Oh no. Here it comes.
“So, John.” Once again, her voice drips with faux sweetness. “Tell us more about you and our little Abby getting together. It must be quite the story, considering how…unexpected it is.”
I tense, but John doesn’t miss a beat. He places his arm over the back of my chair. “I wish I could say we had a fairytale beginning, but I was a bit of an ogre at first.”
“You, dear?” Mom looks shocked. “You seem so charming.”
John grins sheepishly. “I have a reputation at work for being…demanding. I push Abby hard, always expecting the best from her.”
“That sounds more like the Abby we know.” Rachel smirks. “Always needing a push to succeed.”
My cheeks heat, but John rubs soothing circles on my shoulder that calm me.
“Oh, no.” His voice is light but with an undercurrent of steel. “Abby never needs pushing to succeed. She’s always been exceptional. I just didn’t want anyone accusing me of favoritism when I inevitably fell for her.”
The table falls silent, and I fight to keep my jaw from dropping. John’s words, delivered so casually, have effectively shut Rachel up and left the rest of the family looking impressed.
Dad smiles. “That’s certainly romantic. In a corporate sort of way.”
We all laugh, the tension dissipating. As the first course is served—butternut squash soup—work stories are shared, carefully edited to avoid any hint of our deception, and I lose myself in the role of adoring girlfriend.
“So, Abby.” Rachel leans forward. “How’s that little project of yours going? The one you were so excited about the last time we saw you? That was in May, right?”
My spoon falls out of my hand and clatters against the bowl. “It’s, uh—”
“Oh, was that the Thompson account?” John interjects smoothly. “From what I heard from Abby’s former boss, she knocked that out of the park. The client was so impressed they referred several of their friends to her.”
Rachel’s smile tightens. “How…nice.”
John touches my knee under the table. I take a deep breath, forcing my shoulders to relax.
“What about you, Rachel?” Mom asks, always eager to keep the peace and add another jewel to her eldest’s crown. “Any exciting developments at work?”
As Rachel launches into an even more detailed account of her latest promotion, John watches me closely.
Just breathe, he mouths.
I nod, grateful for his support. I’m not sure how I would have managed tonight without him, and that makes this evening evenstranger. I mean, just this morning I was thinking how much he hated me.
“I remember a time Abby stayed up all night when there was a coding error. It wasn’t even her responsibility, but she worked via Zoom with our programmers,” John says, skillfully redirecting the conversation. “She saved several financial planners from losing clients. I’ve never seen someone so dedicated.”
Rachel’s gaze narrows. “Isn’t that sweet? I’m sure Abby’s thrilled to have such a…supportive boss.”
The wordbosshangs in the air, loaded with implication. Once again, heat rushes up my neck, and before I can respond, John’s hand covers mine on the table.
“I’m the lucky one.” His gaze never leaves my face. “Abby makes me a better man every day.”
Whoa. My fake boyfriend is a far cry from the hard-driving boss I thought I knew, and I prefer this version of him, probably more than I should.
After passing around the food and loading our plates—the turkey golden and fragrant, surrounded by all the classic fixings—Jake clears his throat.
I brace myself for whatever’s coming next.
“How’s Powerfluff adjusting to you and John?” he asks. “That cat never liked me.”
I need to let Powerfluff pick my boyfriends in the future. “She’s doing well. Hiding upstairs while she adjusts to being here.”
Mom shakes her head. “You take such good care of that cat.”
