Fake Marriage Box Set

“I’m starting to regret that,” Dad said. “Listen, Maddie, I know he’s a rich, somewhat older man, but if he’s using his status to influence you at all, well—”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” I said. “He’s not coercing me into anything.” It was quite the opposite, but I kept that thought in my head.

“Does everyone know?” they both asked. I nodded and then realized that I hadn’t told Nancie.

“Well, mostly everyone. It’s been a little hard talking to Nancie, she’s still in the middle of her big move and everything,” I said.

“She’ll be happy for you, I’m sure,” Mom said. “I love the idea of the two of you together. He’s a great role model, has a huge influence in our community, and he’s been taking care of his mom for so long. It gives me hope that you would do the same for me.”

“Of course I would take care of you,” I said. “You don’t have to be a saint to take care of your parents.”

“Your mom has a point,” Dad said. “Gavin’s had a lot of shit thrown at him in his life, and he still seems to be a decent guy. But I’ll reserve my full judgment until we have dinner with him.”

“Speaking of dinner,” Mom said and started setting the table. “It’s ready. I know it’s a little earlier than usual, but your father and I have been going to bed a lot earlier these days.”

“Are you guy sick?” I asked and took a seat. Dinner was a cooked rotisserie chicken with a giant bowl of mashed potatoes and a platter of bread.

“No, just more time for nighttime activities,” Dad said and grinned. Mom winked at him, and I stuffed a bread roll into my mouth.

“Not at the table,” Mom insisted. “She’ll throw up.”

“We’re all adults here,” Dad said and dug into his plate.

“Really? Then would you like hearing about what I do with Gavin?” I asked and immediately regretted it. These topics were definitely not safe for parental talk.

“You have a point,” Dad said and raised a hand. “Nothing happens between any two people except innocent kissing and hand holding.”

“In all seriousness,” Mom said as she looked at me. “I’m happy for you, really. It’s been so long since you’ve dated anyone that we were starting to get worried.”

“Worried?” I frowned. “Why?”

“You just get a little down when you’re alone, and with Nancie gone, we were worried about you. But with Gavin around, you’ll be fine, right?” Dad asked. I took a heavy gulp and finished it with a glass of water.

I did have a tendency to become a hermit without the help of others. The year before Nancie and I had moved in together had been the worst. I’d spent nearly an entire summer inside my room until Nancie forced me out of the house and into apartment hunting.

But Gavin wasn’t doing

my any favors, that’s for sure. Our agreement was one dinner a week, in front of his mother, and eventually at a wedding chapel. I realized that just waiting on him wasn’t going to work and that if it was going to be believable, I needed to put in an effort as well.

“Yeah,” I said. “He’s great; I love spending time with him.”

“You are so lucky,” Mom said again. “He’s a wonderful man.”

I desperately wished that I had a glass of wine instead of water as Mom continued her praises of Gavin. She had no idea just how “lucky” I was.

Chapter Seventeen

One Week Later

Gavin

The sky was clear for the first time in more than a week when I met Ron on the boat. We both wore short-sleeved shirts and khakis and kicked back with a beer as we relaxed on the lake during a sunny afternoon. Ron started the conversation about a woman he had been sleeping with, a red-head that he picked up from our regular bar after a night of drinking.

“She’s wild, man,” he said with a grin. “Doesn’t care about emotions, only wants the sex. I never knew sex without strings could feel so good. I don’t have to worry about awkward morning-afters or dumb little texts to make her think I’m still interested. We just text each other when we’re lonely, and fuck each other when we’re horny.”

I was somewhat happy for him. I knew he was hesitant about getting into a real relationship with a woman after what his ex did to him, but I also knew he had been craving the affection for one for so long. I contemplated the same type of relationship with several women I had met over the years. Just a purely physical one, where we would only call one another when we needed something. I couldn’t ever go through with it though.

“That’s quite the arrangement,” I said. “How did you get her to agree to it?”