The Fake Heartbreak (Searching for Love Book 3) Page 11

  “Well, should we head out?” Vince asks.

  We all agree. Our group consists of me and Leo, Vince and Abby, and then two other couples. As we start out on a path that winds along the lake and through some woods, the two other couples fall behind, so it’s only the four of us now.

  Abby is walking by Vince at first, but then she turns around to ask Leo a bunch of questions about investment banking, so he steps closer to her, and Vince falls back with me.

  It’s natural and totally normal. It would be weird if I acted like an overzealous girlfriend and forced Leo to walk by me, so I roll with it. Especially, since I like Vince. I liked him at the shower, and I like him even more now that he has complimented my singing.

  “So what kind of food do you make at your restaurant?” I ask.

  Vince describes the vibe of the restaurant, and how it’s mostly New American, but he takes inspiration from all the places he’s travelled. I tell him that I really want to travel more, and he describes his visits to Thailand and Scotland and Germany until I’m wild with envy.

  The whole time, Leo and Abby keep chatting a mile a minute ahead of us on the path. I see Leo lean down to hear her better, and my fist clenches. Then he laughs at something she said, and I want to scream. Making Leo laugh is my domain.

  I don’t shove my way in though. Leo is not my real boyfriend. He doesn’t actually belong to me. If he wants to flirt with Abby, that’s fine. I turn to Vince again.

  “Tell me more about Thailand,” I say. “I’ve always wanted to go.”

  By the time we reach the dock for swimming at the lake, I’m giggling non-stop at Vince’s funny stories. Most of my laughter is even genuine. Vince looks at home in his casual clothes, and he wears his hair long so that the curls skim his neck. I like it. I’ve always had a big penchant for guys with long, unkempt hair. It’s that artist look that I adore. And so different from Leo, which is what I want.

  We walk out to the dock, and I start to peel off my clothes. I love swimming, and the water looks inviting. I feel a burst of happiness that I’m wearing my bright red bikini. It’s not scandalous or anything, since I prefer swimsuits that are solid enough for various activities and actually cover me, but it’s definitely flattering.

  I stand at the edge and dip my toe in, aware of how the sun is glinting off my lightly tanned skin. “Oh, it feels good.”

  I turn to the others. Leo and Vince have taken off their shirts, and my eye catches on Leo’s tall form. I’m allowed to admire him after all. He’s supposed to be my boyfriend.

  He locks eyes with me, and I smile, but then he turns to say something to Abby, who is wearing a boring black swimsuit, lawyer that she is, and my heart sinks. She’s his perfect woman. She embodies all the lists of traits he emailed me about. I would be an idiot to not see that.

  I’ll never be like Abby. I’ll never have a stable and practical job in an office downtown. I’ll never wear suits to work on a daily basis. I’ll never even own suits or any business-like clothes. And, I might never be the most impressive woman at a cocktail party. I’ll definitely never have an advanced degree. I certainly won’t always say the right thing.

  What kills me is that I never wanted to be like that. I never wanted any of that stuff. I wanted to be happy, and I wanted to sing. Now all of a sudden, I’m wishing I was in Abby’s lawyer shoes. Just because Leo is smiling at her and giving her attention.

  I run my fingers through my hair and let my curls tumble down my back. If Leo isn’t going to even glance at me, that’s fine. This is all for pretend, anyway. I wasn’t even hoping or intending that we would hook up again. Not even a bit.

  I’m just in a mood, that’s all. I’m under a lot of pressure. It’s only a weekend. I can get through the next few days, no matter how often Abby shoves herself in.

  I feel bad thinking about her like this. To be honest, she actually seems totally nice, and I’m not usually one to tear down other women. I’m clearly just feeling a little insecure, that’s all. If I wasn’t so in my head about my own life, I would probably be chatting with Abby with ease.

  I stare out at the lake and resolve to do better at dinner, if we run into each other again. Or, at the very least, I’ll pull her aside before she can sink her claws into Leo.

  Just then, Vince grabs me round the waist and fakes as if he’s going to toss me in. I squeal and slap at his arm, and then we both go tumbling into the water.

