“Yes.”
“And what if I get a gig with a guy? You know, last minute,” I say, pursing my lips. While I might be into cock, my brother hasnevershown any inkling or interest in men. Ever. Though he’s supportive of me and my shit, and he’s not a bad actor himself, I don’t think he could fake being gay or bi for a second.
“I said I can handle it,” he says defensively. “And there’s always the option to reschedule them with someone else. Like Scout or Bradley, or—”
“I don’t know, Noah… what if it backfires?”
His eyes widen. “How the fuck is it going to backfire?”
“What if they figure out we’re lying and he doesn’t get what he wants?” I say shakily. “And then tells me I’m not getting a dime because I didn’t do my job.”
“Not going to happen, Jake. You’re too good for that. If anyone can pull off this kind of thing, it’s you. You’re the best fake boyfriend, I know.”
His words are sincere. Genuine.
“You play pretend all the time for Bella. It’s no different than that.”
But it is different.
Bella never tells people I’m her boyfriend. She never shows me off to her co-workers and pretends she’s in love with me.
And I’ve never fucked Bella.
Okay, well technically I’ve never fucked Aaron, either, but I’ve definitely had his cock in my mouth and his fingers in my ass, so that counts. I think.
Noah grabs my phone, and I don’t have a chance to stop him before he’s punching numbers in.
“Hey!” I reach for it, but he leans away and I hear the ring tone.
“Who are you calling?” I bite, but the minute I hear Foxy’s voice, I panic and freeze.
“Hey Foxy, it’s Noah,” he says sweetly.
“I have a huge, huge favor to ask.”
She sighs on the other end. “Must be huge if you’re calling me after my work hours have ended, Noah.”
“So, I am planning a surprise vacation for Jacob,” he says, smiling at me. “You know the guy hasn’t been on a vacation in like… I don’t know, years.”
“He’s never taken a vacation since working for me,” she deadpans. He snaps his fingers.
“Precisely. Which is why I really really need you to give him the week off, starting—”
He looks at me. My mouth moves of its own volition as I whisper. “Tomorrow.”
He raises an eyebrow, shaking his head. “Tomorrow. There’s a last minute cancellation at this swanky lodge, and I need to know asap so I can book him. It’s a… surprise.” He pauses. “Oh! And I can cover his dates while he’s gone, since I know it’s last minute and we can give some of them the option to select another date, if they don’t want me.”
There’s silence before she speaks.
“You’ve given this some thought,” she says, and I can’t tell if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.
“Yeah, I mean… he’s my brother and I love him, and I just… the guy deserves a break, you know? He works his ass off.” His voice is steady and I hear the truth in his words.
She sighs. “He is a workoholic.”
A workaholic? Excuse me!
I open my mouth to object, but stop the minute her voice softens.
