Page 32 of Faking It with the Off-Limits Doctor

It feels weird on my finger, and I fiddle with it as I nod.

A moment passes, and then the pieces fall into place. Clearly, if he’s bought the ring, this is the start of it. I’ve been safely hidden away like Cinderella for the last week. Now, we have to gather our lines and be ready for the show.

“So, when are we going out?”

“How about dinner on Friday evening?”

“You know the only decent place to eat here is Joe’s Diner, and decent might be a bit of an overstatement,” I reply.

“We could eat, and then go out to the bar. We just need to be seen.”

“Okay,” I say, sounding far more confident than I feel.

It won’t be that hard, right?

13

Alex

After Dara leaves, I take some time to look around the house and realize that she’s right. It did look like a bit of a man cave before. The flowers and plants definitely give it a woman’s touch, which, let’s face it, is the basis for this whole farce: a family home.

I had bought the ring not long after she agreed to be my fake fiancée. I had no idea that it would fit. Thankfully, while a little loose, it sits on her finger just fine. Seeing her concern about it getting ruined, I also had been forced to lie and tell her it isn’t real.

But of course it’s real. We need to sell this relationship, and I don’t want something as stupid as a fake ring blowing our cover.

When I slid it onto her slender finger, I couldn’t help noticing the flush of her face. And then she looked up at me with those blue eyes, like pools of the ocean, and for a second, I found myself lost in them.

There have been a few similar moments, as I think about it. I need to snap out of this. This is a business arrangement, nothing more.

The rest of the week flows pretty much the same. Thankfully, Dara doesn’t arrive early on any of the following mornings, which saves me having to jump out of the shower and run to open the door in a semi-naked state. Not that I care, but clearly, she was wholly embarrassed.

By the time Friday comes, I’m beginning to feel a bit nervous. I mean, I’m the one who suggested we need to go out into this town so people can see that we’re together, but I have no idea how this is going to go.

I choose smart-casual with a pair of gray dress pants and a light blue shirt that I leave open at the neck. It’s far too warm for a jacket. With a final glance in the mirror, I skip downstairs, jump into the car, and make the ten-minute journey to Dara’s house.

I knock on the door, and a few seconds later, I find myself swallowing back a sharp intake of breath. I’ve seen her in chef’s whites. I’ve seen her in a checkered shirt and jeans. What I have not seen her in is a soft, light-blue summer dress that grazes her skin. It sits just above the knee, highlighting her long legs and firm calves in the small-heeled sandals.

Blonde hair hangs lusciously down her shoulders, and while she’s not caked in makeup like so many of my clients, she wears just enough to highlight the blue of her eyes and the full lips of her mouth.

Okay. And now, I’m staring.

Snap out of it, man!

“Hey,” I say, my greeting so delayed it looks like I’m glitching.

“Hey,” she says back, a knowing smile dancing at the corner of her mouth. Yep. I’m busted. “You look great.”

“Thanks. You look…” I hesitate because I don’t really know how to describe how she looks apart from stunningly gorgeous. I think that’s too much, so I turn it down a bit and say, “beautiful.”

“Thank you. It’s nice to get out of the chef’s whites and air out my wardrobe every so often.”

“You should do it more often. You don’t have to wear your uniform all the time, you know,” I say. Though I have to wonder if that suggestion is more for my benefit than hers. “Are you ready?” I offer an elbow.

Dara links her arm into mine and we walk down the path to my car. “This is going to be one interesting night,” she sighs.

“It’ll take some time, but they'll get used to it,” I reply, feeling like I have to say something reassuring.

“Well, they’ll certainly have something to talk about for the next week or two, so if you feel your ears burning…” she trails off.

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