  When we rise to the surface spluttering, I scoop up some water and splash him right in the face.

  I know being this blatantly flirtatious with Vince isn’t smart. It’s definitely not part of my agreement with Leo, and it’s a bit immature. I did the whole pushing someone in the pool flirty dance back in high school. I’m a little too old for it now.

  I know all that in my head, but I just get carried away.

  And, Leo and Abby are still sitting on the dock with their feet in the waters. They couldn’t be more boring if they tried.

  “I wanna swim out as far as I can.”

  I look at the others. Leo doesn’t say anything, but Vince gives me an eager nod. “Let’s do it.”

  “Be careful,” Leo says. “There are some currents, and you’re not wearing a life jacket or anything.”

  “I’ll be fine!” I give him a wave and turn towards the open water.

  “Don’t worry,” Vince calls. “I’ll save her if she starts to drown.”

  I don’t see Leo’s reaction to this comment since I’ve already started moving through the blue water with a freestyle stroke, but I can’t imagine he’s happy. Vince was joking, but there was an odd edge to his voice. As if he is seeing how far he can push Leo.

  Well, Leo will have plenty of one-on-one time to discuss current events with Abby. They can also talk about history and literature and career growth potential and all the other boring and mundane things that Leo likes to talk about.

  I wonder if she likes Bruce Springsteen too.

  I shove that thought from my head and plunge my face into the cool and refreshing water. I come to a stop and tread water. Vince stops as well.

  “It’s a gorgeous lake,” I say.

  “You’re a really good swimmer,” he says.

  “Yeah, my mom made me take a ton of lessons when I was a kid,” I say.

  I notice how close he is to me. I glance back towards the dock. As far out as we are, they’ll just see our two bobbing heads.

  I want to swim back in. I’m done being petty. This is Leo’s friend group. I’m here to make things easier for him, not wreak havoc like a bratty child. There may not be many people around, but I know how rumors fly. By evening, everyone might be talking about how Leo’s new girlfriend was all over Vince. Abby might start the rumor herself. I know when a woman is into a guy. And Leo is easy to be into. He’s attractive and successful. Abby is probably kicking herself for not jumping on him sooner.

  A wretched thought pops into my head. Maybe this whole thing is a ploy to get Abby. Maybe Leo has been pining for her for years, but nothing ever happened. So, he tried the oldest trick in the book. He pulled me in to make Abby jealous. Only she wasn’t at the shower before. So, he had to bring me to this wedding. And now it’s working. Abby sees me with the toy, and all of a sudden she wants it.

  If that is indeed Leo’s masterplan, I have to give him props. It’s clearly working.

  To be honest, I shouldn’t be upset if this has been his ulterior motive. I’m still getting the money. I even got laid. I should take my hat off to Leo’s strategy.

  Instead, I want to swim back there and hold his head under the water until he tells me what this whole charade is really about. Is it about getting his friends off his back? Proving to them that he can commit and he’s moved on? Or is it all about Abby?

  I turn to Vince. “Let’s head back.”

  I take off with strong strokes, Vince right by my side.

  By the time we reach the dock, Abby and Leo have jumped in. They’re still chatting, although it seems
they have moved on to reminiscing. Abby is laughing over some story from college as she treads the water.

  I’ll never be able to do that with him. Laugh over a shared memory. Ask him if he remembers when...And suddenly my wicked impulsive side takes over. I dive under the water and swim deep, then sneak up on Vince and snatch his foot. Another old flirtation trick from high school pool parties.

  Vince yelps in surprise, but by the time I rise to the surface, he’s laughing, and so am I.

  I glance over at Leo, and my smile crystallizes. He’s no longer reminiscing with Abby. He’s staring right at me, and his expression is one of pure fury.

  18

  “I have some calls to make.”

  I look up at Leo as we walk down the hallway to our room. It’s the first sentence he has said to me since the lake.

  After we dried off, we all walked back to the inn. Leo and Abby continued chatting, and so did Vince and I, although our conversation was a bit more subdued.

