Page 6 of Fake it With Me

Liza shrugged. “That’s fine.”

Relief washed through me. “I don’t want complications any more than you do.”

“Good. We’re agreed. If you’re okay with my terms, I’ll sign the contract right now.”

I extended my hand and we shook on it.

“The contract will be sent to your email this afternoon,” I said. “Della will handle all the paperwork. I’ll need you in Maine in two days’ time. Is that feasible?”

“I’ll make it work.”

“Good.” I pulled out my wallet and left enough cash on the table to cover the bill and a generous tip. “Thank you, Liza. You’re helping me more than you know.”

She smiled, and it transformed her face from pretty to genuinely beautiful. “Thank you for the bear claws. They were really good.”

After she left, I stood outside the coffee shop and called Della.

“Well?” she answered on the first ring. “How did it go?”

“She’s perfect,” I said, watching Liza disappear into the crowd of pedestrians. “Finalize all the paperwork. Get her everything she needs. I want her in Maine by Wednesday.”

“Consider it done. I told you I would find the right person. I am the best at what I do.”

“You are.” I started walking toward where my driver waited with the car. “Della, one more thing. Make sure the contract is ironclad. No room for misinterpretation, no gray areas.”

“Of course. That’s how all our contracts work.”

“Good.”

I ended the call and slid into the back of the car, my mind already racing ahead to all the things I needed to arrange before Liza arrived. Getting the house ready, prepping Daisie, making sure my lawyer knew about the new addition to our household.

I had a lot of work to do.

3

LIZA

The contracts arrived in my inbox before seven in the morning. I had barely slept the night before. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Darek Sullivan’s face.

He was a very attractive man and I supposed I was a little suspicious about why he was single. He could have anyone. Why was he paying someone to pretend to be his girlfriend? If I had met him in the wild, I would have definitely been interested. I was sure there had to be at least a hundred women who would be willing to jump at the chance to be Mrs. Sullivan.

Then again, the other Mrs. Sullivan had bailed. Maybe he was a total dick. Della assured me she vetted all of her clients. He didn’t have a criminal record. He wasn’t violent, that she knew of. It was safe.

I read through the contract three times, looking for the catch. The part where it said I’d have to donate a kidney or sign over my firstborn or agree to be featured in some humiliating reality show. But it was straightforward. Almost boringly so. One month. Public appearances as required. Maintain the appearance of a romantic relationship. Compensation of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars upon completion of the thirty-day term.

Nothing physical or romantic required. That phrase appeared four separate times in the document, like Della had anticipated my anxiety and addressed it preemptively.

And it was top secret. There was a pretty tight NDA. That was fine with me. I wasn’t exactly looking forward to advertising what I was willing to do for money.

But Janice didn’t count. My best friend would take all my secrets to the grave. And Darek was telling his lawyer. If he could tell one person, I could, too.

I signed it and sent it back before I could second-guess myself into oblivion.

Twenty minutes later, my phone pinged with a notification from my bank. A deposit of five thousand dollars had just hit my account.

I stared at the number, convinced it was a mistake.

But then Della texted: Advance for wardrobe and travel expenses. Have fun shopping! Let me know if you need anything else.