“It’s not a wedding,” he snapped. “It’s just a thing at their old college.”
“This may come as a shock to you since you didn’t graduate, but most events where you come back to college after the fact are pretty formal.” Remington’s lip pulled into something that resembled a smile, but was probably a grimace.
The worst part was he knew Remington was right. Sebastian had made a comment about five star hotels and car rentals, and Jace knew he couldn’t roll up to something like that in jeans and a t-shirt.
“You could ask your sister,” Remington suggested, and Jace winced at the thought.
“I’ve not asked her for money yet, and I’m not going to start now.”
“You know she’d give it to you.”
Remington was right. Again.
While Jace had been adopted at out of foster care at fourteen, he’d never understood why the Dare family picked him. They had three biological children of their own, one older and two younger than he was. Jill and Ted, whom he’d never felt comfortable thinking of as his parents, had left him five thousand dollars in their will, but a little more cash and the house to their daughters.
He tried for so many years to be thankful that he’d gotten anything. So many kids, like his old friend Nic, hadn’t ever gotten adopted. They’d aged out of the system and then been left to fend for themselves with no support system in place to help.
He’d had support. He’d had clean clothes, hot food, and a sturdy roof for as long as he’d needed it. But he wasn’t thankful. It made him feel like an afterthought, like they’d only left him the money so they wouldn’t feel bad about leaving him nothing. Compared to how much their other kids ended up with, it might as well have been.His oldest sister, Carmen, had tried to assure him once the wills just hadn’t been updated since he’d been brought into the family, but he didn’t know if he believed it.
Jace had taken that five thousand dollars and put it toward college, dedicated to pursuing an arts degree. He worked his ass off, until the rent and materials became too costly and he couldn’t keep it up. Something had to give, and it was school.
“I don’t want to ask Carmen for money,” he said.
“Then don’t. Ask her to buy you a suit. It doesn’t need to be a Brooks Brothers, but she would get you something nice for a hundred or so.”
“Hey, Carmen,” he mocked. “I’m pretending to be someone’s boyfriend for a day. Can you spring for some new threads so he doesn’t know how low class I am?”
The idea was ludicrous.
Not just asking his sister for money, but the whole date thing, too.
Jace adored Remington, but hated him at the same time because of how differently they saw the world. Jace said yes to everything, always looking for the next fun adventure, and Remington actually thought things through before committing. The conversation hadn’t even lasted for as long as it took to eat one whole slice of pizza and Remington’s careful thought process had Jace second-guessing his free weekend vacation.
“You’re being stubborn again,” Remington said, leaning over and picking Jace’s plate up from the table. He set it on Jace’s lap and gestured at him with a flippant dismissal. “Eat your pizza before it gets cold.”
“I like it cold,” he grumbled.
“Men who wear thousand dollar suits don’t eat cold pizza.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Do you know whatharicot vertsare?” Remington said, and it sounded like he’d maybe said something French, but Jace couldn’t be sure.
“What now?”
“Sebastian knows. Ask him about it.” Remington sank his teeth into his pizza crust.
“What does this have to do with pizza?” he asked with a sigh.
“I just don’t want you to get in over your head with this scheme.”
“You’re always so practical.” Jace tossed his plate onto the table again and tucked himself against Remington’s side, burrowing in the way he liked the most to do.
“I’m a realist,” Remington said. He looped his arm around Jace’s shoulders and pulled him close. “I’m all for you doing this if you want to do it. I just want you to think about what you’re getting yourself into before you commit.”
“I’ve already said yes.”
“You can say no.” Remington pinched him. “You’re not in a private car yet. Jesus. A private car. I want this guy to find someone for me to pretend date.”
