Page 14 of The Love Audit
“We got a dinner invitation,” he said, as if that explained anything.
My head snapped up. “A dinner invitation?”
“Yeah.” He pulled another box out of the bag and opened it to reveal two matching gold wedding bands. One was smaller and more delicate; the other was broader and more masculine. “I met one of the town’s business owners, and we struck up a conversation.” He slid the larger band onto his finger before taking my hand and nestling the smaller band against the emerald ring. “One thing led to another, and he invited me to dinner with his family.” He grinned, clearly enjoying my confusion. “But I have to bring my wife.”
“So you bought these rings so we can go to dinner?” I stared at the emerald on my finger, its sparkle dimming slightly under the weight of his explanation.
“Yeah.” He shrugged, turned to Tora, who was lounging nearby, and began fastening a jeweled collar around his neck. “Wehave to keep up appearances. Why else would I get them?” His expression was serious, but I searched his eyes for something—anything—that would betray a deeper motive. I found nothing.
“Yeah.” I pasted on a smile. “That makes sense.”
“Do you like it?” he asked, nodding toward the ring. “Because if you don’t, we can exchange it for something else.”
Did I like it? I didn’t like it. I loved it. It was the exact kind of ring I would’ve picked out for myself if I were the type of woman who fantasized about happily ever afters. But I wasn’t.
My parents’ marriage had been a storybook romance, and growing up under the shadow of their perfect love had made real-world dating seem… bleak. Focusing on my career had always felt like the safer option. And yet here I was, staring at the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen, placed on my finger by the only person I’d ever imagined being married to.
“Jasmine?” Derek’s voice broke through my thoughts. “The ring? Do you like it?”
“Yeah.” I held my hand out to admire it again. “It’ll do the job.” I smirked at him, earning a chuckle in return.
“What’s up with that collar?” I asked, gesturing to Tora, who was now proudly sporting his new accessory. “Does this mean I’m married to Tora, too?”
“Yup.” Derek grinned as he scratched behind Tora’s ears. “We’re a package deal. Right, boy?”
“Well, if that’s the case”—I grabbed Tora’s leash—“I’m going to take my husband for a walk before dinner. I need to make a few calls, and I’ve been sitting in this chair for, like, six hours.”
“Sounds like a plan, wife,” Derek said, his tone teasing. Butthe word “wife” sent an unwelcome flutter through my stomach. I shook my head, trying to banish the feeling as I headed for the door.
“Hey, you wanna put the rings away until dinner?” he called after me, gesturing to the still-open boxes.
“No,” I replied quickly—too quickly. “I’ll break them in for a bit. Get used to them.”
“Sure,” he said with a sly smile, and I noticed he was still wearing his ring, too.
“So I got the emails you sent, and this is good stuff, girl.” Cassie’s voice was filled with approval as I twirled Tora’s leash around my wrist. Tora, for his part, was enthusiastically investigating the leg of a nearby bench with the kind of dedication usually reserved for scientists on the verge of a breakthrough.
“I know, right?” I tried to match her energy. “There’s so much interesting stuff here, and we have to hit every angle. The first thing I want is to propose a collaboration with the top baking influencers, and then I want you to—”
“Jasmine, pump your brakes,” Cassie interrupted, her tone a mix of exasperation and amusement. “One, I’ve already started working on all this. Two, you haven’t even been there a whole day. And three, have you seen Derek naked yet?”
“Cassie, what the hell?” I screeched, glancing around as if the park might have eavesdroppers.
“Girl, I’m just trying to make you laugh,” she said with awicked chuckle. “But seriously, what is going on down there? You left for a business trip with a man who looks like Regé-Jean Page and Jesse Williams had a baby that somehow looks better in a suit than James Bond, and all I’m getting are emails about demographic reports and bakeries? I need details.”
“There are no details,” I insisted, my voice firm but unconvincing.
“Okay, well, tell me everything, and I’ll decide what’s important,” she replied, completely unfazed.
I let out a long-suffering sigh and began recounting the detailed play-by-play of my time in Miller’s Cove so far. Naturally, Cassie interjected at every opportunity with her signature brand of commentary.
“Married?! Ma’am,” she exclaimed when I got to the part about the rings.
“You know he didn’t lose that coin toss,” she added when I tried to explain how the whole “married” ruse had come about.
When I protested, she hit me with “Did you even see the coin?”
“You’re walking that man’s dog. Oh, y’all are married for real!”
