Page 15 of The Confidentiality Clause
I stretch my mouth into a brittle smile. “That’s so great. I can’t wait to try the food at the event.”
I tug Bethanne down the sidewalk in the direction of the local restaurant.
“My girlfriend is even more excited to attend with me now,” Houston says, following us. “Are you bringing anyone, Ariel?”
I grit my teeth. Bethanne squeezes my arm again. Houston doesn’t bother asking Bethanne, because she’s married to the man of her dreams. He heard of my dating troubles when I was lamenting to Bethanne one time about there being no good men left in the world, and has taken every opportunity to throw little jabs about it my way.
“If my boyfriend is available, he’ll be my plus one,” I lie with a smile. I guess lying for Brock has made me better at it. That or my disdain toward Houston made it an easy feat.
“Boyfriend?” he questions from behind us.
Is he really going to follow us all the way to lunch? Ciel is on the opposite side of downtown.
“I didn’t know you had a boyfriend,” he continues. “I look forward to meeting him. I’m sure he’ll make time to attend. That’s whatrealboyfriends do.”
I swallow. “I can’t wait to introduce you.”
Bethanne’s wide-eyed gaze burns a hole in the side of my face. Her arm tightens around mine. Everything about her is screaming,What are you doing?!
I can’t answer her, though, because I have no idea.
Chapter eight
Ariel Cambridge
“You told him you have aboyfriend?” Sutton asks. I watch her brows raise on my phone screen. We used to paint our nails together when we were roommates, now we video call whenever we can to keep up the tradition. We even bought phone stands so we can be hands free.
“Yes,” I groan. “It just came out. He was standing there with his stupid smirk and hisI’m better than youattitude, and I just had to say something.”
“And you decided to go the fake boyfriend route.”
I swipe pale pink nail polish on my pinky.
“Maybe it won’t be fake,” I mumble. “I have a month. That’s long enough to get a boyfriend.”
“Ariel,” Sutton says. I see her skeptical look and ignore it in favor of staring at my cuticles.
“What? It’spossible.”
“I’m not saying it isn’t, but I don’t think adding pressure to your dating life is a good idea.”
I frown. “I don’t like when you say logical things. Can you just be delusional with me? Tell me I’ll find my husband next week and Houston will have to eat his smarmy words.”
“A Wyatt Parker look-alike is going to come searching for a farmhouse and fall in love with you in the process, then punch Houston in the face,” Sutton deadpans while swiping black paint on her thumb.
A sigh escapes me. “I will indeed dream about that tonight, thank you.”
“Happy to be of service.” Sutton smirks. “Now, are we going to keep living in a state of delusion, or do we want to talk about the predicament you’re in?”
“How about you tell me about your week instead?” I suggest.
She shoots me a look, but obliges. I know I’ll have to eventually face the consequences of my lie, but I have a month. One day of denial won’t hurt. Sutton starts to tell me about how training for the upcoming hockey season is going. She’s a physical therapist for the Alabama Rockets, the same team her now husband plays for.
A text comes through while Sutton tells me how the rookies all idolize Shaw. She pretends to be annoyed about it boosting his ego, but it’s clear she’s proud of him.
Brock: Made it five minutes today. Granted, it was because I was fighting for my life during plane turbulence, but I say it still counts.
I let out a huff of a laugh and reach for my phone to respond. My typing is slow so that I don’t get nail polish on the screen.
