Page 31 of The Layover

“No.” Eloise pouted.

“You can have a cornetto,” Diego said.

Eloise clapped. “Yay.”

We ordered coffee and pastries for the rest of us, and the waiter left.

With an insistent tug on my sleeve, Eloise drew my attention. “You didn’t order anything for Mommy. Isn’t she coming to breakfast?”

The game was cute last night, and I definitely didn’t mind the honeymoon sex, but it was time for the pretending to stop.

“She had to go home,” Diego said before I could correct Eloise. “She’ll be back later.”

“She’s my mommy. She should live here.”

Antonio frowned. “Is Isabella in town?”

This needed to stop. “No. It’s—”

“My new mommy.” Eloise talked over me.

I didn’t have a reason to yell, but this was one of those instances where pretending wasn’t good. “Enough.” I made my voice firm. “Last night was make-believe.”

“But it was fun make-believe. Last night we had dinner at the church, and then I married Carly to Daddy and Daddy, so she’s my new Mommy.”

Antonio’s eyes grew wide. “Carly, the appraiser and project manager from Raphael?”

“It’s almost a shame it wasn’t real,” Mila said. “The two of you finding a new third, being so open with your love… One of those all publicity is good publicity things. Plus the pictures on Insta…” She sighed happily.

The frustration on Antonio’s face matched what was building inside me. “It would be a disaster for business. Conflict of interest is never good.” He would know—he’d lost a start-up he built with his best friend because of their indiscretions with a contractor. Then again, the three of them were still together, and he ran the family business…

But I didn’t see this working out the same for me if we let it go on. “Once again, it was a fake wedding. We were playing make-believe.” Why wasn’t Diego backing me up? He must feel like I had it under control. “Our six-year-old performed the ceremony, and no one is actually married. We’re not faking being married for headlines.”

“She does have a point about the publicity,” Diego said.

I stared at him in disbelief.

“I won’t post that you’re married,” Mila said. “I get it. Indulge me for just a moment though… What if you let me tell the story of the fake wedding? We’ll make it clear that it wasn’t real. You can give me a tour of the church, I’ll get some photos up on your feeds, and talk about how cute the entire thing is. No photos of Eloise. Just a fun little fluff thing about how the building is so enchanting, even a pretend wedding has its charm.”

“I like it,” Diego spoke up before I could consider it.

Mila was going to follow all the rules we’d laid out, and this was a good chance to show the place off but still keep the story fun. And really, I didn’t see what it could hurt. “Okay, sure. Let’s do it.”

11

Carly

My hotel wasn’t what I expected, and I was happy for that. Rather than one of hundreds of rooms shoved into a massive building, it was a little cottage on a street of them, that came with maid service, and a main building with a kitchen, and other services.

I loved it. It would be roomy for this longer stay, and it was quiet when I stepped out onto the back porch in the morning. A little stone path ran through wildflowers growing just a few feet from my door.

It was taking me longer than normal to wake up, and I wasn’t used to that. Sure, I’d gone wandering through town in the early hours of the morning, lost in a minor existential crisis, but I should be able to shrug that off and go back to work this morning.

A little coffee and I’d be just fine.

I settled into the giant wicker chair with almost as large a cushion to watch the sun rise. When the warmth hit my face, those first rays of brightness, I closed my eyes and sank into the sensation as the birds chirped around me.

It was like living in my own personal Disney movie, except that the thoughts flitting through my mind were so far from being G-rated it was almost funny. Last night was incredible. Not just the sex, though I struggled to remember the last time I’d had laugh out loud fun and orgasms in the same night.

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