Page 6 of Misadventures With My Fake Fiancé

The fact that this Susan woman was falling over him, literally, was not much of a surprise. The fact that he hadn't found a woman to claim was.

I turned around and Jane and Goldie stood right behind me, so close I took a step back and bumped my hip against the counter. Goldie lifted one blonde eyebrow in a gesture that screamed 'tell me now.'

I put one hand over the receiver. “It's Mike Ostranski. He's at his uncle's in Alaska and he wants me to come up and pretend to be his girlfriend because there's a crazy woman who lives next door who wants to marry him and make babies. And his mother is helping her.” God, I was rambling.

“Is that all?” Goldie asked. “I thought there was a real problem.”

Knowing Mike could probably hear, I decided to be diplomatic. “I guess it's all relative. And it sounds like the woman's...um...bat shit crazy.” Again, since the description fit both women, I let Goldie decide for herself who I was talking about.

“So go help him out. Pretending to behisgirlfriend won't be too much of a hardship.” Goldie cocked her head and gave methatlook. “Unless you don't like that tall, ginger and handsome type.”

I darted my eyes between Jane and Goldie. Jane shrugged her shoulders and said, “She has a point.”

I covered up more of the phone, embarrassed even thinking Mike could hear what Goldie was saying. “Of course, I do,” I hissed. “Every woman in town thinks he's hot. But Alaska? To be his fake girlfriend? Mrs. O's there. She never really liked me.”

I'd always wanted to go to Alaska, and being three thousand miles away from Goldie wouldn't be a hardship.

“Violet, I'm not deaf. I heard you the first time,” Goldie said. “You should go. It sounds like fun, and Claudine isn't so bad. Besides, Mike is one fine specimen of a man. If you don't do it, I will.”

I glanced at Jane, who just shrugged again.

I pictured the scene at the airport in Alaska when Mike picked up Goldie to be his girlfriend. Probably not what he had in mind, especially since Goldie had been married for over forty years.

“Goldie, Veronica and I switched places all the time so I didn't have to go to her karate class. I think maybe Mrs. Oknew.”

Goldie gave me a serious look. “How old were you? Ten? Eleven?”

I nodded my head meekly. It did sound stupid when you put it that way. But I was still scared of the woman.

Goldie and Jane were right. I had a hot guy desperate for me, okay, not in the way I wanted, but still. He needed me, and I was debating. It wasn't very complicated. In fact, it was downright simple. “I guess I won't find a man working here, will I?” I asked.

Mike might not really want me, but working at Goldilocks with no summer adventure was actually worse.

Jane raised her hand like she was in elementary school and got a dreamy, faraway look on her face. “I did,” she commented. “I met Ty for the first time”—she pointed to the counter—“right here.”

“Yeah, but he's a fireman and was doing a safety check on the building, not some guy getting a toy when he had a date or a porn flick when he didn't.”

“Okay, maybe not a fireman for you, but he could be the next person through that door,” Goldie added.

We all turned our heads to look at said door. Coincidentally, it swung open, slammed against the exterior wall and a woman dashed in as if the hounds of hell were chasing her.

“Or maybe not,” I grumbled.

“You've got a hot man on the phone,” Goldie reminded me, but the woman who approached the counter quickly distracted her attention.

“Miss Goldie,” the woman panted. She was out of breath and her dark hair was a mess as if she'd just woken up from winter hibernation. She wore jeans, a white T-shirt which was wrinkled and in need of a wash. No makeup. “DEFCON ONE.”

Jane and Goldie gasped in unison. I darted my eyes between all three of them, not knowing what that meant. The way the woman was dressed, global thermonuclear war could possibly be imminent.

“Violet!” I heard yelled through the receiver.

Crap. I'd forgotten about Mike. I kept my eyes on the woman as I said into the phone, “Hang on.”

Jane and Goldie rushed around the counter and surrounded the woman.

“Who is she?” Jane asked breathlessly.

“A contractor from Salt Lake,” the woman said, sniffling. “She's here on a new project for at least six months.”

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