Page 41 of Fake Fiancée for Dad's Best Friend
I rub my fingertip against my wet petals faster. “I miss you, too, Alex.”
“Good. Come over here, and I’ll feel you all over. Make you come again and again screaming my name.”
“I’ll do it right now.” I press my finger on my swollen nub and cry out his name.
Alex grunts on his end and falls silent afterward.
Wow. I lie in bed, staring at the ceiling. Unbelievable. Did I just have phone sex with Alex? That’s so unexpected, and yet I’m not that surprised. I’ve been hoping for a moment like this in the past weeks, although I didn’t think my wish would come true.
Did Alex really miss me, or did he say it on the spur of the moment?
I get up to get some Kleenex to clean up, and after I do that, I hear Alex’s voice again.
“Listen, the reason I’m calling is,” he says. “I need you to move in with me over the weekend. My parents are coming to the city and will be here for about a week.”
“What?” I’m taken aback by the unexpected news. “You must be kidding. You told me the chance of them coming to NY over the summer was zero.”
“I’m sorry,” he apologizes. “I didn’t expect it either. It’s all very sudden. Karen called me just an hour ago.”
I say reluctantly, “I don’t have any plan over the weekend. But I don’t know what to tell my dad if I had to be absent for a week.”
“You don’t have to stay here for a week,” he says after a moment’s silence. “Just over the weekend. I told them you went home to your dad’s house.”
“Are you sure it’ll work?” I ask. “What if they want to meet my dad?”
“Actually, they do. That’s another thing I need to discuss with you.”
“Oh God,” I whine. What the hell have I gotten myself into? Now I have to keep lying!
“I could tell your dad the truth when I meet him on Friday,” he suggests. “You still want that?”
I pause to think. “I’m not sure anymore,” I say. “Because if we told him now, then he would have to play a part in our scam. It would be worse than lying to him and I’d hate myself more.”
“Do you hate yourself?” he asks in a soft voice.
“For this, I do.” I suddenly feel desperate. “I wish I hadn’t done it. Actually, I don’t want to lie anymore. I’m sorry but I feel terrible. I don’t think I can face your parents without feeling shameful and guilty.”
He signs. “I’m sorry, Vivian. It’s my fault. I should never have come up with this idea. But I thought it would be just a weekend, and I didn’t expect that engagement party, certainly not a follow-up like this.”
“Can you tell them we’ve already broken up?”
He falls silent for a moment. “I don’t think so. It’s too soon, and it might be hard for them to accept it. Besides, I told Karen earlier you would be glad to have them in our condo.” he says.
I realize he is right. This is not a play. I can’t get out of it because I don’t feel like doing it anymore. A cancelation of our engagement, even though it’s fake, might be a blow to his aging parents. Letting Alex handle it alone will be unfair too.
“I’ll pay you another five grand if it makes you feel better.”
“No!” I cry. “I’ll feel worse. You don’t have to pay me this time.”
“Are you sure?” he asks. “You’ll be spending at least two days and nights working for free?”
“Well,” I hesitate. “If you put it that way…I’ll give you a discount. Just pay me two grand.”
“Deal,” he says with a laugh. “Now, let’s think about the next step. We can tell my parents your dad is on a business trip.”
“Didn’t you use the same excuse last time?”
“Yeah, but your dad could be a busy person. It isn’t unusual for someone to travel every week for work. I do that a lot.”
