“So, we can tell people we’ve known each other since we were kids, kept in touch, but just reconnected when you returned to our hometown last year, after your father died.”
He was leaning against the counter, sipping his strong black coffee. “What else would we tell people? That’s the truth.”
“Right but um, are there any women who are going to come out of the woodwork and claim to be your girlfriend?”
His look could have melted my panties off before he said, “You know I don’t have a girlfriend, G.”
“Right, but you’ve been seeing other women the past year. What if one of them claims we couldn’t have been a couple all that time because you were sleeping around? You know the way trolls are, Joel. They post all kinds of hateful shit on social media just to get attention.”
“And we can’t do a damn thing about that, can we? So, why worry about it? If people say shit that isn’t true, we’ll deal with it.”
“But I’m talking about the stuff that is true. We are kind of selling a lie.”
And my church-going inner child was deeply ashamed of me. My parents would be too if they found out Joel, whom they adored, had signed on to be my fake husband. I was sure they’d always secretly hoped I would marry Joel, move in down the road from them, and give them lots of grandbabies to spoil.
“You worry too much about what everyone will think. Who cares? It’s our lives. We can do whatever the hell we want to.”
I loved his attitude. I wished some of it would rub off on me because he was right, I cared way too much what other people thought. And strangers, no less. “Do you think I’m crazy for wanting to do this? I mean, it’s totally over the top, isn’t it?”
“I’ve seen plenty of people do crazy things to succeed. Building a business is hard work and you do what you have to do.”
My business was my life. Aside from my family and friends, it was all I had. I’d been working my butt off for years to build my brand and now that I finally had the best-selling book to my credit and the network had come calling, my dream was about to materialize. And I’d have the financial security and independence I’d always dreamed about. I could buy a little house of my own, some furniture. Maybe even a new car.
“You’re too close to turn back now, girl. Don’t even question whether you’re doing the right thing.” He waited until my eyes met his before he said, “Trust me, you are.”
I did trust him. Completely. But how would he feel about me when he heard the conditions of our fake marriage? “Before you decide to go all in on this crazy scheme of mine, you need to know…”
“What?”
“You won’t be able to date, Joel.” I heaved a sigh, sinking back in my chair. I was pretty sure this would be a deal-breaker. “Not even discreet sex with some stranger passing through town. If you did, everything could blow up in our faces. If someone got a picture of you with another woman or—”
“Not gonna happen. If I’m wearing your ring, I’m your husband. End of story.”
My jaw dropped. “But I know you.” I waved a hand in his general direction. “You enjoy the company of beautiful women. And they love you. How are you going to go withoutsex,” I whispered the word. “Indefinitely?”
“Indefinitely?”
“Well, I don’t know how long the show will last. They’ll give me one season, or maybe only a few episodes to test the concept. But even if the show doesn’t take off—”
“It will. The audience will love you.”
There was a reason this man was one of my best friends. He believed in me more than I believed in myself. “People divorce, I get that. Would it ruin everything I’d worked for if we split after a few years? Not likely, but—”
“A few years?” he echoed. “You want me to go a fewyearswithout sex?”
I swallowed the ball of fear swelling in my throat. I should have known this was too good to be true. I was asking way too much of him. No one would be willing to put their life on hold for years to help a friend build her career. It was stupid of me to ask.
“Forget it,” I said, rising from the table as I started to clear the dishes. “You’re right. It’s a stupid idea. I’ll just have to tell the network the truth, that I live alone in a tiny apartment, and hope they won’t mind shooting on location or something.” Tears were spilling down my cheeks and I was pissed at myself for letting him see how upset I was. Joel was one of the good guys, and I didn’t want him to feel guilty because he couldn’t help me make my dreams come true.
“Just relax.” He grabbed me by the waist and boosted me up on the counter so he could look me in the eye. “Counter proposal. A marriage that isn’t in name only.”
“I… uh…” What the hell was he suggesting? Sex? A permanent arrangement? A real marriage, with kids? Was he out of his mind? We loved each other as friends, but we weren’tinlove. And I didn’t want Joel or myself to settle for less when we started throwing around the word forever.
He grinned, spinning a finger around my temple. “Chill, girl. I can already see those wheels spinning. I’m just suggesting a more… practical arrangement.”
He was so close my girly parts were getting all tingly. My friends were right about him. He defined sexy. “Practical?” It came out as more of a croak than a question, making him chuckle as I cursed myself.
“We’re two single people. We’ve known each other forever. We’re going to be living under the same roof for who knows how long. Would it kill us to share a bed?”
