“If we have to pretend anyway, what’s the difference?” I tilted my head.
“Because I probably don’t look at you like you’re my sister. And it would be creepy if they caught me checking out my sibling.”
“Ah, so now you admit to checking me out.”
“And you now like testing me.” He glared. “I’m only human.”
“You weren’t testingmeevery time you walked around the house without a shirt on?”
“No, I truly wasn’t, Juliette,” he said, not a hint of sarcasm on his face.
Actually, I believed that, and I needed to stop while I was ahead.
I changed the subject. “Well, now that we’re going to dinner at the neighbor’s house, we have to come up with a story and make sure we’re both on the same page. Who should we be tonight?”
“You already gave her our real names, which was dumb. But as far as who we should be… Let’s be who wewishwe could be…”
“Who’s that for you?”
He paused for a moment. “I’m a cop. Let’s say in LA—since we have to be in the same city in order for this to work out. We probably don’t live together yet because you keep the damn house too hot.” He winked. “I own a modest, ranch-style home in a quiet neighborhood right down the road from you. I have a big German shepherd named Knight. You and I will probably move in together eventually, once we’re engaged, but that hasn’t happened yet. Life is good, honestly.” He raised his chin. “What about you?”
I closed my eyes and allowed myself to fantasize for a moment. “I just sold my first screenplay for a major motion picture. My parents are so proud of me—they’re together back in New York. My father is a used-car salesman with no rap sheet. My mother is a teacher. I had a pretty uneventful childhood in a loving, happy home. I met you when you stopped me for speeding, but we didn’t start dating until you recognized me at a bar a month later.”
“Nice.” He laughed. “I think that’s a good start on the basic fundamentals. We can wing the rest.”
That sounded dangerous.
***
“How long will you stay?” Natalia asked us from across the table.
“We’re not sure yet.” I turned to Wes and smiled. “We’re sort of seeing where the wind takes us with this trip.”
Their house was gorgeous, featuring high ceilings with dark wooden beams and ceramic-tile floors. Vibrant artwork covered the walls, which were painted in bright colors like terracotta and aqua. While they hadtwo children—a twelve-year-old girl and ten-year-old boy—the kids hadn’t wanted to join us for dinner, each retreating to their room to do homework after briefly coming out to meet us.
Mario turned to Wes. “How were you able to get time off from your work as a cop?”
That was a damn good question.
Wes cleared his throat. “Some…stuff happened on the job that I don’t really want to get into. I asked for a leave of absence for my mental health, and they were nice enough to grant my request. I think everyone should take a break once in a while, if they need it.” Wes turned to me and smiled. “And thankfully, she can work remotely.”
I smiled. It all sounded so logical.
Natalia asked how we met, and Wes proceeded to tell the story of how he’d pulled me over for speeding.
“When I saw her in a bar about a month later, I couldn’t believe it. She caught me staring, and I knewIwas the one busted this time.”
Nice one, liar.
“She smirked at me, and then I swallowed my pride and went over to speak with her. Honestly, the rest is history.” Wes shook his head. “For some reason, that night I knew she was the one.”
I blushed. He looked dead serious. Wes was definitely the better actor in our pairing. I mostly just sat back and nodded while he lied.Some team.
“Five years is no small feat,” Mario said as he poured us more wine. “Any plans for marriage?”
I gulped and looked over at Wes.Why am I nervous about his answer? This whole thing is fake. Delulu.
“We have our differences,” he said, placing his arm around me. “She likes to keep the temperature superhot at her house. But when you care about someone…you live with these little things. And I definitely think we’ve been wise to take our time, to get to know each other’s quirks. That way, we’re all the more ready for marriage when it happens. And itwillhappen, yes. I just have to think of the right time and place to pop the question. Pretty sure she knows it’s coming.”
