Fake Summer Wife

I briefly woke up a few times in the night to feel Vaughan’s arms wrapped around me. Feeling so utterly cared for even while I was asleep was lovely.

I’d always been independent, and being on my own was wonderful, but having someone else to rely on let me relax in an entirely new way. I didn’t know if it was too soon, but I wanted to get used to the constant feeling of being safe when he was around.

When I woke up with sunshine streaming through the crack between the curtains, I could sense that Vaughan wasn’t in the room even before my eyes fully opened. Rolling over and stretching, I heard the distinct crinkle of a plastic bag. Sitting up, there was something at the foot of the bed.

I dug in to find yoga pants, a baggy long-sleeved t-shirt, and flip-flops, all in various shades of dark blue, plus two pairs of strangely-cut cotton underwear that were white with pink flowers.

After a quick shower, I borrowed Vaughan’s mouthwash and found scissors in his bathroom drawer to cut the tags off the new clothing. Plus I couldn't resist checking the water level of the new Boston fern. Then I went down to find him humming to himself in the kitchen.

“Good morning, gorgeous,” his deep voice purred. He quickly washed his hands, drying them on his worn jeans before returning to me.

Vaughan shirtless and barefoot in light blue jeans was a sight I would carry with me until the end of my days. The deep grooves cut over his hips. The rippled six pack. The sculpted shoulders and slightly rounded biceps, even when he wasn’t flexing. And those dark green eyes – that was what made my heart flutter most of all.

He kissed me gently, snuggling me against him. “I hope the clothes are all right. The dollar store was the only place open this early on a Sunday. I could’ve just given you a t-shirt to wear around the house, but you’re going to need some kind of pants to get home eventually.”

“You went out and shopped for me?”

“Of course.”

Kissing him again, I murmured, “You are unbelievably sweet.”

“So are you. And so is vanilla hazelnut coffee.”

He kissed the top of my head, then pointed to the kitchen table. I’d never dreamed of having such a gorgeous man serve me coffee, fruit, toast, and eggs. Heck – I’d never even dreamed of being in such a nice house.

My mother had done her best, but we were always in tiny apartments. Dad had deserted us when I was just eight, before he started wheeling and dealing in business and politics, and started making actual money. Even when it did start rolling in for him, we of course never saw a penny of it.

Eating and chatting and washing dishes with Vaughan was so blissfully comfortable, as if we’d been together months instead of a week. As if we already knew that this was forever, and that we belonged together.

We hadn’t really discussed the details, but it was clear this relationship was going to continue, even without the fake marriage.

It had been ages since I’d just hung out with someone for long periods of time. Chatting about everything and nothing. Letting the conversation wander in big, lazy loops as we shared both the wonderful and mundane details of each other’s lives.

All the while, it was clear to both of us that we were falling head over heels in love.

Vaughan told me about his extensive team, and how they worked with various architects and engineers to create all sorts of structures.

I obviously avoided speaking about my family, but shared how much I loved writing promotional content for companies. It was incredible to see how excited people were about their projects and businesses. Translating what they wanted to say into bite-size content suitable for the web was an interesting challenge.

That’s why I liked it. It was, as my grandmother used to say, persnickety. Fussy and detailed and the sort of thing I frankly loved getting lost in for hours at a time.

It felt good to share the details of my life with someone. It was also wonderful how intently Vaughan listened to me.

After we finished doing the brunch dishes, we went to sit in his beautiful backyard with another cup of coffee. There was so much space out here that I couldn’t help wondering if he’d ever thought of children. There was a perfect open spot for a swing set or jungle gym.

“How many more classes do you have left?” he asked.

“I sent in the last paper for one class last week,” I said. “Then I have one more paper for an English literature course, then that’s it, I’m done.”

“So you have a couple of weeks of summer vacation, right? You said you start your new job at the beginning of October?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Would you mind playing my wife again for a barbecue at the Oxfords’ mansion?”

“Sure.” I waved the emerald and diamond ring at him. “It’ll give me another excuse to wear this for a night.” Vaughan chuckled as I added, “You really do need to give me the ring box so that we can put this away. I certainly can’t wear it to work.”

His lips pressed together as he looked down for a moment. “My first thought is that I’d like you to wear it so that other men know that you’re taken. Is that terrible of me?”