Page 45 of The Fake Family Deal

Honestly, I’m kind of bored by not having to work. I mean, it’s incredible knowing I can order food and get a cleaner and a babysitter, and treat myself to daily little snacks in the grocery store that I usually save for special occasions. But now I don’t have to worry, it’s like a huge space in my mind has opened up — one that was being filled with spreadsheets and expenses, daycare costs and bills, and all of that stuff.

For the first time in a long time, I have everything I could possibly need. And yet somehow it still feels kind of empty.

It hasn’t helped that Ellis has been ignoring me for weeks. I’m trying not to appear too pushy. But it was his idea to go out in the first place.

If he really does want to be done with me, I wish he would just say so. It would spare us both a lot of misery.

There’s a small café next to his office, and finally yesterday he invited me for a coffee there. Apparently, he’s been very busy lately, which is why he hasn’t had time to come and meet me. I’mmeeting up with him on his lunch break because that’s the only time he could possibly come and see me, all things considered.

I think it’s a bit rich for him to say that, considering he’s spent three weeks ignoring me completely. But I’ve still made an effort to look nice and, despite myself, I’m quite excited to see him.

I have no doubt that he’s been busy. I just wish he’d messaged me at leastonceabout it. I almost gave up on him altogether.

We’re supposed to be meeting at midday, and even though I arrive a couple of minutes late, he’s still not here. Better that way, really. It gives me time to catch my breath.

I stand and linger near the door, wanting to wait for him before I let someone come over and hassle me into sitting down. It feels like I’ve been waiting forever, but it must only be a few minutes. It’s still enough time to pick up my phone and put it away again half a dozen times.

Since the show started airing, I keep getting all these spam calls and messages, and I can’t use social media at all anymore. Everyone wants a piece of me, and I’m not willing to give it.

Finally, Ellis rushes into the café, breaking into a smile when he sees me, dropping his act of total professionalism.

Despite myself, I feel a rush of relief on seeing him. Part of me wanted to be angry with him for being so cruel and ignoring me this whole time. But the fact is, whatever feelings I had for him during filming haven’t gone anywhere.

“Hello, Marina,” he says, approaching but staying at arm’s length. “How are you?”

“Good,” I smile. “I missed you.”

“Yes,” he says in that stifled way he always says things when he’s faced with emotions. I hold my breath, waiting for an apology that isn’t going to come, and still manage to find myself disappointed when it doesn’t. “Let’s get a table, yeah?”

I don’t know why he’s being so cold and businesslike, but I guess this is his CEO personality coming back to the fore.

“Okay,” I say. A waitress comes over to give us some menus, and I start looking over mine. Ellis doesn’t touch his. I give it a pointed glance, and say, “I thought we were here for lunch.”

“Yes, lunch,” he says absently. “To thank you for the show again.”

“Right,” I say. It’s like a switch has been turned off and suddenly he’s no longer the Ellis I had been working so hard to break through to. There’s no smile, no warmth, no nothing. Just the cold asshole I met on that first day when I interviewed with him.

“Is this why you’ve been ignoring me?” I ask.

“What?” he says like he doesn’t understand, and suddenly it infuriates me, this playing-dumb thing he does when he doesn’t want to talk about something.

Everything I had found charming about him last month is like another reason he’s riling me up now. It’s like he’s doing it on purpose to push me away.

“Is it? You’ve been ignoring me because it was always about the show? You haven’t responded to a single one of my messages because I didn’t mean that much to you in the first place?”

He blinks at me, dumbfounded. “No, of course not. I’ve been busy. Like I said. Do you know how much paperwork producing TV leaves you with?”

“No,” I mumble, suddenly embarrassed for my outburst. If he didn’t care, he wouldn’t be here.

Right?

I take a deep breath and try to smile. “So, how have you been?”

“Busy,” he says again.

“Happy with the show?”

“Very.”

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