Page 45 of The Faking Game

I’m going to strangle my sister after this.

But I can’t right now, so I look back at my fake girlfriend. “She’s the most perceptive person I’ve ever met.”

It’s the truth. I saw it the other night, when she was by my side at the party. Perceptive about what other people want from her… and how to give it.

“Ouch,” my sister says.

Even my uncle chuckles. “West, you have to come up with something better than that.”

But Nora just smiles, running a slim hand along the tablecloth. “Thank you.”

“She’s sarcastic, too,” I say. “Beautiful, of course. And she doesn’t shy away from arguing with me. Which… I’m finding I quite like.”

Her eyes flash to mine. There’s surprise there. If we weren’t pretending, if we didn’t have an audience, I wouldn’t have been able to say any of those things.

Wouldn’t have been able to confess that I wanted to ask her out for a long time. She’ll believe my words are just for show.

Mom tops up her wine. “My son needs someone who can speak her mind. What do you like, Nora? About him?”

“You don’t have to answer that,” I tell the woman opposite me.

But she smiles at me again, and damn it, I hate how convincing it looks. Like she really does like me. “He’s funny and caring. He takes really good care of me. Especially now with my… with the security issue I’m having.”

“He is good at that.” Mom tops up her wine. There’s a glint of victory in her eyes. I’m sure she can already hear the wedding bells. “And Nora, how do you feel about children?”

I set down my knife. “That’s not an appropriate question.”

“It’s a perfectly appropriate question,” she says, and skewers her meat. “There’s no right or wrong answer. I’m simply getting to know your girlfriend. That’s not a problem, is it, Eléanore?”

“Not at all,” she says smoothly. “Yes, I think I do want children, but not for a while.”

“Good,” Mom says. “Would it affect your career?”

“If I was still a model, yes, it might. But I’m planning to transition away from that. I want to be a fashion designer.”

“And you will be,” I say before turning to my mother. “You just saidgood, but before she replied, you said there was no right answer.”

“I lied.” She gives me a short look before looking back at Nora. Her expression is too sharp, too triumphant. I wanted her to back off, and instead, she’s sunk her teeth in further.

I’m going to have words with her after.

“For what it’s worth, I want to get to know you too,” Nora says. “All of you. You’re important to West, and, well… he’s important to me.”

My eyes narrow. That voice was gentle. Like she was admitting something that was hard for her. Both my mother and aunt make soft, happy sounds.Aw.

“I want more details,” Amber says. “You two are the cutest, and Nora, I promise you, this is thefirst timehe’s brought a girlfriend home. Okay… West. What’s Nora’s go-to drink?”

“A negroni,” I answer without missing a beat.Shut up, I tell her with my eyes.

My sister just smiles. “What’s Nora’s middle name?”

“He doesn’t know it because it’s embarrassing,” Nora answers with a little laugh. “Don’t make me reveal it now. Next!”

“What was her first pet?”

“A dog named Titou,” I say. “She took him everywhere.”

Nora’s eyes widen. She didn’t know that I knew that.

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