Page 25 of Last Minute Fiancé

I stiffened before I looked over at Luca.

“After all, you kick ass. I assume you already did the corporate ladder taking over the world without having to do espionage or some shit like that.”

We weren’t going to get any other better segue into what we needed to talk about, but it wasn’t going to be easy. My stomach rolled, and I didn’t know if it had to do with nervousness or being pregnant.

And I really need to stop thinking the P word because that was going to stress me the fuck out again.

“What is it?” Devney asked, frowning between us.

“Um. Well.”

“I’m going on Addison’s work trip in a day or so. Should be fun. You know all those finance bros that we just can’t get enough of.” He sipped more of his wine while everybody frowned at us.

“Why on earth are you going on that trip? I was pretty sure that Addison didn’t even want to go on that trip,” Heath asked.

I looked at Luca, who I realized wasn’t going to help me here. He was already helping me enough. Great.

“I’m up for a big promotion, but in order to get that promotion, I need a husband.”

Everybody stared at me. Paisley blinked a few times and then leaned back in her chair, shaking her head at me. “Harrington-Wells III strikes again?” she asked, her voice dry.

Everybody frowned, and I had forgotten that Paisley was working with Nathan’s wife, and also worked in a similar sector. Plus, Harrington and Paisley were on the same level of entrepreneurship. I was pretty sure Paisley was doing even better than Harrington, not that I would tell my boss that, ever. I was already lying to keep my job, I didn’t need to add harsh truths to it.

“What’s going on?” August asked, leaning forward.

“I’m up for a promotion, but so is Travis.”

“Asshole,” Devney growled. “I mean Travis, not you. But both of you guys going up for the promotion? Is he going to try to cut your feet out from beneath you like always? He’s always been conniving.”

“He wasn’t conniving the whole time we were dating, just at the end. Hence why he’s not my boyfriend now. But yes, he’s going to try. And because the junior partnership is something that brings in a new sense of responsibility, it also brings a different lifestyle.” I shook my head. “I’m not saying this correctly.”

“What she isn’t telling you is the fact that Travis is engaged, and her boss really likes that Travis is now going to be part of a perfect family and is going to have the 2.5 kids with the happy adopted dog. So, what did you do about that, Addison?” Luca asked, raising a brow.

I knew he was trying to help, but none of this made sense or was making it easy.

“I told them that I was engaged, and I was going to bring my fiancé to the company work trip. Because that totally makes sense.”

Everybody started talking at once, while Luca just sat back and stared at me.

“Are you kidding me? How’s that legal?”

“Enforcing the legalities versus the perception are two different things,” Paisley put in.

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” I said, mostly to myself, though I was still trying to calm everyone down.

“It is fine,” Luca said as he reached forward and gripped my hand.

Everyone stared at the gesture, and Luca sighed.

“We’re just going to pretend we’re engaged for the trip and then we’ll figure out the next step. She needs this promotion, she deserves this promotion, and we’re already best friends. What’s a little fake engagement between friends?”

“I’ve seen that movie, it doesn’t end well,” Devney said flatly.

I grinned. “No, but the only other choice is to tell my boss that I lied because I was nervous and incompetent and going through too much. It’s fine. I realize that there’s not an easy way out of this, but we’re going to stick with it for now. And we’re going to kick the patriarchy and my boss in the balls, and then I’m going to get the promotion and everyone’s going to forget the fact that I had a fiancé for one weekend.”

Nobody looked as if they believed me, and frankly I didn’t either.

There was really no easy way out of this, but I was the one to put my foot in my mouth, and Luca was trying to save me.

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