She strokes the cool band, her eyes lowered. “Do you want it back when all this is over?”
Suddenly, my throat feels tight. I didn’t think about what would happen once our deal ended. Strange, since we signed a contract for it.It’s almost like we’re any other couple about to get married, only focusing on the present. “No, it’s a gift.” My voice is stiffer than I intended. “Besides, what am I going to do with it? It’s not like I can reuse it with the next woman.”
Fiona drops her hand in her lap. Her expression turns inexplicably self-deprecating. “You’re right. What was I thinking?”
I get out of the car, then walk around to open her door. A hand at the small of her back, I lead her inside.
Paola smiles at me. In her late twenties, she’s one of my favorite clerks because there’s no gossip she can’t not share, and she tells me everything about everyone.
She pushes back her long braids and waves. The rhinestones on her electric-blue nails glint as she does so. “Hey, Josh, what’s shaking?”
I laugh. “I’m the better-looking twin.”
“How am I supposed to know which is which unless you start talking to me? Both of youclaimto be the better-looking twin.” She chuckles. “So what brings you here today?”
“I’m here to get married. This is my fiancée, Fiona.”
Fiona smiles and presents the ring.
Paola gasps, planting a hand over her impressive bosom. “Oh my Lord, that’sgorgeous. And so big!”
Fiona’s smile widens, although her eyes fail to match the wattage. “Yes, he really spoils me.”
“Girl, how come I never heard about you?” Paola looks Fiona up and down, cataloguing every detail as quickly as possible. The gleeful glow on her face says she’s dying to tell everyone about myfiancée. “Bryce really kept you under wraps.”
“I wasn’thidingher,” I say with a light laugh.
Fiona steps up. “We met when we were studying at Harvard. But after we graduated, I went to Wisconsin for work, so…” She shrugs. “But recently I came back, we ran into each other, and the rest is history.”
“That sounds like a movie! How was the proposal? Did he go down on one knee?”
“Of course. With lots of red roses.”
Paola’s eyes close, and she presses her hand deeper into her bosom. “Oh my God, that isso romantic!I’d die if it happened to me.”
If only that was how Fiona reacted. She threw up, like marrying me was the most disgusting thing imaginable. If Mom hadn’t sent the photo with a severed finger, Fiona probably would’ve stayed stubbornly uncooperative. I shove aside the sudden bitterness and feign a happy groom-to-be.
“Thankfully, she didn’t die. There was some leaping about with joy, though. Almost twisted an ankle in her heels—”
“Let’s not get carried away, dear.” Fiona covers my mouth with her hand, a wary caution in her eyes. I push it away, kissing the fingertips.
“Baby, you know the way if you want to shut me up.” I let my eyes fall to her mouth.
She flushes and gives me a meaningful look. “Not in front of an audience.”
“Oh, don’t mind me,” Paola says, fluttering her lashes. She would love that. Might even pull out her phone to record it.
Fiona turns to her with a sweet smile. “Can I give you my information first?”
“Yes, of course,” Paola says, her hands dropping to the keyboard. Then she gives me a small wink. “She’s a keeper.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Fiona
She’s a keeper.
If only Paola knew. I can’t believe she bought our lies. I guess sticking to the truth as much as possible helped. After all, we did meet at Harvard, and there are a lot of red roses—in his backyard. And he was on one knee for about half a second last night between dropping me on the bed and climbing on top of me.
