The Fake Engagement

“So we have parts of ourselves that are different. Two souls need to have differences to match on other levels.”

Eliza remembered many on her list of a suitable partner, and she wasn’t going to think of any of them right now.

This thing with Preston wasn’t a real engagement. It didn’t matter that he liked strange pancakes. That was just one thing on her list.

“How does this work?” Preston asked.

Eliza smiled. He’d dressed in a pair of shorts and a pale-blue button-up shirt. He looked … like an old frat boy.

“I … like the look.”

“Really?”

“Why not? Come on, let’s go.” She grabbed his arm, marching him out the apartment building. They went to the elevator, but she didn’t go to the underground parking garage, instead, straight to the main floor.

“I don’t like this. You don’t want me to drive you anywhere?” he asked.

“We can drive later. For now, we just need to walk. You’ve got to learn to take in the sights of everything that surrounds you.”

They left his apartment building, but they weren’t breathing in clean, crisp air.

Sounds of cars honking, and the chaos of the roads was very clear to see. The streets were already busy.

Fortunately, with her arm through his, she walked him down the streets. Preston had such a commanding presence, and no one walked in front of him.

Eliza didn’t like how long it took her to get to the park, but the moment they arrived, she saw she wasn’t the only one to enjoy a morning walk early in the morning.

After she grabbed Preston’s hand, they entered the gate and immediately had to move as a biker dinged his bell to alert them to his presence.

“Just when you think you love the city, it has a nasty habit of reminding you exactly why you hate it,” Eliza said.

“Coffee?” he asked.

“Yes, let’s go for coffee.”

They left the park and found a small little café. Eliza got a small table for them outside, and as she looked at the city now, she couldn’t help but be critical. Her mother had once told her that life had a nasty way of running away from you. If you were too busy chasing a future rather than living in the present, you’d find yourself in places you didn’t want to be in.

She rubbed at her arms. For the first time since moving to the city, she felt homesick.

“You okay?” Preston asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Do you ever find that you hear your mother’s voice at the most inopportune moments?” she asked.

“That I do.”

****

Their Sunday wasn’t a total disaster. They never made it to the park, and after sitting at the café, Preston was aware of Eliza’s sadness. He didn’t know what caused it, but the truth was, after being out in the city on a Sunday, he was feeling it too.

Growing up in a small town, he knew Sunday was a day to be with family. To have large dinners, to laugh, to dance, to have fun.

With his years in the city, he hadn’t thought about the times he shared back home. He didn’t know what Eliza was doing to him, but whatever it was, it wasn’t good. She reminded him of home, of his family. Her apartment had set it off.

His parents were going to love her.

She was all about friends and family, he saw that.

She was also hardworking and loyal. All good traits, which was why on Monday, they were back in the office, working hard, and he was distracted. They had canceled all his meetings, and he was working his ass off to be ready for the next month, but he kept glancing at Eliza.

His thoughts should be focused on the work at hand, not his beautiful PA.

Glancing up, he saw her as she leaned over her desk, grabbing a pen while she was on the phone. In between talking, she wrote down a note, and then typed on her computer.

She wore a pastel-blue suit that seemed to enhance the golden hue of her hair.

He’d seen her during her downtime, in her pajamas, eating pancakes. Running fingers through his hair, he tried to focus on the work at hand. Looking at Eliza was not getting work done.

Preston stared down at the contract in his hand.

You’re going to focus on work.

Eliza is fake.

You’re not in a relationship with her.

She knocked on his office door, and he looked up.

“So, a Melissa called. She asked if you were still on for dinner tonight as you hadn’t called her?”

He frowned.

Eliza came and put the note down on the desk, in front of him.

“Crap, I forgot to cancel her.”

“Yeah, er, just to be clear, I may be playing the part of fake fiancée, and I have no problem with you … doing your thing, but while we’re playing our parts, please, don’t make me look like a fool.”