The Fake Heartbreak (Searching for Love Book 3) Page 4

  “No offense, Zoe, but I don’t really need acting lessons from you,” I murmur into her hair.

  Zoe gives me one last squeeze, and then we pull away from each other.

  “It’s just weird,” she sighs. “This whole thing is bizarre.”

  “Well, weird and bizarre is pretty on-brand for me,” I quip.

  “I swear, sometimes I do not understand you at all.”

  I tip my head back and laugh, and Zoe manages to crack a grin as well.

  Our mirth is disrupted by a text from Leo. He’s outside in the back of a car that will take us to the dinner.

  “Alright.” I straighten my shoulders and flash a jaunty grin. “Let the show begin.”

  “Be careful,” Zoe says. For about the hundredth time this week.

  “Seriously, you’re being too uptight.”

  I head for the door, and Zoe and I exit my apartment together.

  I make her linger inside my building while I head out to meet Leo. While it might be nice to have Zoe give him a glare as I get in the car so I can tell him that my fierce little friend is ready to attack should he try anything, I want to get in character.

  I downplayed my own nerves in front of Zoe. I know this is going to be challenging, but I didn’t want to show that weakness in front of her. If I had let slip my worries, Zoe would have been relentless. She would have nagged me until I called the whole thing off and agreed to order food and watch cheesy movies with her all night.

  But, I don’t want to call it off. I skip down the steps of my building and head towards the car. I see the shadowy outline of Leo sitting within, and I remind myself to screw my courage to the sticking place.

  I’m Marianne Gellar. I can be brave. Maybe, I’m just a coffee shop barista most of the time, and maybe, I haven’t achieved my dreams of becoming a famous singer, but I am bold. I can definitely do this.

  So without hesitating, I open the car door and slide into the back seat.

  6

  Leo’s eyes are fixed on me as the car pulls away. I yank the seatbelt over my waist. Why is he staring at me with such intensity? Do I really look that amazing?

  “Nice dress,” he says. “I knew you didn’t need a budget to buy a new one.”

  Of course. He’s just assessing me to make sure his little scheme will work.

  I toss my hair over one shoulder and give him a cold look. “Well, you’ll neve know how much better I could have looked.”

  Leo smirked. “I don’t want you to just look good, you need to act well, ok?”

  I furrow my brow. I was convinced, despite his long email about character traits, that Leo mostly just wanted some arm candy. But now he sounds actually committed to me being this idealized woman.

  Well, I can fake it till I make it, that’s the first rule of performing.

  “Of course,” I say. “I’m ready.”

  “Good.” Leo gives me a bright smile, devoid of any smirking for once, and I blink. He looks years younger when his mouth twists into a genuine grin. “Now we just need to nail down a backstory.”

  “Oh, we can’t just say that I’m the barista at your favorite coffee shop and one day you stalked me on the street and begged me to go to a bridal shower with you?”

  To my delight, that prompts another smile from Leo, even as he shakes his head.

  “No, my co-worker James knows you from college,” Leo says. “He set us up.”

  “How do you know I went to college?” I snap. I have my degree, but Leo would be just the type to look down on someone without an advanced education.

  “Please,” Leo scoffs. “I did a bit of internet research on you after you agreed to this.”

  “Oh.” I don’t know why I’m so surprised. My Instagram is public since I’m a performer, and it has all my basic information. “I looked you up as well, just to make sure you’re not some creepy serial killer.”

  “Great, glad you have some sort of cautious instincts,” Leo says.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” We’re not even dating for real, and this guy is already critiquing me? I’m no longer surprised in the least that no real woman would actually be in a relationship with Leo.

  “Come on, you just agreed to be a stranger’s fake date for a night?” Leo asks. “That’s a little impulsive and extremely risky.”

  “You’re the one who came up with this!” How am I the one being judged right now?

  “I didn’t really think you would say yes,” Leo snaps.

  I nearly call the whole thing off right then and there. If this is how the whole night is going to go, with the bickering and the judgmental comments, then I want no part of it. He can keep his money.

  Just before I lean forward to tell the driver to pull over, Leo takes a breath and slumps his shoulders. His features grow smooth, and his sharpness seems to evaporate.

  “I’m sorry, I’m a little tense, I shouldn’t have been so snarky,” Leo says. “I really do appreciate this, and since we’ve both utilized the internet to assuage our reservations, we should be good.”

