What. The. Fuck?Is this really happening? He continues before I can interrupt.
“And I’m not asking you to give up your career. I’m so proud of everything that you’ve accomplished here, Aspen,” he encourages with a warm smile. “You can keep the store and open another location in Atlanta.”
“You expect me to move back to Atlanta?” I repeat, my tone making it clear how bad of a decision I think that would be.
“Well… yeah. I’ve put in the time at my law firm now, and made the connections I need to. I’m ready to get into politics, and there’s no one else who would understand the position I’m in, hiding my real goals from my family for so long,” he explains. “I can’t exactly have a political career in Chicago. I don’t know anyone else here or anything about the local governments or policies that I would need. We’ve always talked about helping to change Georgia, to make its politics more liberal, to help the people there who have been ignored by their representatives in favor of money for so long.”
“Come on, Arthur.You’vealways talked about doing that, not me,” I remind him. “You know that I support you. I want you to follow your political dreams and make those changes, but you don’t really need me to do any of it.”
“I might notneedyou,” he huffs out with an eye roll. “But you know politicians are more successful when they’re married. And what’s your plan? Doesn’t your dad still own a huge chunk of your company? Do you think he’s just going to let your thirtieth birthday pass without demanding some sort of change from you?”
I’ve been trying not to think about that.I’ve ignored all their phone calls and not-so-subtle suggestions to move “home”for a while now. “I still have a year to figure something out,” I remind him.
He huffs out another sigh. “What’s different now than a year from now?” he questions. “I know this isn’t what you had hoped would happen, but we need to be realistic here and make the most of it.”
Make the most of what?There is absolutely no way in hell I’m moving back to Atlanta. It’s not even the thought of being in a pretend relationship that has me so adamantly refusing this scenario. But I cannot go back to Atlanta. Chicago is my home now. I’m not giving up the amazinglife I’ve built here just because my dad loaned me money years ago.
“Are you worried that Sage won’t move back with us?” he asks, probably trying to understand why I’m so against his plan. “You know she would follow you anywhere.”
I don’t know that actually.“No, Arthur, that isn’t my concern,” I insist, because Sage moving back or not isn’t a variable we need to even consider when I’m not leaving. “You’re still one of my closest friends, and I am not trying to offend you in anyway or fuck up your plans by refusing this, but I will not move back to Atlanta. Period. I refuse to be around my shitty family anymore than isabsolutelynecessary.”
To his credit, Arthur doesn’t seem hurt at all by my refusal. His weary expression makes me think he doesn’t believe that I won’t eventually give in, though.
I need him to believe me. I don’t want this causing tension between us, so I attempt to explain. “I’ve been trying to figure out a way to get my dad to give up his shares for a while now. There’s no reason that he should still have so much control over my life and the company when he’s made back his investment and then some. I’ll figure something out, but this”—I gesture between us—“is not the answer.”
Fuck moving. I gave up on seeing any of the trust money that I would get by marrying a man a long time ago. But I’ve been trying not to focus on the fact that my father still has so much power when it comes to mycompany. I really do need to figure out a way to get rid of him.
I think back to that day, when he offered to invest after asking when Arthur and I would get engaged. “What is it that we said all those years ago?” I ask, trying to remember. “If we didn’t find true love by the time we were thirty, then we would get married?” I check.
He nods. “Yeah, something like that to get your dad to give you more time,” he agrees.
Okay, I can work with that.“Well, then I’m going to find someone in Chicago,” I tell him.
Honestly, Arthur’s proposed lavender relationship idea doesn’t sound like a bad option at this point in my life. I’ve accepted the fact that I’m in love with my best friend and have been for the last ten years. I don’t see that changing anytime soon, and I’ve yet to meet anyone else I have an interest in being in a real relationship with. Maybe having a fake boyfriend—one who doesn’t actually expect any affection from me—would be the perfect solution to keeping my family out of my business and give me the time I need to figure out a plan for my dad’s shares.
How does one go about finding a fake boyfriend? Do I post an ad online? That seems risky… Maybe I can find someone else in a similar situation. I can’t be the only person who’s in the closet in this city. In fact, as I’m running through this plan, considering all my options, I realize that I don’t even think I’m the only person in my building.
Those two guys who are always at the gym are constantly checking each other out. But with all the time that we’ve spent working out opposite them, I’ve never seen them actually show any physical affection toward each other.
I’ve wondered a few times if they were hiding a romantic relationship.
Maybe one of them would be willing to pretend to date me.
14
SAGE
END OF APRIL
“Those guys are here again.”
I nod in the direction of the treadmills so Aspen can see who I’m talking about. The two men I noticed working out when we first toured our building must either spend a ton of time in the gym or are on the same schedule as Aspen and me.
“They seem close,” Aspen comments as she continues her own workout. “I wonder if they’re roommates.”
“I was just thinking that they remind me of how close we are,” I agree with a laugh. We’ve exchanged hellos and smiles with them before, nothing more. But as I look back over to where they’ve moved on to one of the weight machines, it seems like we have their full attention; they’re obviously talking about us as they alternate looking at each other and checking us out. They clean off their machines and head in our direction.
“I think they’re coming over here,” Aspen warns, stopping her squats to stand to her full height. They’re both very attractive men. The taller one with red hair seems a little more reserved, his grin shy as the brunet confidently flashes us a bright smile.
