Page 29 of The Fake Family Deal

Marina places Lila into her stroller and sighs. I have a choice here. And I think I have to go for the chivalrous option.

“Hey, Marina,” I say as I approach her.

She looks up at me, her eyes tired and vacant. “Yeah?”

I swallow, my palms sweating. “Stay tonight.”

“What?” She blinks like she didn’t hear me.

“I just thought it might be easier for you to stay here instead of going home and coming back again in the morning.”

I’m trying to play it cool, but the idea of her staying here thrills me more than it should. Her staying feels like her saying,yes, we are something more than we’re pretending to be. There is a bond between us.

A couple of the camera operators shuffle past us and bid us goodnight. We both nod tersely at them, then Marina turns her blank stare back on me again. “What?”

Slowly, I say it one more time. “Stay here. Tonight. You and Lila. With me. Make life easier.”

She gives me a curious look, her expression finally shifting into one of understanding. Not quite a smile, but more than the blank exhaustion of before. I think for a second, in her hesitation, that she’s going to say no, but then her smile widens as she makes a decision, and she says, “Okay. That makes sense. Thank you.”

“It’s nothing,” I say quickly. “I have plenty of room here, and it makes no sense for you to be coming and going all the time with Lila. It would be better for you both to travel less, especially after a long day. It’s the rational conclusion, really. It’s nothing personal.”

That’s what I’m telling myself, anyway. It’s a lie I’m not sure I can believe.

It’s not personal. It has nothing to do with the fact that I’ve been feeling more and more affection for her lately, or that it hurts me to see Lila cry because she’s tired and overstimulated. It has nothing to do with the dreams I keep having of Marina coming to bed with me, curling into my arms and us falling asleep together.

It’s definitely not anything to do with that.

I sound convincing — right?

I guess I’m just getting used to having them around. The silence without them here in the night is eerie. It’s been a long time since I had anyone who wanted to stay for any reason. It’s not like I have any friends who would want to stay.

I have even fewer people who are willing to treat me like she does — like I’m human. I have people I know, but most of the time I’m surrounded by flatterers and sycophants, people who like me because I’m rich but who wouldn’t be there if I actually needed a friend. Marina is willing to stand up to me, tell me I’m wrong, or that I need to do something differently.

She’ll tell me that I’m being stupid. And that’s why it’s so easy to believe her when she’s kind to me. She has nothing to prove to me, nothing to gain from being nice. I’ve already paid her the first installment, after all.

I’d almost forgotten how much a million dollars is to a normal person. I’ve been surrounded by people who aren’t impressed by the number of zeroes in my bank account for so long, that to be faced with someone who’s judging me for who I really am… it’s refreshing.

It’s making me want to be better, for her.

There’s so much more to Marina than the scattered, dumb woman I took her for all those weeks ago.

I didn’t understand it then, but if I can help her now, I’ll have done good.

We’ve been filming for just over a week, and I’ve spent every day watching how Marina is with Lila. It’s a love so intense that I barely believed such feeling could exist. Every time Lila cries, Marina is there. Every time Lila needs something, Marina gives it to her, even if it means sacrificing her own needs.

Marina would give the world to Lila. But who is going to give Marina the world?

I’ve been thinking that I ought to start one of my charities again, or at least put some more effort in. It’s not like I need all my money. Something to help impoverished children, maybe. It would look good for the company too, to give more.

Maybe there’s more to life than work, though.

Finally, the crew go, shutting the door behind them, leaving just the three of us here, alone. Marina has gone back over to the sofa, holding Lila against her chest. Both of them have their eyes closed, and Lila’s mouth is open, her breath heavy against Marina’s breast.

Not that I’m looking at her breasts. That would be highly inappropriate, of course.

Quietly, I head over to them. “Hey, Marina,” I say gently, touching her shoulder. She jolts awake and I recoil away. “Isn’t it Lila’s bedtime? We can put her to sleep in her room.”

“It’s okay, I can do it,” she says, shuffling to sit upright, grunting with the effort.

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