Page 27 of My Big, Fat, Fake Billionaire Wedding

So much for being subtle. My poker face fails even through phone lines.

“I... it’s complicated.”

“Complicated how?” I can practically hear her sitting up in bed, sleep forgotten. “I knew somethingwas up when he showed up earlier! Spill. Everything. Now.”

I press my palm against my forehead, feeling the heat rising in my cheeks even though I’m alone in the dark. “It’s not exactly work-related. Well, it is, but also... personal.”

“Personal?” Lucy’s voice rises an octave. “Are you sleeping with Gideon King?TheGideon King?”

“Keep your voice down! You’ll wake your roommate.”

“So that’s a yes! Oh my god, Ava!”

“It’s not— I mean, we did, but that’s not—” I stammer, then groan in frustration. “Look, something might be happening between us. Something significant. But I don’t want to jinx it by talking about it too much.”

Not a complete lie. Just omitting the part where “significant” means “legally binding” and “happening between us” means “financial transaction disguised as matrimony.”

Lucy squeals softly. “This is huge! He’s like, what, Forbes 30 Under 40? And gorgeous? And he collects art? Ava, this is literally your dream man.”

“He’s also complicated and intense and probably has more baggage than JFK during holiday season,” I counter, but I can’t keep the smile from my voice.

“So does everyone worth knowing,” Lucy says. “But seriously, is that what the business proposition is about? Some kind of arrangement?”

My breath catches. “What do you mean by ‘arrangement’?”

“I don’t know, like commissioning pieces or setting up a showing? Unless...” She gasps. “Is he asking you to move in with him or something?”

Relief floods through me. “It’s all moving really fast. I just need to decide if I’m willing totake a risk.”

Lucy is quiet for a moment. “You know I love you, right?”

“Of course.”

“And you know I’d tell you if I thought someone was bad for you?”

“You’ve done it before,” I say, remembering her brutal assessment of my last boyfriend, which turned out to be painfully accurate.

“Well, I think you should go for it,” she says firmly. “But make sure whatever this is doesn’t compromise your art or your dignity. Everything else is negotiable.”

“That’s actually... surprisingly good advice.”

“I’m full of surprises when unconscious. Can I go back to sleep now?”

“Yes. Sorry. Thank you.”

“Good luck with all this. I’m so excited for you. And Ava?”

“Yeah?”

“I expect full details when this is no longer a jinxable thing.”

I laugh softly. “Goodnight, Lucy.”

After hanging up, I switch to my laptop and type “Gideon King business” into the search bar. Articles flood my screen. Profiles in Forbes, Business Insider, mentions of his art collection, and most recently, rumors of a hostile takeover attempt by a man named Mark Blackwell.

So he wasn’t lying about a competitor.

I open a new document and start typing.

---