Page 82 of The Match Faker

Liam weaved his fingers into mine and squeezed. That one gesture made me melt like hot ice cream. It was telling me I’ve got you, Mia. And in that moment, I was so grateful that he was here.

‘It’s true. I find with my clients that often the older they are, the faster things happen. They’ve got a clearer idea of what they want.’

Grumpy Guts scribbled something on his notepad and Susie nodded.

We were only a few minutes in and I already knew that this interview was going to be tougher than I’d feared. I thought it’d be enough to have a boyfriend, but the fact that we hadn’t been dating for very long felt almost as ‘bad’ as not having one at all.

‘How did you meet?’ Susie asked.

‘We were best friends at school.’

‘And I always had a crush on her,’ Liam added.

I almost blurted out really? but then remembered he was acting. He said it so convincingly, I almost believed him.

‘I was pretty into him too…’ No acting required for that answer. It was true. I looked at him and smiled. Jesus. He was so bloody handsome.

‘But when my mum took me to live in Spain, we lost contact. I never stopped thinking about her, though.’ Liam reached up and stroked my cheek.

Someone give the guy an Oscar. Trudy was right. Hiring an actor to be my fake boyfriend was genius. I couldn’t imagine anyone else putting on a performance as good as this.

I wanted to say that I’d never stopped thinking about him too, but considering I’d been in a long-term relationship for all of my adult life, that would’ve sounded bad.

‘So why didn’t you get in touch?’ Grumpy Grump spat.

‘I knew Mia was in a relationship, so I had to respect that. I thought that if we were really meant to be, like I’d always believed, fate would bring us together again. And I was right.’

‘Awww,’ Susie swooned. ‘That’s so romantic.’

‘Now you can understand why I’m crazy about him!’ I leant forward and pecked him on the lips.

God, what did he use to make his lips so soft? And how long would be appropriate to wait before kissing him again?

‘I must say I’m quite surprised by your relationship.’ Mr Grumpy said the word ‘relationship’ like he wasn’t convinced. Shit. ‘Forgive me, Mr Stone, but you do have a certain reputation with the ladies.’

My nostrils flared. Liam’s past was none of his business. I reminded myself to keep my cool, then held my breath, waiting for the response.

‘I’m aware,’ Liam said calmly. ‘You shouldn’t believe everything you read, Mr Morgan. I’m no saint, but when you’re a young guy who came from humble beginnings in South East London, who’s catapulted into the bright lights of LA, it’s hard not to be affected.’

‘I can imagine.’ Susie nodded sympathetically.

‘My fortunes changed very quickly. All of a sudden I was earning a lot of money, my face was splashed over billboards and I had women flocking around me. I’m not complaining. I was living the dream. I don’t know many people who wouldn’t go off the rails. But that’s in the past. Thanks to Mia, I’ve turned over a new leaf.’

That was actually a great answer. If you’re single and women are offering themselves on a silver platter, there’s no reason to turn them down.

‘Humph.’ Unsurprisingly, Mr Morgan wasn’t impressed.

‘What do you love most about Liam?’ Susie asked.

‘Where do I start?’ I turned to face him, resisting the temptation to press my lips against his again. ‘He’s kind and so tuned in to my needs.’

Susie raised an eyebrow. Clearly she thought I meant sexually. I had a feeling he’d be great in the sack and hoped I’d get the chance to find out.

‘In what way?’

‘He always tries to make me comfortable. He listens and remembers the important little details that most people would forget. When he’s around, I feel safe. He makes me feel seen.’

‘Awww. And, Liam? What do you love about Mia?’

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