The Fake Engagement

Yes, she was a fuller woman, on the heavier side, dressed in a size twenty most of her life, but that was life. She’d always been bigger. Her mother had never allowed her to be ashamed of who she was but had taught her to embrace her curves, to hold her head high, which was what she did.

Always.

Juliet turned on the music, and after taking a large gulp of tequila, Eliza handed the bottle to Juliet, throwing her hands up in the air and allowing the music to take over. She wanted to forget all about her job, about responsibilities, and to just think about letting go. About partying. About fun.

Three years she’d been working for him. It was time for her to have some private time, and if that meant dancing, drinking, and enjoying some good food with her best friends, that was exactly what she was going to do.

Mackenzie and Juliet had been in her life since kindergarten. They were the best of friends. Throughout high school, some people had called them the chubby trio, and she’d told them to go and get fucked. She’d been such a badass in school.

There was no one else she wanted to spend her life with. They’d been with her through the good times and bad.

The boyfriend who had slapped her across the face had been in for a surprise when she’d hit him right back, but she hadn’t stopped with a slap across the face. She’d hit him hard, followed by a kick to the balls, and the cops had been called. He’d demanded her arrest, but the bruising cheek had been evidence of his attack. It turned out her ex had a history of hitting and beating on women. Not this woman.

Her friends had been there for her even though he tried to make them go away, trying to push them away.

They were not just friends, but sisters. From the time they were a young age and little Peter Buttface punched Mackenzie and called her fat, they had been united. They had a pact, to be the best of friends through thick and thin.

They had a bond, and nothing, no one, could separate them. If any guy wanted to date them, he had to get through her friends first, and that was a fact.

****

Preston Boone glanced at his watch for the sixth time, surprised. His PA was late. He tapped his fingers on his desk and waited.

In six minutes, he had a meeting with a prospective client he’d been trying to acquire for nearly seven months. Mr. Aguire held a large expanse of land that also homed multiple ranches. For many years, companies like his had been trying to buy the land from him. It was the perfect place for expansion. It would create jobs and add to the local investment in the area. It also helped that Mr. Aguire held multiple land contracts Preston was interested in.

He knew to get him on his side would more than triple his own portfolio. He was looking to invest into real estate, just like his daddy did back in his hometown, but this was on a larger scale. He wanted Boone houses worldwide, which was why he was looking for the right price for Mr. Aguire.

For seven months, he wouldn’t take a single phone call, and all of his letters had been sent right back to him, unopened.

He didn’t know how Eliza, his PA, had arranged a meeting, but now she looked to be ruining his chances of building his dream. Of taking the Boone name to the next level rather than just being the complete owner of a small town.

Pushing those thoughts to one side, he got to his feet and looked out over the city. His building was one of the largest he’d always dreamed about. From the time he was a little kid, he told his dad he planned to have the biggest company and the most employees, and he had acquired that.

Each new goal he set out, he didn’t stop until he achieved it. The business world was cutthroat, brutal, and it was where he shined.

Thinking about his business and how he handled it, he knew deep down his father would be disappointed in him. The town of Westcliffe Heights wasn’t founded on buying companies, tearing them apart at a man’s whims.

His father had invested heavily in the town, which was why most of the companies there had Boone in the title. They pretty much owned everything, but the people there didn’t hate them. His father had never been a cruel man. He’d been a fair and generous man.

“Where are you, Eliza?” he asked. He should have known she would let him down now.

Three years she’d been working for him, and he was amazed at her track record. After his last PA quit and left him in a bind, he’d been so pissed off. She’d done it on purpose as well, messing up all of his accounts as she threw his job back in his face. He’d stepped out of his office, glanced over his employees, and pointed at Eliza, then told her she was going to be his PA.