Page 34 of Misadventures With My Fake Fiancé

“Women are ruthless,” Mike whispered, shaking his head. “Nice one.” His cell beeped. He pulled it from his pocket and read the display. After typing a quick reply with his thumbs, he put it back.

Mr. O gave my arm a little squeeze along with a smile as he passed, heading toward the building, ready to go. That small gesture was Mr. O being friendly. In comparison to his wife and Goldie, he was a mute. He had a backpack slung over one shoulder, wore jeans, running shoes, a fleece pullover. His sunglasses perched atop his white hair.

“Violet, so glad you're here today. It's something you'll never forget,” Mrs. O said as we followed behind. She had a slouchy cloth bag over her shoulder, most likely filled with all kinds of motherly things like tissues, a compact and Band-Aids. It wouldn't surprise me if she had some brass knuckles and mace in there as well.

Goldie tugged on my arm and stopped me, letting Mrs. O go ahead with Mike. We stood on the sidewalk in front of the station, tourists swirling around us.

“I didn't think you had it in you,” she said.

I lifted my eyebrow in question.

She mimicked the move I’d made across her own hair, her own bling sparkling in the sunlight. “Honey, that was the cattiest thing you've ever done. I'm so proud of you.” Goldie beamed at me as if I'd just won first place in the spelling bee, not acting like a possessive woman claiming her man-turf.

She didn't seem to be bothered by the early hour, bright and fresh in her black Capri pants, fuchsia top with a boat neck collarand walking sandals. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail that curved gracefully down her neck. She had big chandelier earrings that were completely out of place for Alaska, but looked perfect on her. A handbag the size of Texas was thrown over a shoulder.

“Thanks. Now you can see why Mike called for reinforcements.”

A voice blared through a hidden speaker announcing the boarding of the train to Seward.

“Don't worry. I've got your back.”

My mouth fell open. “Um, Goldie, I think we can?—”

I was going to tell her Mike and I could handle it, but she was gone, through the automatic doors in a cloud of rose scented perfume.

12

Mr. and Mrs. O had splurged on tickets for everyone in the first-class car, with our seats beneath a viewing dome capping the double decker train car. At the back, there was a covered viewing area where you could stand outside without windows in the way of the scenery. Mike and I took seats on the left, Susan and Goldie across from us, Mr. and Mrs. O directly in front of us.

Within minutes, the train rolled out of the station. So did my stomach. The pills Mike had given me earlier hadn't done a thing. My stomach was sour, queasy and I was more than a little nauseous.

“Oh God,” I moaned softly. I buried my face in Mike's shirt. He was warm and smelled like soap and was a comfort to my misery.

He put a solid arm around my shoulder, pulling me in close. “I like hearing those words from your lips, babe, but not like this.”

“I'm practically dying here and you're thinking of sex?” My words were muffled by his hard chest.

Mr. O got up, held out his hand for his wife. They stood in the aisle. “We're going out to the covered area.”

“I'll join you,” Goldie said. “Susan, why not come with us?”

Susan wasn't given much choice. She looked longingly at Mike, but Goldie put a hand on her shoulder and practically pushed her down the aisle. Grudgingly, at best.

Mike waited for them to go by. “I always think of sex when I'm with you.”

I glanced up at him and winced at the throbbing in my head. “You said I wasn't important enough.”

Mike closed his eyes for a moment. “Babe, I didn't mean it like that. Hell, it was so good between us that night you ruined me for all the other women.”

I pushed off his chest, but his arm that banded around me wasn't letting go. Forced me to keep my eyes on his. He was serious. “As if. It was our first time. Mike, it hurt like hell. I didn't—” I felt my cheeks heat. How had I ruined him for other women? He wasn't a monk and our one time together had been quite a bit of fumbling, a lot of tangled limbs and, for me, a fair amount of...discomfort.

Mike grinned. “Exactly. I was a terrible lay at eighteen. I have no idea why you were interested in me. I didn't even pleasure you.”

Oh, he'd pleasured me alright. But I didn't get the grand finale. Back then, I hadn't even realized there was one. I'd learned a thing or two since then. It only made me wonder more what it would be like now. There definitely wouldn't be any fumbling, and I had no doubt what I'd feel wouldn't be discomfort. When the chemistry and the skill got together, I could only imagine the kind of explosion that we'd make.

“Being a doctor was—is—everything I've ever wanted. I didn't just wake up when I was five and decide I wanted to go into medicine. There's a lot more to it than that.”

“But I thought?—”

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