulled off into the night.
"Never at a bar, never just us hanging out like a real couple, and never looking as beautiful as you do right now." It was the complete truth, and she had to hear the sincerity in my voice.
Her breath caught, and she became totally silent.
Damn, maybe I took it too far, and she's completely shut down.
“Are you okay?” I asked, hoping that the answer was yes. “Did I say something wrong, Rae? I’m sorry if I took my teasing too far.”
“Can we have a drink at your place instead? I think we need to talk.”
What have I done? I must have read her signals all wrong.
“Of course we can, but, seriously, are you okay, Raegan?”
"I'm fine. I just want to talk, and the bar will be too noisy." She made no eye contact whatsoever.
I was in the doghouse for sure; she wasn’t even looking at me. Raegan always looked at me when she talked, even when we weren’t on good terms.
It was radio silence the entire rest of the way to my place.
We got there and still nothing. She didn't wait for me to open the door for her; she just got out and walked to the door, waiting for me to let her in.
We went inside, and I offered to take her shawl, but she politely refused, giving me some excuse about it being too chilly.
It was chilly all right, but the chill wasn’t coming from my air conditioner.
I poured us both a glass of wine and sat next to her on the couch. She was so warm; I could feel the heat rising from her body.
It was messing with my senses. I couldn't even think straight, and before I knew it, I just blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"I can't take this anymore, Rae. I want you, and I can't keep denying it."
What the hell did I just say? Jackson, that was ten million times worse than what you said earlier and look at where that got you!
Idiot. How could I be such an idiot?
“I want you too,” she said so low that it was barely audible. “I think we should break up early.”
What did she just say?
“Rae.”
“I’m serious, J. Think about it; we’ve been best friends for almost two decades, and up till now we’ve never once gotten together. Why do you think that is?”
“Raegan don’t do this, please,” I begged. “Don’t let your fear stop us from happening for real.”
“There are so many reasons that I can’t even begin to explain to you as to why we shouldn’t be together ‘for real’ as you say.”
“Rae, I love you, and I want you in my bed tonight and every night for the rest of our lives.”
Finally, I’d told her the truth. I’d told her how I felt.
I’d finally put my heart out on the line for the woman I’ve loved for such a long time.
Now I just had to wait and see if telling her that I loved her was enough for
her to take the leap with me even though there was a chance that we could fall.
~~~
Ever since the day Jackson and I had that picnic and agreed to be together in a fake relationship, my whole world has turned upside down.
