Page 14 of Fake

“The women are for Dom. Not me.”

“That’s not the way it looks in the pictures, Nathan,” she continues, her posture softening from that of the CEO of a deeply respected charity, to the aunt who hosted sleepovers and taught us to build blanket forts. “You are so much better than the way you look online.”

“Maybe if I wasn’t being misrepresented,” I grumble, then hold up my hands because they won’t leave me alone until I concede. “But I hear you. I’ll try to keep myself out of the headlines.”

“Good.” Aunt Maisie closes her eyes and clears her throat. She glances at the floor, then meets my gaze and I don’t like what I see there. “Because the charity gala is in a few months. If you can’t get your act together, I don’t want you there, especially if there’s going to be anyone dazzling or spectacular on your arm.”

There’s a charged moment where everyone seems to want to say something but chooses silence instead. With a sigh, Maisie turns and leaves the room.

“I’m not a villain,” I say, more for my benefit than anything.

“Don’t read any of Fallon Mae’s articles or you’re in for a rude awakening.”

I grumble something about Ms. Mae being in for a rude awakening if we ever meet and Nick shakes his head.

“Just try to hear what we’re saying. The whole family’s worried. There are good women out there and you’ll find one when the time is right. Just because Blossom is a parasitic nozzle muncher doesn’t mean everyone works that way.”

Fuck finding another woman. That’s not gonna happen. Ever. I almost launch into my speech about wrapping my heart in barbed wire but stop myself before Nick can make fun of me too.

“I’m listening,” I lie.

“That’s all I ask. Opportunity will present itself. Something good is coming your way. Keep your eyes open so you recognize it when it walks in. In the meantime, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back to being Nathan Fucking West.”

“Pretty sure that’s what I’m in the middle of doing.”

Nick sighs deeply and shoves his hands into his pockets, chewing on a thought he’s not sure he should express. “Friday? Your birthday party?” he finally says. “If you bring a date?—”

“I’m not bringing a date.” Maybe I should have hit him with my barbed wire speech after all.

“Okay, fine. But if you do, it might put everyone’s mind at ease if she wasn’t the kind of woman who’d catch Dominick Taylor’s eye.”

We say our goodbyes and I sit there, replaying the last couple days in my head, Dom insinuating I’m squandering a winning hand, Aunt Maisie telling me to skip the charity gala when it’s my favorite part of the year, Mina calling, drunk and desperate…

Huh.

Look at that.

Maybe the opportunity Nick mentioned already presented itself in the form of an accidental message and a drunken request. Maybe I can keep that barbed wire around my heart and put my family’s mind at ease.

I’ll ask Mina Blake to pretend to be my new, non-dazzling or spectacular girlfriend.

It’ll be a little “extension” to our business relationship.

After the utterly dickish move of cutting her fee to send that text, I’ll have to offer to pay her.

But that could actually work in my favor.

That would make it a business arrangement, bound by professionalism.

What could go wrong?

SIX

Mina

A heady mix of guilt and excitement hits my belly as I pull into Shady Cove Restorative Clinic. I’m always glad to see my mom. She was my first best friend. My rock. She worked her ass off to take care of me after Dad left and was the perfect blend of “shoulder to cry on” and “get your butt in gear.” She was strong and beautiful and held her chin up no matter what life threw in our direction.

When I was thirteen, she sold the house she bought with my father. It was a handyman’s dream and they planned to pour time and attention into it over the years until they ended up with the kind of home they deserved. Only, Dad was the handy one in the family and Mom couldn’t keep up with the repairs after he left. Rather than trying to pay someone she couldn’t afford to do the work, she moved the two of us into an apartment.

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