Something flickers across his face before he schools it, but not fast enough. His voice comes out deeper than usual. “But now you smell like me.”
My lips twitch. “Oh no. How will I survive?”
He clears his throat and pushes off the couch, not making eye contact. “I’ll be right back.”
I nibble the inside of my cheek, watching the back of his hoodie disappear down the hall, and grin to myself. Definitely got to him. I can’t wait to see what happens at the store now. He’s about to have a crash course in Olivia.
***
The drive downtown is easy, music filling the silence when neither of us talks. I catch him drumming his fingers on the wheel to the country music playing.
We pull up to the store and step inside. The bright lights highlight rows of furniture and beds. It smells like oak and lemon. An assistant materializes immediately, perky smile plastered on. “Good morning, can I help you find something today?” I don’t miss the way her eyes linger on the man next to me. My roommate is hot, and even though I know that, I’m not sure how I feel about someone who doesn’t know we aren’t a couple checking him out.
Jay looks to me, and I grin, sliding my arm through his and beaming at him as his brows draw closer and closer at the contact. “Yes, you can,” I start with a slight southern twang to my voice, turning to face the assistant. “My hubby andI are newlyweds. We’ve just bought our first house, and we desperately need a real sturdy bed.” Jay stiffens a little beside me, but I tap his arm, smiling sweetly up at him. “Isn’t that right, honey?”
His eyes scream ‘what the fuck,’ and it takes all of my willpower not to laugh out loud.
“Oh, newlyweds.” The store assistant loses a little of that megawatt smile and nods. “Of course, let me find you a catalogue of what we have in store.”
She turns around to reach behind her. “What the hell are you doing?” Jay hisses in my ear, a shiver dancing down the side of my neck.
“Just go with it. I saw something on their website about a discount, but it’s only for newlyweds.” I have no idea if this will work, but I’m a sucker for a good deal. I couldn’t pass it up.
Exhaling through his nose, he relaxes a little just as the woman passes us a booklet.
“Right here in the first two pages have the most recent collection of oak frames, then divan frames, changeable headboards, and then mattress selection.” She fingers over the pages, showing us what there is. “Any style you’d like aside from it being… sturdy?” She almost whispers the last word, and I have to hold in a chuckle.
“Yes,” I say without missing a beat. “I like oak, but it has to survive… vigorous activity.”
Jay chokes, the sound bursting from his lips. He covers it with a cough into his fist, but his ears are turning pink.
The assistant, bless her, pretends to smile, but I can tell she’s uncomfortable. “Of course. Right this way.”
She leads us through aisles of gleaming headboards and perfectly made display beds. I tug Jay along, enjoying the way he doesn’t shrink away from me, even though I know he’s plotting my death.
“So, where did you get married?”
“In Italy,” I reply without missing a beat. My tone turns airy, like this is the most natural story in the world, not a flat-out lie. “Just outside Florence. Little stone chapel on a hill, olive trees everywhere, it was magical.”
Her brows lift, impressed. “I’ve always wanted to go to Europe, how romantic.”
“It was,” I add, spinning the fantasy like silk. “We want to go back for our anniversary.”
Out of the corner of my eye, Jay’s mouth twitches, and it ignites my own. I take that as him agreeing to see this facade through until the end.
We stop at one with a white frame, and I feel like doing the hard sell of being a real couple. I hinge at my hips, bending over right in front of him, casting my eyes back to see his mouth fall open in shock. His hand twitches at his side like he doesn’t know what to do with it, and his Adam’s apple bobs hard. “Liv…” His voice is a warning that doesn’t land because he sounds more strangled than stern.
I grin smugly. “Hmm, this one is a little low, right, honey?”
He mutters out of the corner of his mouth, “You’re unbelievable.”
“Thank you.” I straighten, lean in, and pat his chest like he’s the best husband alive. “Maybe something a little taller?” I add sweetly to the assistant.
Even her cheeks are pink at this point, but she leads us around anyway, stopping at a queen-size with a solid oak frame. The assistant gestures proudly. “This one’s very durable. Our most popular, too.”
Jay runs a hand along the smooth edge of the headboard, jaw tight. “Looks… sturdy enough.” The words come out forced, and his face is a mixture of emotions, but dammit, I want that discount. I’m not stopping now.
I bite my lip, unable to help myself. “The mattress, too? Good bounce?”
