Page 76 of Fake It For Glory

“Good point. Although you’re more of a celebrity than I am right now.”

“Ah, but my room is not in my name,” I said, smiling. “It’s under Hattie’s.”

“True. So, what’s this big surprise?” he asked while looking around the room.

“Why don’t you get comfortable?” I said. I picked up the phone and dialed room service. I had already spoken to the concierge and let him know what I wanted. He promised it would be handled.

“Get comfortably naked?” Jensen grinned.

I laughed. “Actually, no. I have something for you.” I grabbed his tie and led him to the room. On the bed were matching pajamas.

He gave me a funny look. “What’s this?”

“Pajamas,” I said, smiling. “We’re getting comfy and staying in. We’re not going anywhere but right here. No one is going to call you. Hattie is handling all of your calls. No one is going to text, call, or email you. Well, they might email you, but you’re not dealing with it.”

He smiled and slowly nodded. “Okay. This is different.”

“Different is a good thing,” I said with a smile. “You need different.”

We both quickly changed into the new pajama sets. He looked pretty sexy in the black plaid bottoms with the drawstring. The black T-shirt was a tight fit. A few minutes later, room service delivered my requested order. A tray filled with juicy cheeseburgers, crispy fries, and ice-cold sodas.

Jensen’s eyes widened in surprise as he took in the spread. “Merida, you didn’t have to do this.”

I silenced him with a finger to his lips, a mischievous glint in my eye. “I know I didn’t have to, but I wanted to. Consider it a taste of my lifestyle for once.”

We settled in, wearing our comfy pajamas, and I couldn’t help but notice how relaxed Jensen looked. It was as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, if only for a moment. We sat on the floor with our food spread out on the coffee table.

“When was the last time you did something like this?” I asked as we both dug into the burgers.

He took a thoughtful bite of his burger before answering. “God, I can’t remember. It had to have been when I was a kid, maybe with my dad.”

I smiled, feeling a connection forming between us. “Well, then, I’m glad I could bring a little bit of that back for you tonight. That would have been over a decade ago,” I said, my voice filled with genuine surprise. “Tell me more about your dad, Jensen.”

As I listened to Jensen speak about his father, I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of empathy wash over me. It was as if a window into his soul had been opened, and I was invited to witness a part of his life that he hadn’t shared with many. The vulnerability in his voice was palpable, and I knew that this was a big moment for him.

He took a deep breath, his gaze distant as he shared. “My dad was, and will forever be, my hero. He was a good man who would help anyone who needed it, no matter the cost. He taught me the difference between right and wrong, how to forgive, how to move forward. Even when I was going through all that hell at school, he always told me to keep moving forward and not to worry about what the other kids said.”

I could hear the sadness in his voice, the weight of his memories pressing down on him. “But when he got injured at work and went on disability, something inside of him sort of cracked. Without his work, he didn’t have a purpose anymore, and without purpose, he stopped taking care of himself, stopped seeing himself as worthy. He spiraled. He was not the man I remembered growing up. It sucked watching him deteriorate. Hattie and I tried, but he didn’t want help.”

“I’m sorry.” I reached out and gently touched his hand, offering silent support as he spoke.

“By the time I was twenty-four, my father had passed.”

My heart ached for him, for the pain he must have endured watching his father’s decline and feeling helpless to stop it. “I’m so sorry, Jensen,” I whispered, my voice filled with genuine sympathy.

He looked at me, his eyes reflecting the depth of his pain. “It was the worst thing that has ever happened to me,” he admitted. “For a long time, I was angry with him, felt like he gave up, like my sister and I weren’t good enough for him to stick around for. But I know now it was much more complicated than that. My father had demons we never knew about and will never know about. If I could have waved a magic wand, I would have done it. I would have done anything to help him. It pisses me off that he didn’t think he was worthy of being on this planet if he couldn’t work and contribute.”

I moved around the table and leaned my head against his shoulder. “But you know that isn’t your fault. Everyone has their own demons. You can’t fight them for anyone.”

“Thanks,” he said, smiling. “I suppose I know that, but I just wish I could have gotten through to him.”

We finished scarfing down our burgers and fries. It was so different than the caviar and champagne diet we’d been on. I missed the greasy food.

We leaned back against the couch with our bellies full. He wrapped an arm around me in a tender embrace. “Thank you for tonight, Merida,” he said. “It’s nice to feel normal for once.”

I couldn’t help but giggle at his words. “Oh, don’t be fooled, Jensen Loxley,” I teased. “There’s nothing normal about you.”

He smirked at me, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “Is that so? And what makes you say that?”

I leaned in closer to him, my lips brushing against his ear. “Well, for starters, you’re filthy rich and incredibly handsome. Not exactly the average Joe.”

He chuckled, the sound vibrating through my body. “I suppose you have a point there. But you’re not exactly normal yourself, Merida. You’re a writer, a dreamer, a woman who doesn’t conform to society’s expectations.”

I smiled at his words, feeling my heart swell with warmth. “Thank you, Jensen. That means a lot to me. I never really fit in growing up either. I guess what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

“I know the feeling,” he said, his hand rubbing gentle circles on my back. “Sometimes it’s hard to find your place in this world. But I think we’ve done a good job finding it.”

I looked up at him, my heart racing as he leaned in closer. His lips brushed against mine, soft and sweet, and all too brief.

“I think you might be right,” I whispered, my eyes locked on his.