Page 37 of Faking It

“Whoever it was, they took it from the front room. Look.” I twist the phone to Jared. He briefly glances at it, then nods.

Someone shot it while we stood at the low wall, just after Ana stepped into my arms. Her head rests on my chest, the overhead light illuminating the anguish on her face. My arms are tightly wrapped around her, my chin resting on the top of her head. We look intimate. It’s not hard to understand why the press assumes we’re a couple.

The rumor about us starring in that movie together; now,thatI don’t understand.

“You know, seeing you two in that photo makes me wonder if you’ve been keeping things from me,” Jared comments, quirking a curious brow, his hands akimbo. “Care to fess up?”

I shoot him a deadpan stare while handing back the phone. “There’s nothing to confess.”

“I mean, it would explain that obvious chemistry between you two. It was obvious at the studio, then again on Saturday night,” he replies, following me into the kitchen.

Pulling two cups from the glass cabinet overhead, I rest them on the granite counter. “Coffee or tea?”

“You’re sidestepping the topic.”

Another deadpan stare from me, and he sighs. “Coffee.”

I put the kettle on while thinking about his words. There’s no doubt Ana and I have chemistry. The birth happened six years ago, that night at the bar. Seeing her again in the studio, reading that scene, it confirmed our strange and unexplainable connection. Saturday night, however, intensified it. The second our bodies connected when she slipped into my arms, I felt it. Up my spine. Through my pores. Down to my soul. Yes, it’s that deep, and it scares the shit out me. It’s more than the fact I’ve never experienced anything like this. I don’t know the woman at all.

How the hell can I feel such an emotional connection with a stranger?

“To interrupt whatever thoughts are making you frown like that, can I make a point?” Jared asks as I lift the boiling kettle from its hold.

“Since when have you ever asked permission?”

Jared tsks, rising from his perch on the stool. “We could use the information to our advantage, you know.”

“What part of it?”

“The mention of Ana being in our movie. There are tons of comments online, people saying they can’t wait to see you both on screen. People are very intrigued by the woman who finally snagged you.”

I snort. “I still don’t understand why that photo is such hot news.”

“You can’t be serious.” Jared stares at me like I’m insane. “Of all the online photos of you and other women, were you ever caught being so intimate with any of them? Let me answer that question, dear cousin. It’s a hell no. I can’t even recall seeing a photo of you touching them.” He lifts the phone. “This photo is worth the viral sensation it’s getting.”

Pouring the hot water on the instant coffee in our cups, I slide Jared’s to him. “You want us to approach Aunt Cheryl about it. To, what, get her to take Ana back?”

“Duh.”

“Sorry, that shouldn’t have been a question. I’m merely fleshing things out in my head. The buzz around me and Ana would create free promo for the movie, which Aunt Cheryl could really use, considering she’s on a tight budget.”

Jared points at me triumphantly. “That’s it.”

“You’re forgetting one very important thing, though.”

“Which is?”

I pause with my cup in mid-air, giving him a cynic stare. “Isn’t it obvious? Ana and I aren’t an item.”

“True.” Jared puts his cup down. “Now,Iknow that.Youknow that. So does Ana. If she gets on board, no one else will have to know.”

I can’t help but burst out laughing. “You want me to start a fake relationship. Have you lost your mind?”

“Do I look crazy to you?” The look he’s giving tells me he means business. “There is a huge wave rising in front of you. A wave that could catapult your career again. Ride it, Gideon. Ride the heck out of that glory wave.”

“Only you can make a motivational speech sound dirty,” I joke.

He doesn’t smile back. “I’m serious. You’re not the only one banking on this movie doing well. It’s a bomb-ass script with talented actors, but it needs more than that to take off. What’s more important than a well-done movie? The marketing. What’s better than marketing?Free marketing. These gossip sites are handing that to us on a silver platter, and we’d be stupid not to take it.”

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