Page 38 of Yours Temporarily

Damien retreats into a brooding silence, face buried in his hands, so I spare him the full intensity. “It was like something out of a movie, on the rooftop.…” My voice rises as I recount the proposal, omitting the electrifying kiss now indelibly imprinted in my memory.

“Wow!” Olivia jostles me, then spins us around the kitchen. “That’s the most romantic proposal ever!”

My friends’ reaction stands in stark contrast to Damien’s silent skepticism, far more obvious than the lines between truth and fiction, which now seem as delicate as the sparkle on my engagement ring.

With Damien’s brooding as my cue, I signal the girls, mouthing for them to give us a moment. They retreat, leaving us in unspoken tension. I edge closer and lay a hand on his slumped shoulder. “Damien?”

His eyes, shadowed with concern, meet mine, brotherly worry tautening his features.

“You can’t keep getting upset over every guy I date.” I jab him in the rib cage.

“He’s my boss, Zuri.”

“And he’s entitled to happiness too, isn’t he?”

Damien’s frustration manifests in a huff, the bowl of cereal pushed aside. “I never pictured him with my sister.” He runs a hand over his short hair, still chuffing. “I never should’ve invited him to that party.”

“Come on. You believe in divine matchmaking, don’t you?” After all, where’s his unshakeable faith?

Or is it wrong of me to pull that on him when this is all pretend?

Maybe I am getting too lost in this pretense. But right now, I fear my brother losing it on Jeremy before we even finish the deal.

His shoulders droop further. “Everything’s moving too fast. You two haven’t even had a real argument.”

“Oh, but we have.” I’m thinking of our spat during our first outing at the awards ceremony. “He’s really nice to me.”

I slide onto the stool beside his. Then I let my words whip up a recipe of Jeremy not only as a partner but also as a man of substance before I top off the concoction with our plans to visit his family in Colorado for his brother’s wedding.

Damien grips the back of his neck. “Oh man. Meeting the parents already.” His posture relaxes. “I guess you’re an adult who’s capable of deciding your destiny.”

“I made it on my own in Florida.” Back when I left San Francisco after I ended things with his best friend.

“Lexi did keep an eye on you there.”

“Hey.” I stand straight and whack his shoulder. “I’m so insulted you think I need someone to take care of me.”

“I’ll try to get used to this… Jeremy.” He quirks a brow, and his sarcasm signals a truce.

“And I’ll support you too when I invite Jessie over.” My threat at playing matchmaker draws a mock glare.

“Don’t you dare.” He ruffles my hair. “Do you know how embarrassing it’d be for my little sister to play matchmaker?”

I laugh. “It’s just as embarrassing when you go off fighting my battles with my supposed boyfriends. You ambushing Jeremy with our picture was mortifying.” But even as I cross my arms in a pout, warmth radiates through me because, surprisingly, Jeremy still has the photo on his meticulously clean desk. Hope sugarcoats me whenever I see our picture there.

The girls surge back into the room, gushing out their excitement for the engagement party.

“Hold on.” I raise a finger, needing to make this as casual as possible. “There’s one condition.” Their chatter ceases, their gazes on me. “We host the party here, and part of the fun will be testing out some menu items.” A culinary trial run, of sorts.

Olivia’s eyebrows crease together. “You’re planning to cook for your engagement party?”

My decision is non-negotiable. “That’s the deal, and you’re all pitching in by bringing your friends.” My gaze slides to Damien. “That includes inviting Jessie.”

He responds with a dismissive headshake.

I press on, outlining the dual purpose of the gathering. A chance for Damien to interrogate Jeremy with any lingering questions, a thought that brings a reluctant agreement from my brother.

The real challenge now looms ahead—convincing Jeremy to green-light this celebration of our “pretend” engagement. Maybe that won’t be hard—after all, the whole fake-engagement thing was his idea. Plus, this presents an opportunity to have him invite his circle, including Lexi’s boss. She needs to build that volatile relationship in a setting far removed from work pressures.

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