Fake Marriage Box Set

“Oh.” I shifted in my seat and finished my drink. I was beginning to regret ever drinking at all. “That’s right.”

We left the rest of the chocolates untouched as she dove straight into a speech that sounded rehearsed.

“You promised your mother that you’d marry a woman before she passes away, but according to Ron you haven’t even spoken with a woman in years, other than the occasional one-night stand,” she paused, and it looked as if she were forcing the words out of her mouth. “I’ll pretend to marry you. Mona likes me, and my family, and it’ll be easy to convince her that you and I have sort of been talking for a while. Our families have always been in each other’s lives. It’ll be fake, but real enough for your mom.”

I squeezed my eyes shut as I tried processing her words. I was beginning to sober up instantly, but there was still a slight blur at the edge of my vision making it impossible to see anything else other than her.

“A fake marriage?” I clarified, and she nodded. “To convince my mom that you’re my wife.”

“I know it’s awful, but you seemed desperate, and I wouldn’t mind giving your mom some peace of mind,” she said. I imagined myself at a fake wedding with her. She was impossibly beautiful, with real ambitions and a sensible head. And maybe it was the whiskey, but there was some sort of a spark in between us throughout dinner. For the first time in years, I actually felt interested in seeing a woman again.

“That’s a nice offer,” I said. “It would make my mom so happy, especially if it was you.” Maddie smiled. “I’ll have to think about it, though. It’s a big decision.”

She nodded and took another deep breath before opening her mouth. “But,” she said, and my heart sunk. “If you want to do this with me, I won’t do it for free.”

My hands clenched beneath the table as a fierce rage boiled inside of me. It took me several moments to force myself to remain calm, but even then, I felt a flush spread over my face and a snarl taking hold over my mouth. Was she only doing this for the money? I had no idea how to respond, or even what to feel. Of course, Maddie knew how much money I had; it was a small town, and her cousin was my best friend after all. And she knew exactly how to get info from him.

I stood abruptly, needing fresh air and distance from such an immoral gold-digger. “I’ll be in touch,” was all I could say and I left the table. I pulled out cash from my wallet and threw it in the direction of our waiter, not caring at all how rude I was.

“Keep the change,” I said and returned to my car. It would surely be more than enough for both of our meals. Maddie had gotten a free dinner out of me, but there was no way I would let the bitch get any more.

I took deep breaths in the driver's seat of my car. Her proposal had sobered me nearly instantly, but I still wanted a clear mind before starting the ignition.

I repeated her words in my head. I’ll pretend to marry you. I couldn’t believe I had even considered it for a moment. I won’t do it for free.

I told her I’d be in touch, but the only thing I had left to say to her was she could go fuck herself.

Chapter Eight

Maddie

My hangover was worse than it ever had been before as I woke in the early morning. I had fallen asleep with the thought of dinner on my mind, and it seemed even a full night’s sleep wasn’t going to erase it. After Gavin rushed out of the restaurant with such speed that even the waiter had to apologize, I spent the rest of the night at the bar in between the young men who had been staring at me throughout the dinner. They paid for the rest of my drinks, and several had asked to continue the night. I managed to sneak in my handle name and asked that they follow me before slipping out of the restaurant unnoticed.

I checked my phone. Three new followers. I groaned; there were at least eight men who had written my name down.

I almost chuckled at the thought of Gavin following my social media accounts. He was clearly out of touch with reality, but I couldn’t blame him. Was what I offered a mistake? It certainly felt dirty, and trashy. It didn’t matter; I convinced myself as I got ready for the gym. Nancie was most likely already there.

Gavin wouldn’t go for it anyways; his red face and dilated pupils had been enough of a tell. It just another bridge burned; in fact, the only thing I had to worry about now was Ron knowing I was an awful person.

But something about the dinner with Gavin made me feel awake, more alive than I’d felt in a long time. I was happy as I spoke about my dreams, and of Hollywood. I was reminded of why I pursued acting in the first place. I realized that until then, thinking about Hollywood left me in a depressed state of mind. But now, my passion almost felt rejuvenated. And somehow I felt that Gavin was to thank for it.

Not that he would ever speak to me again.

I met Nancie at the gym. We exchanged a head nod as she returned her attention to the treadmill beneath her, and I took turns on each of the strengthening spots. I had been weak growing up and hadn’t found a true workout that I appreciated until a boy from college had asked me to lift with him. I had fallen in love with it from the first moment.

Nancie left in the middle of my workout, and I returned home to find her in front of her vanity applying make-up.

“Another product shoot?” I asked. We didn’t ever bother with make-up unless

it was to advertise a product. Professional shoots always preferred us to arrive with an empty face.

“My agent just got me into a last-minute ad-shoot for those new shoes we both liked,” she said. “I’ll bring a pair back for you.”

“Thanks,” I said and started on breakfast. Nancie was particular about what she ate on days with jobs, so I made her an egg-white omelet with tomato and spinach, and sprinkled a teaspoon of feta on it as I delivered it to her room. My breakfast was similar, but with a side of turkey bacon and a cup of steaming coffee.

I ate on her bed as she balanced an eyelash curler in one hand and a fork in the other.

“How was your dinner?” she asked. I had only mentioned that I had a business dinner. I was too afraid to admit what I did to anyone.