Page 33 of Fake-Off with Fate
That’s such romanticized drivel, I want to vomit. I want to suggest that Brett probably told his three ex-wives the same thing, but I know that would only make me look pathetic. So, I offer, “I think it’s great they found each other. I’m a real proponent of love.”
Emily’s eyes narrow slightly like she doesn’t believe me.Going right for the jugular, she asks, “Are you heartbroken, Jamie?”
This, right here, is why I hate the press. They won’t rest until I act out the part of abandoned boyfriend.Am I heartbroken?Maybe I was right after it happened, but it’s been four months. I’ve managed to cruise along the stages of grief pretty quickly, even though I did spend a good amount of time wallowing in self-pity.
I decide to throw her a bone in hopes she’ll take it and back off. “I wasn’t happy when Allegra broke up with me, but if she hadn’t …” What in the world do I say now? I search my brain, trying to come up with a way to finish that sentence.
I pause long enough that Emily asks, “If she hadn’t, what?”
I’m as shocked as she is when I open my mouth and tell her, “If she didn’t, I would have never met my current girlfriend.”
Emily looks all kinds of excited that she’s the one who gets to break this news to the world. “What’s her name? How long have you been seeing each other? Is she here in Maple Falls with you?”
All valid questions that I don’t have the answer to because … wait for it …I’m lying.“We’re not ready to make our relationship public yet,” I tell her before asking, “Any chance you’ll keep the information to yourself for now?”
She laughs loudly in response. “Sorry, Jamie, no. If you’d wanted to keep that on the down-low, you should have told me upfront.”
Yeah, that’s what I thought.
“Can you at least tell me something about her?” Emily asks hopefully.
And right here is where I completely lose it because the only woman who pops into my mind is the mayor’s daughter. That’s probably why I stupidly say, “I don’t think Ashlyn would appreciate that.”
“Ashlyn?” she asks excitedly. “Ashlyn what?”
I shift nervously in my seat. “I think I’ve told you enough.”
“Does she live in Maple Falls?” she prods like a velociraptor on the Jurassic Park fence.
“No, she doesn’t.” At least that part’s true. Ashlyn Thompkins lives in Los Angeles. She’s only visiting Maple Falls.
“Is she here now?” Emily looks around wildly like my made-up girlfriend is going to jump out from behind some random piece of furniture.
I pick up my phone like I’m looking at the time, before announcing, “I’m running late for my next appointment.” Then I stand up and tell her, “I appreciate your taking the time to talk to me.”More lies.
She stands up as well. “I appreciateyoutaking the time to talk tome.” Her grin is straight up cat after eating the canary.Rather, a whole flock of them.“I’ll be on the lookout for your new girlfriend, Jamie.”
I just bet she will. “If I promise to tell you who she is before I tell any other reporter, will you not look too hard?”
Her exaggerated snort says it all. My life is fair game and Emily is not going to cut me any slack.
CHAPTER 17
ASHLYN
The first thingI do when I get to the library is to search out old maps of Maple Falls. I need to find out exactly where Victor MacDonald’s property was located. As I spread the first drawing out on an old walnut table, my knee strikes something sticky.Gross.I wonder how much gum has been stuck to the underside over the years. Maybe as acting mayor I can assign the task of cleaning off old gum to people who get caught littering. Or better yet, to Phillip.
Forcing myself to refocus, I scan the first map. According to the key on the copy of the original settlement boundaries map, everything marked in blue belonged to Victor MacDonald. My heart sinks into the pit of my stomach like a lead weight when I see blue everywhere.
Consulting a copy of Maple Falls’ most recent map, I learn what property is at risk. An audible gasp escapes me when I see that it encompasses a large amount of Main Street, as well as the arena. Of less importance to the town, but of great importance to everyone on my parents’ street, the preserve behind a lot of our homes is also under threat.This is so, so bad.
Taking both maps up to the librarian I ask him to please make copies for me. Once I have them, I go to my car and callPhillip. He doesn’t answer his phone, which I can only take to mean that he doesn’t want to talk to me.That makes two of us, buddy.
I call Marcy next. Before she can say anything, I blurt out, “It’s worse than we thought, Marcy.”
“How bad is it?” she sounds nervous.
“Victor MacDonald owned the land the arena is on, as well as a big part of Main Street.”
