Page 35 of Faking the Shot

Good. Because there wasn’t anything real to believe. She glanced at her parents, Mack, and Emmett, all here tonight. She glanced at Emmett. “This is not for you to share, okay?”

“Honey, my lips are sealed.” He mimed a zipped lip and thrown key.

“They better be.” She pointed two fingers at her eyes then pointed at him, then turned to her parents. Here went nothing…

“So Rosie told me I needed to be seen in a long-term relationship. She said it wasn’t looking good for my career to be on a series of dates all the time, that I was getting a bit of a Taylor Swift reputation.”

“Honey, we’ve told you this a hundred times,” her mother said.

“I know.” But there was a world of difference between paying attention to her family and taking advice from someone considered an industry expert. Someone who had pretty much taken on Ainsley’s publicity as well as her agenting role because she believed in her so much. Other agents didn’t do that, she knew.

“I don’t know why you put so much stock in what she says,” Mack complained.

“How about because she’s steered my career so well so far?”

“So far.” He shrugged. “But you need to be careful not to let yourself be stymied.”

“I’m not stymied.” Not going to admit it here, anyway. “Anyway, back to Zac.”

“Yes, let’s get back to him.” Emmett rubbed his hands.

Her father rolled his eyes, shifting his body so he wouldn’t see the man his son had brought to dinner.

“She’s concerned that I’m getting a reputation and wants me to find someone to act as my boyfriend.”

“Oh, Ainsley.”

She hurried past her mother’s look of disappointment. “She offered to find me someone and I didn’t want to do that. I wanted a Christian guy”—she ignored her brother’s huff—“because I thought that at least I might have him treat me with a little more respect than some of the guys out there who, let’s be frank, are a little handsy at times. So when I met Zac at the White night, he seemed nice, and I found out he’s a Christian—”

“He is?”

She nodded. “And anyway, he’s agreed to pretend to be my boyfriend for the next three months.”

“What?”

“Why would you do that?” her mother asked.

“Why wouldn’t he date you for real?” her dad asked, sounded offended on her behalf.

“I don’t want to date him for real,” she insisted. Even though yesterday’s bike ride had been fun. “I’m too busy for a real relationship, anyway, and I suspect he is too. I just want someone I can show up for events with who won’t ask me for anything, who will just be there.”

“So you want something like a handbag, except a man,” Mack said.

“That doesn’t sound very nice,” she said.

“But it’s what you are doing. Wow.” He whistled. “Gotta say, he might be a hot hockey player, but I’m losing respect for the man. Why would he agree to do this?”

“He’s got his reasons.” Which weren’t so clear right now. “But anyway, you’ll probably see some things reported—” She swiveled a look at Emmett.

He held up his hands. “But not by me. Well, I’ll only say what you want me to say.”

“Thank you. If that’s the case, then you can just say something like ‘a source close to Ainsley said the rumors regarding a relationship can be confirmed.’ That’s all that needs to be said right now.”

Mack snickered. “You want him to confirm that there are rumors—because it’s true that there are actually rumors?”

“Exactly.” She smiled.

Emmett laughed. “Oh, you may act sweet, but you can be devious, can’t you?”

---