Luke had arranged for his stylist to come over to his penthouse to help me get ready. Francesca knew her stuff, but she seemed like overkill. On the plus side, as she did my hair and makeup, we were able to talk about things I felt comfortable wearing, and she had shown me a few things.
Francesca promised she’d put together some outfits for me and send them over. I liked how she was dressed and how she was making me up, so I trusted she would find me clothes that were both fashionable, but not over the top.
Tonight’s dress, however, was so well-fitted to my body I was afraid to take a breath. Francesca had pinned a few things and worked some kind of magic, and the damn thing looked painted on.
I had to admit, though, I looked damn good in it too. My curves were on display but in a classy way. I was covered up tastefully, not threatening to spill out anywhere. Once I put on the matching shoes, I looked like a woman who was used to the finer things in life. No one had to know I was basically homeless.
“You are going to break some hearts tonight,” Francesca said, giving my one last check.
“Good,” I told her. “It’s all because of you, though. This is easily the prettiest I’ve ever looked.”
“You are the clay and I am the sculptor.” Francesca gave me light slap on my round butt. “And you have very fine clay.”
I jumped and blushed. “Thank you.”
She wished me luck again and then was on her way to hunt me down some new outfits. I took a deep breath, relieved that my boobs didn’t explode out my bodice, and then stepped out of my bedroom.
Luke was waiting for me. At first, he just stared, his phone pressed to his ear while he carried on a conversation about work. I didn’t understand what he was talking about. He hung up, looked away, and took a deep breath.
“So what do you think?” I asked, doing a little twirl. “Do I look the part?”
He tugged his suit jacket down and quickly buttoned it. “It’ll do.”
A candy cane flashed in my head and I hid a smile.
Lenny was waiting for us at the curb. Luke wasn’t threatened by him anymore, it seemed. Not that he had any reason to be worried. Still, it was nice to see he cared enough about me to be jealous. I knew the whole thing was fake, but if Luke thought I was worth getting jealous over, I wasn’t about to complain.
On the way to the restaurant, Luke seemed trapped in his head while he scrolled through emails on his phone. Was he trying to distract himself? Did men like him get nervous? It seemed impossible. He was tall, strong, and handsome, and he was fearless enough to go on TV and talk for hours.
Was he trying to distract himself for some other reason then?
Whether he was nervous didn’t matter. I was. “Luke, is there anything I should say during dinner to make this scheme sound more believable? It’s your show and I want to make sure I’m playing my part right.”
“I’ll lead the way,” he said gruffly, seeming totally disinterested.
I shifted my position to look at him fully. “Do you even like your job?”
Luke went rigid for a moment before clearing his throat. “Of course I do.”
When Lenny announced we were about a block away, Luke motioned for him to pull over. “We’ll walk the rest of the way. It’s a nice, clear night.”
I worried about walking that far in the heels that Francesca had brought over. At least she had brought a good coat, too. It would give us a chance to see some of the Christmas decorations and the city lights. I wondered if Luke had suggested it because he knew I wanted to drink in the city more.
As we walked, I looped my arm through his. “So, boyfriend, tell me what we’re walking into. Reassure me a little. Please.”
He bumped me softly with his shoulder. “You’ll do great. There will be fancy food and fancy clothes, but these people are as normal as the rest of us.”
“Okay.” I nodded. “It’s just, it’s finally real now. I’m about to go fake it in front of people you’re trying to trick.”
He chuckled. “I like to think I’m trying to impress them more than trick them. I’m capable of taking on more responsibilities at the network. I figured a steady girlfriend, from my hometown no less, was a solid way to do that.”
“It’s risky,” I said. “How do you plan to announce the end of our relationship after Christmas? Please don’t tell people I cheated on you. Or that you cheated on me. Allow me some dignity.”
Luke smiled. “I promise I won’t drag your name through the mud. I was thinking we can just say it was the long distance that was a problem.” He bumped me again. “Our love was so great we couldn’t bear to be apart.”
“Um, what if I end up moving here after our breakup? Will I have to change my name? Wear a mask like inPhantom of the Opera?” I glanced up at him with a grin.
He laughed. “Nothing like that. We can figure something out. Technically, we can keep up the lie as long as we want. I’m a private person. No one will care or expect to know the details of my private life.”