  Leo’s furious expression faded fast. He knows how to keep his composure, that’s one thing I’ll say for him. I was way out of line at the lake. He brought me here to play a part, and I rebelled against it almost as soon as we ran into Vince and Abby.

  In the lobby of the inn, we parted ways with everyone else, so now we’re alone again for the first time. The vibe is very different. It’s hard to believe that just a few hours ago we were joking in the car.

  “What?” I ask.

  “I have to make some calls,” Leo says. “For work.”

  “But it’s your day off,” I say.

  Leo rolls his eyes, and his attitude cuts me. I stare down at the carpet. I know I should apologize for how I behaved at the lake, but I don’t want to. I hate saying sorry, and also Leo was all over Abby, so it really isn’t all my fault. We both should share the blame.

  And, if this whole thing was to get with Abby, then Leo should be thanking me. Clearly, it’s working.

  “There’s a room in the inn for working,” Leo says. “I’ll just go down there for a bit, you can shower and rest up here.”

  I nod and follow him into the room.

  He heads straight into the bathroom for a quick shower, and I sit in a chair in the corner. I open up my phone to see a bunch of texts from my friends. Tears blur my eyes. They want to know how it’s going.

  I text back that it’s a bit trickier than I thought, but things are going well. I add that I can’t wait to be back in Chicago.

  I don’t want them to worry, especially since nothing bad has actually happened. I messed up by flirting with Vince, that’s all. Leo will get over it. He has to if we’re going to make it through the rehearsal dinner and the wedding tomorrow without everyone thinking we’re some sort of toxic couple.

  I set my phone aside and lean forward to rest my elbows on the window sill so I can gaze out at the lake. It’s late afternoon, and the sun is just starting its descent. It’s going to be a gorgeous summer evening. The rehearsal dinner is going to be in the dining room of the inn, but the doors will open out onto the veranda.

  I decide that I’ll wear the lilac dress. The form-fitting navy dress would look good, but I don’t want to dress with even a hint of scandal. I need to be classy tonight. Besides, the lilac dress is lovely. Elena once told me I looked like some sort of old Hollywood movie star when I wear it.

  I’ll be good tonight. I’ll stop flirting with Vince.

  But, I don’t want to apologize. Not when I feel like Leo owes me an apology for ditching me the moment we got here so he could be with Abby.

  It’s not like I wouldn’t have understood. If he had been open with me from the get-go that this was his attempt to win Abby over with a little bit of jealousy, I would have been all about it. I love a good romance subplot. I would have gladly helped him. I just feel blindsided by this development.

  Also, there’s the fact that we did sleep together. Yes, it was casual and spur-of-the-moment, but if he’s pursuing Abby, what was he doing seducing me after the shower? Abby didn’t show up, so he figured he might as well get some with me as a consolation prize?

  No, I’m not apologizing for anything. If Leo brings it up, I’ll let him know that I see right through him. The gig is up, and I know he hasn’t been totally honest with me. He’s into Abby, and I was dragged into this without having all the facts, despite his long-winded emails.

  The bathroom door opens, and Leo emerges, dressed in jeans and a polo. His hair is still damp.

  “I’ll be back in about an hour,” he says. “We need to be at the rehearsal dinner around six.”

  Then he grabs his computer and his phone and disappears.

  I sigh. He’s clearly still in a bit of a mood. At least I have some time alone to decompress. I really want to just lie on the bed and close my eyes for a bit, but I know I should take a shower and wash off the lake and the sweat from the hike.

  The bathroom is still steamy from Leo’s shower, and I inhale the soapy scent. Then I step under the hot flow of water and let it wash away all the stress. I just have to keep moving forward. I can’t change the past, I can only change the future.

  I wrap myself in the thick white bathrobe I find in the closet, and then I rifle through the bathroom drawers until I find a hairdryer.

  I don’t usually put a lot of product in my hair, and I usually let it air dry, but since it’s already 5, I figure I better use the blow dryer so my hair isn’t damp at dinner. I grab some product from my bag that’s meant to just make my curls a little glossy.

