Page 69 of The Pucking Fake Marriage

Of course.Blake was always around in the beginning, when Ken and I first got together.

“Ken has been staying with us,” Britney explains. “It’s the thick of the season, and he needs to concentrate on his game. Playoffs are coming up.”

Why does it feel like she’s trying to explain away Ken’s absence? Like she thinks I’m really his wife or something.

“Our marriage is—was fake.” My voice is a little higher than I would like it to be, and it sounds like I’m on the verge of tears. Still, I have to make this absolutely clear. “It wasn’t real. We got married to help my business. It’s fake. That’s all there is to it.”

Not that I’m ever going to need help with this business again.Faye Strummer walking into my restaurant and taking over the service, even for a few hours, was groundbreaking. Overnight millionaires have been made with less effort from a less iconic popstar.

Even now, I realize how much my life will change, starting immediately. Still, all I can think of is the fact that an annulment is most likely on the horizon.

Stashing that thought away, I look up at the three women. None of them seem surprised by my words.

“Doesn’t seem fake to Ken,” Faye mutters, a gentle hand on my shoulder. “And it doesn’t seem like it is to you, either.”

Something about her tone causes a burning in my throat. I fix my gaze at my feet, suddenly unable to look them in the eyes. “How is he?” I sound pathetic, but I’ve just got to know.

“Looks about as well as you do,” Britney says. “Like I said, even his friends are shocked to see him this way.”

I brush away the tears before they can fall down my cheeks. While we were growing up, Ken maintained a smile even during the worst of times. Knowing that he’s now a full-on mess doesn’t help with my misery at all.

“I know he doesn’t want to see me, but…”

“On the contrary,” Harper pipes up. “We think he does want to see you.”

That forces me to look up at them again. If they believe that, they’ve been living under a rock. “What did he tell you about…what happened?”

“Not much,” Faye admits. “I know about your marriage and that something happened. Something involving your families. But we are sure he does want to see you.”

I hate that her words make me cling to hope, even after all I’ve been through. I will sound clingy and desperate, but I still want to know more. “How can you be so sure?”

“Because it’s obvious.” Harper shrugs.

I feel a mix of exasperation and envy rising inside me. Things are way too easy for these women. In their fairytale world, romance is a simple, reciprocal thing. None of them can understand the rollercoaster Ken and I have beenthrough this past year. They can’t even begin to comprehend the trepidation I feel about seeing him again.

Hell, even now, I don’t know what the best-case scenario would be. Even if Ken were to come back, what then? Do we get together for real? Stay married?

Even now, that thought makes me want to lurch out of my chair and keep running. Sometimes, I don’t know what’s stronger, my love for Ken or my fear regarding everything that could still go wrong.

The three women are looking at me, waiting for a response. It’s hard to compose my thoughts, and I mutter, “It’s not that simple.”

They exchange glances for what seems like the hundredth time. And then, before anyone can say anything, there’s a loud wail from the main restaurant, followed by someone screaming, “We want Faye!”

Britney and Harper roll their eyes, but Faye just chuckles.

“Sounds like your staff might need a few extra hands,” Britney says, pushing her way through to the door. “I better go see what’s going on.”

She slips through the door, giving me a brief glimpse of two of Faye’s guards. The door closes and they vanish out of sight again.

Faye hops on my desk, and Harper takes a seat across the table. I realize that I feel more comfortable with their presence than I did ten minutes ago. This feels almost like the conversation I had with Haley this morning.

“I can relate to your story more than you might realize.” It’s Harper speaking now. “Reggie struggled with the idea of falling in love. He hadn’t even had a real relationship before he met me. It was turbulent there for a while.”

“Blake was the same way,” Faye says. “Had a whole lot of commitment issues.”

I look from one face to another, surprised despite myself. I was already concocting a perfect romance for each of these women in my head. Still, when I think back over our story, I know we’re not in the same boat. Ken confessed his love to me ten years ago and never looked back.

“Ken doesn’t have commitment issues,” I say.

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