Page 37 of The Fake Affair

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just... my mom. Wants to know when I’m visiting Cedar Grove.” She shrugs, but I catch something in her voice. “Keeps saying the house is too quiet since Dad died.”

It’s the first time she’s mentioned her father. In all these years of knowing about her through Audrey, I never knew.

“When did he...?”

“Eleven years ago. Heart attack. I left home a few months later to create a future for myself. So, there was college and stuff…” She busies herself with her clutch. “My mom’s been trying to get me to move back ever since. Can’t understand why I’d choose Manhattan over small-town Pennsylvania.”

I want to ask more, but her expression says not tonight. Instead, I hand her the shawl she’s looking for before she asks.

“Thanks.” She looks surprised, as she always does when I anticipate her needs. “You know, for someone who’s supposed to be emotionally unavailable, you’re weirdly observant.”

“Only about things that matter.”

Our eyes meet in the hallway mirror, and there’s that charge again. That dangerous current that makes me forget this is all supposed to be pretend.

“You’re doing that thing again,” Bella says.

“What thing?”

“That brooding CEO look. The one you get right before making some cutting remark in that accent.”

My lips twitch. “You’ve been paying attention.”

“Someone had to keep track of the infamous Logan Fraser.” She grabs her clutch. “All those business articles I pretended not to read.”

“Like I pretended not to notice you at every corporate event Audrey dragged you to?”

Her eyes meet mine in the mirror. “We’ve been idiots, haven’t we?”

“Phenomenally stupid,” I agree, then switch to my CEO voice. “Ready to convince the board we’re madly in love?”

She moves away, heading outside to the car, and I follow behind. But I don’t miss how she looks over her shoulder at me as I follow.

* * *

The private diningroom at Le Bernardin is intimate. Victoria tracks our every move while pretending not to. The rest of the board isn’t much better.

Bella speaks with Harrison’s wife about things she should not know of.

“The annual report projections,” Harrison drones, but I’m caught in all the memories of her I’ve acquired throughout the years.

“The garden’s lovely this time of year,” Victoria announces after dessert. “Logan, why don’t you show Bella? Take a break from business talk.”

It’s not really a suggestion.

The restaurant’s garden is small but serves its purpose. String lights create intimate corners away from prying eyes. We walk around in circles, enjoying the quiet company of one another.

Bella finds a quiet spot near a flowering wall.

“You’re thinking too loud,” she says.

“Just remembering.”

“What?”

“All the times I told myself you were off-limits.” I step closer. “Audrey’s best friend. The one person I couldn’t risk messing things up with.”

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