Mister Fake Fiance

“I don’t really go out much.” I don’t want to be out in public, in case I lose control over myself. And I don’t want friends because, well…in my experience, friendship isn’t worth much.

“But you have friends in town.” She says it like it’s a given.

“I moved here not too long ago,” I explain, hoping it’s enough.

“Okay. What did you wear when you went out with friends before you moved?”

She’s frowning now. Why? What did I say? I wish I’d looked up how to manage this kind of relationship.

“Um…I don’t know,” I say, since I didn’t really have friends in Virginia, either. Well, I sort of did, until I found out they weren’t my real friends. But I doubt she’s asking me about my high school fashion choices. “Kind of like what I’m wearing now?”

She just stares.

Crap. “I just want to look normal and neat. Stable,” I add hurriedly. “I don’t want to shock Mrs. Darling.”

“Mrs. Darling…?”

“David’s mother. She’s coming soon. And David and I want to look nice for her. I mean, we both want me to look nice. I’m even going to bake cookies, since I heard she likes them.”

Josephine blinks, and I stop, realizing I’m babbling. My face feels hot.

“That’s fine. Uh…baked goods are fantastic icebreakers,” she says.

Great. Now she thinks I’m weird. This is why I try not to meet too many new people. I don’t know why I blabbered. Maybe my usual shield isn’t working as well because of my endless obsessing over the kiss. Or maybe I’m just nervous about this forced shopping trip.

“Don’t worry,” Josephine says after a moment. “I’m really good at playing fairy godmother. I’m going to turn you into a princess every prince wants to marry.”

That sounds…horrific. Doing my best not to cringe, I give her a weak smile.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Erin

When Josephine and I walk into some fancy boutique, the skinniest Asian woman I’ve ever seen comes out. Her hair is cut asymmetrically and falls around her perfectly made-up face like a silky, inky waterfall. The midnight-black dress has a pale pink cherry-blossom print, and her feet are encased in glittering silver sandals.

She exchanges air kisses with Josephine. “Welcome, Josephine. So. What’s the occasion?”

“Turning her into a princess.” Josephine gestures at me. “Meet Erin Clare. Erin, this is Jun. She’s the owner.”

“Hello.” Jun’s dark gaze skims over me, making my skin crawl.

I hope this is the last round of Judging Erin. I don’t know how much more I can stand without feeling like I need to run and hide in a bathroom stall.

“Let’s get more comfortable before we discuss things further,” Jun says.

I would feel more comfortable if I were back in the office, but that’s clearly not what she has in mind. I just hope the “further discussion” won’t be as bad as the one Josephine and I had. And I pray the shopping part is quick and efficient.

Jun leads us into a gigantic room complete with four staging areas with three-way mirrors and a giant white leather couch. The room has a few vases full of fresh flowers, and it’s full of natural light and soothing cream and ivory. I start to see why people might hire someone like Josephine just for the calmer shopping experience. Mine normally involves flipping through clearance racks until I find something cheap and suitable. And it’s anything but calm when other bargain hunters are doing the same thing on the same rack. It can get competitive.

“Anything to drink? Dom? We also have a wide selection of white and red wines, some cocktails…” Jun offers as her assistant, who is just as sharply dressed, hovers nearby.

“No, thank you. I have to go back to work,” I say.

Josephine says, “Maybe some OJ for me and a mimosa for my client.” She turns to me. “Mimosas are really weak, so it won’t even hit you. But it’ll relax you and make you feel better. Besides, it’s part of the experience. Get your money’s worth. David expects it.”

I nod mutely. It seems like she really wants me to take full advantage of the situation. I’ll take a sip to make her happy. I doubt one sip will impair my work performance.

Jun gestures. The assistant vanishes, then returns with the drinks.