  When I’ve dried my hair to satisfaction, I dig into my toiletries. I decide to keep my makeup light and natural. The beauty of the inn and the lake have inspired me.

  When it comes to makeup, there’s little I can’t do. A lifetime of performing will teach you every little trick and style. Most performers during school shows or low-budget theater do their own makeup as well, so you really have no choice but to learn.

  I’m lucky in that I’m interested in makeup. I’ve consumed hours of Youtube tutorials on how to highlight or how to do the perfect cat-eye. I like how makeup can dictate your mood and who you are. Every time you put on makeup, you get to decide who you want to be that day. Of course, looks aren’t everything, but it’s a good first step when it comes to getting into character.

  All my friends beg me to do their makeup for special events, and I’ve perfected various styles for each of them. Elena likes to keep it simple except for around her eyes. I do dramatic eyeliner in bright shades to draw attention to her big expressive eyes. Bea is a glutton for highlighter. She likes her sharp cheekbones to gleam. Zoe doesn’t let me experiment too much with her, but she never says no to a bold red lipstick.

  For myself, I mix it up. Some nights, when I want to look a certain way, I’ll spend hours putting on a full face of makeup. Other nights, if I’m going to be dancing and sweating a lot, I just dab on lip gloss and shimmery eyeshadow.

  I’ve gone through phases as well. When I go to a show or open-mic to sing, I get to decide what image I project to the audience. I went through a major cat-eye phase where I would draw dramatic winged eyeliner. I went through a natural phase too, where I would put on makeup but keep it as natural as possible. Lately, I’ve been happy in the middle ground. Not too much makeup, but enough to highlight my favorite features.

  As I stand in front of the bathroom mirror and lather on my favorite moisturizer, I start to calm down. What happened at the lake really wasn’t that big of a deal. Vince and I get along, that’s all. Our behavior could almost be considered a brother-sister dynamic. Maybe. I don’t have a brother, so I wouldn’t know.

  Besides, no one else was at the lake besides Leo and Abby. Leo knows I’m not his real girlfriend, and he was just mad because I was fracturing the perfect image of our relationship. But Abby didn’t seem to mind, and as long as she keeps her mouth shut, who’s going to know?

  Of course, Vince is the real unknown factor. What kind of friend is he that he would flirt so openly with his old
friend’s partner?

  I frown into the mirror as I start to consider Vince. And why was he flirting with me? I assumed it was just because we hit it off and have similar personalities and priorities, but now I’m wondering if there’s more to it. Maybe he is only flirting with me to get under Leo’s skin. I already know some of Leo’s friends can be brutal. I didn’t think Vince was one of the bad apples, but maybe looks can be deceiving.

  I don’t discount my own attractions, but the more I think about it, the more likely it is that Vince is flirting with me to get at Leo, not because he’s that interested in me. After all, he has to know that the chances of anything actually happening between me and him are slim to none. After all, he thinks me and Leo are in a committed relationship.

  I scoop up some primer and dab it on my face. Whatever the truth is, it’s best to keep my distance from Vince for the rest of the weekend.

  With that resolve, I lose myself in the soothing ritual of getting ready. I smooth a semi-sheer foundation on, and then spend some time applying just a light brown eyeliner with some pinkish shimmery powder on my lids. I add some highlighter on my cheekbones, forehead and nose, and then put on some pink cream blush to emphasize the glow in my cheeks.

  I finish off with some lip gloss and mascara, then step back to admire the completed look. I smile. I look glowing and pretty, the picture of good health on a summer evening. Before I can stop myself, I wonder if Leo will like it.

  I glance at my phone. It’s a quarter of six. Leo isn’t back yet, but I suppose guys don’t take that long to get ready. I grab my dress from the hanger and slip into it.

  Just as I’m zipping up the back in the bathroom, I hear the door to the room open.

  “I’m back.” From the tone of his voice, it’s clear that Leo is still grumpy. “You ready?”

  “Pretty much,” I call from the bathroom.

  When I open the door, Leo’s back is turned, and he’s tossing things about in his suitcase.

  “Good, we should head down for cocktails in ten minutes,” he grumbles.