“I am so sorry I’m late.” I heft my bags another time, but Hayes takes them from my grip, sliding the straps down my arm.
“Oh look, doing the boyfriend moves already,” Easton says.
“Have a seat, Leighton.” Jagger goes back to the table and pulls out a chair for me.
Ruby walks in and places a bottle of water in front of me and sets down some refills for the guys.
“Ruby, did you meet Hayes’s fake girlfriend?” Easton laughs.
Jagger throws a balled-up napkin at him, and it pings off his forehead. “Dumbass.”
“Ruby isn’t going to tell anyone,” Easton argues.
I have nothing to worry about. I doubt social services are going to come here and ask her about me.
“Fake?” Ruby eyes Hayes.
“It’s a long story,” he says.
“You boys and your games. Leighton, do whatever you have to do, but I’m not getting attached.” She walks away, and the door slams shut behind her.
Jagger glances at me. “At least you picked a girl next door, sweet and wholesome.”
I want to scoff, but I narrow my eyes at Jagger. “Just what every woman wants to hear.”
“She does not look like the girl next door,” Easton mumbles.
Hayes shoots Easton a death look.
The thought of Hayes possibly being jealous shouldn’t make my stomach flip a little, but it does.
Easton raises both hands. “I’m just saying—she’s not the girl next door.”
Hayes inches closer to me and puts his arm around the back of my chair.
“I’m sorry. I married a girl-next-door type, so it was meant to be a compliment. Are you into romance novels?” Jagger asks.
“I’m sorry?” It takes me a beat to make sense of the words since this conversation is going in a very different direction than I expected.
“Do you read romance novels?”
“I don’t know. I—maybe, like, sometimes. Not in a while. I haven’t had the time.” I shrug.
“Right. I heard about your loss, which I am very sorry about.”
“Thank you.” I’m trying to be polite though I still don’t understand why he needed to meet me.
“My wife is a romance writer. So, if you’re ever in the market, I’ll give you her name.”
“Ah… sure. That would be great.” I glance at Hayes, but he seems nonplussed with Jagger’s segue into this line of conversation.
“She has the best inspiration for her heroes, so of course they’re the best,” Jagger says.
“Clearly.” I cringe. “That sounded sarcastic. I didn’t mean for it to sound that way. I’m sure you are her inspiration.”
Hayes squeezes my shoulder.
“I’m going to make this quick.” Jagger blows out a breath. “Thanks for coming, Leighton. But unfortunately, you’re not going to get my charming personality that most of the girlfriends and wives do because you two have put yourself in a situation that could end up being really bad for Hayes if it’s outed. So, what we have to make sure is that this whole fake thing stays a secret. All of us in this room know. And thanks to Easton, Ruby knows, but she’s like a vault. I’m not worried about her. No one else outside of this room needs to know.”
