Page 55 of Not That Into You

“Thank you, Mrs. Stanhope. You look lovely as well.”

I smile. My perfectly polite fake girlfriend is back. I almost wish she was still wearing her glasses. Something about Monica’s polite voice brings to mind a prim schoolteacher eager to exact discipline.

I always was an unruly student.

“Cameron.”

“Hm?” I drag my focus back to my mother.

“I asked you to make a special effort to talk to the Threadstones tonight.”

My hand involuntarily clenches Monica’s side, causing her to look at me sideways. Is my mother still trying to push me toward Victoria or Viola or whatever her name is?

When I don’t immediately respond, my mother narrows her eyes before darting a look at Monica.

Yes. Yes, she is.

Not going to happen.

I release Monica’s waist to clasp her hand. “We’ll see you in there, Mother.”

I lead Monica into the living room where servers circulate with trays of champagne and hors d’oeuvres. Grabbing two glasses, I had one to Monica, then let my hand drop to her lower back while I guide her out onto the patio. I’ll have to circulate among the growing crowd eventually, but first, I need a breather.

Monica takes a sip of champagne. “Everything okay?”

My gaze moves over the people milling around the pool before I spot my brother Archie, predictably attired in a black suit and standing next to his equally joyless wife.

“Cameron?”

I glance back at Monica. “Yeah?”

She furrows her brow. “You okay?”

“Sure.”

Her eyes narrow before she takes another sip. “Who are the Threadstones?”

When I clench my jaw, she lifts a brow. “The Threadstones are a family important to my mother.”

“And you don’t like them?”

“I don’t know them.” I frown. “I don’t like that my mother wants to marry me off to the daughter.”

“Ah. I see. And would this be the daughter who sent you into such a panic you offered to pay your sworn enemy a certain sum of money to pretend to be your girlfriend?”

My mouth twitches. “The very same.” I tilt my head. “I didn’t realize we were sworn enemies. Did that involve witnesses? A blood oath?”

“A cauldron over an open flame. I made a small, twiggy likeness of you and threw it in.” She smiles. “It was very satisfying.”

I grin before dropping a kiss on her mouth. Her eyes widen before she clears her throat and takes another sip of champagne.

She glances around. “I guess that was for show.”

It wasn’t—it just felt natural—but I doubt Monica wants to hear that. “Sure.”

Her shoulders relax, and I can’t help myself. I drop another kiss on her neck on the soft spot below her ear. She stiffens, and I smile.

Tonight is going to be fun.

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