I scooted out from under the desk. Blade was standing in front of me.
“Lucky we’re already fake girlfriend and boyfriend,” I joked, looking up at the perfect crotch-height view. “Otherwise this would be awkward and probably result in a sexual harassment lawsuit.”
He reached down. I grabbed his hand, and he easily swung me to my feet. I looked up at him. He was frowning slightly, and his shoulders were tense.
“How was your family emergency?” I asked in concern. “Is everything all right?”
Blade rubbed his jaw and set his bag down. “We’ve run into an issue.”
My stomach sank. “I need that house, and my grandmother already invited half the town to the wedding. We have a magazine article and a reality TV show.”
“Holy smokes, don’t remind me,” he said and slumped in his desk chair.
I bustled to the fridge and handed him a seltzer water. “For your nerves.” That earned me a small smile.
“Avery,” Blade said. “I need you to move in with me.”
“Like in your house?”
“My brothers think this whole relationship is fishy. I told them we were planning on moving in together.” Blade’s jaw clenched as he looked out the window. Did he not actually want to move in with me?
Of course he didn’t. He barely knows you. Plus I knew he liked his personal space. That was why I ruled the interns with a heavy hand.
“We’ll get through it. Had to happen eventually, right?” I said, trying to sound reassuring. “Plus I bet you have a large condo. We’ll barely see each other.”
He looked as if he was about to say something then shut his mouth.
* * *
I left earlythat afternoon to start packing up my belongings.
“I have more stuff than I thought.” I huffed as Shirley and Edward helped me pull my clothes out of the closet.
“You need to tell him you have servants you want to bring with you,” Edward said. “Then we can all enjoy the spoils of your fake relationship.”
“Blade already doesn’t want me there,” I said. “The only reason we’re moving in together is that his brothers smell a lie, and we need to put them off the trail.”
“You’ll have to send some accidental sexts,” Edward said sagely.
“Oh my god, I cannot do that!”
“One topless photo from you sent to one of his brothers, and they’ll believe you two are together.”
“I am not taking a topless photo,” I said in horror. “No way.” I shoved clothes into an empty Amazon box.
“Are you taking your furniture?” Shirley asked.
“Not the bunk bed,” I said, “but I am taking my hammock chair.”
“You better take my tool kit,” Edward said.
“I thought you guys were going to come help me!”
“Shirley has a catering job, and I’m busy. Now that it looks like we’re going to be moving into a mansion in the country, I’m feeling nostalgic for the big-city, Grindr lifestyle. I need to soak up all the dick I can before we make our big debut as luxury rural wedding planners. Also,” Edward said, handing me Cesario, “I think you need to bathe him when you get to Blade’s. He smells like hot sauce.”
With all my clothes, furry ottomans left over from my dorm-room days, the inspiration bulletin boards, and Cesario’s stuff, I needed to order an extra-large Uber. After packing everything in, I set out to Blade’s condo. It was in a historic brick building in downtown Manhattan. I’d never been to it but had had groceries, his laundry, and packages sent there.
The Uber driver was impatient as I unpacked the trunk. I looked around. Were Blade’s brothers there? It looked like they were still at work. I breathed a sigh of relief. His brothers were intense, and I didn’t know exactly what Blade had told them. I didn’t want to give contradictory information and ruin the whole relationship before Blade even proposed.