  I would kill to have that kind of control over my emotions. Leo just went from mid-argument to totally calm in a matter of seconds. Once I get angry or upset over something, there’s no turning back. I overreact. Every single time, I get carried away with my emotions.

  I decide to take this one page out of his book, and I inhale deeply. I can be just as calm and composed as Leo Wilson.

  “Right,” I say. “So we were set up by James, back in January, and we had a good first date.”

  “Exactly,” Leo says. “We went to get Italian at Etta.”

  “A dinner for the first date?” I ask. “I would never agree to that, I prefer drinks or maybe a movie.”

  “Well, you’re not you in this scenario.” Leo speaks through gritted teeth. “Remember?”

  My lips quirk in a small smile. It’s so easy to annoy him. “Fine. Etta. Did you manage to steal a kiss?”

  “That’s not going to come up tonight,” Leo mutters. His face stays still and impassive, but I swear I see the hint of a blush on his cheekbones, just beneath his dark stubble. I’m surprised he has stubble. I figured he would be the type to shave twice a day just to keep his jaw smooth.

  “Got it, your friends are prudes,” I say. “So the date went well, and we’ve been dating ever since?”

  “Yeah,” Leo says. “We’ve been keeping it on the down-low since it’s so new, but we’ve been exclusive since January.”

  I snort. I’ve only been exclusive a few times in my life. It’s not that I’m some crazy hippy polygamist, I just never have gotten that serious with anyone. I believe in true love, and I have never been willing to settle for anything else.

  “We went on one date,” I say. “We possibly didn’t even kiss, and I agreed to be exclusive? As if.”

  Leo glares at me across the seat. “Don’t say stuff like that at the bridal shower.”

  I roll my eyes. It’s like he has zero faith in me. If he is so doubtful of my ability to pull this off, why is he even bringing me? I wonder for the hundredth time why he is so desperate to have a serious girlfriend at this party?

  “So when’s the wedding?” I ask.

  “August 18th,” Leo says. “At an inn near a lake in the country.”

  I raise my brows, but look down at my lap. That’s only a month away. I assumed this was an early bridal shower, and the wedding would be far down the road. How is Leo going to explain what happened to his dazzling girlfriend in a month?

  I shrug it off. That’s his problem, not mine. I just need to focus on tonight.

  “And what was our first fight about?” I ask.

  Leo shrugs. “We don’t fight, we’re all good.”

  I widen my eyes. “Leo, every couple fights. Your friends are going to see right through us if we act like we’re totally perfect.”

  “Well, maybe we fight but we’re not going to broadcast that tonight,” Leo says. “I’m thinking the best conversation topics are just our job
s.”

  I cast my eyes out the window. He is hopeless. No one wants to go to a party and talk about their jobs.

  “And I’ve decided that you should work in marketing,” Leo says. “For an app.”

  “Excuse me?” I ask. “What’s wrong with my real job? It’ll make the whole thing more believable.”

  Leo stares at me as if I’ve gone crazy. I realize just how snobby he is. He doesn’t want his friends to think for one second that he would date a barista. And as for my singing and performing, he probably thinks it’s a laughably ridiculous career choice.

  I slump into my seat. There’s no point fighting him on this, he’s the boss after all.

  “Fine,” I grumble. “I work in marketing.”

  “You’ll be able to make it sound legit, right?” Leo asks.

  “My best friend works in sales for an app,” I say. “I’ll be fine.”

  Beatrice talks enough about her sales job that I will certainly be able to make a convincing show.

  I look back at Leo and decide I might as well rile him up a little more as payment for belittling my real job.

  “But in exchange, I get to decide that our first fight was about you being way too controlling,” I say.

  “None of my friends will believe that.” Leo’s tone is dismissive, but I see a flicker in his eyes. This can’t possibly be the first time he’s been called controlling.

  “Yeah, I’ll tell them that you tried to make me drink dark roast coffee with two splenda every morning.” I twist my face and stick out my tongue in disgust. “So gross.”

  Leo laughs, and once again, his entire face lights up. “What’s wrong with dark roast?”

  “It’s the most boring coffee choice in the world,” I say. “The only people who order it at Lucy’s are you and the super old men who are retired and sit and read the newspaper all day.”

  “So you’d rather make one of those elaborate lattes or foamy coffee drinks?” Leo’s eyes glint. He’s a natural debater, and he almost seems to come alive during little arguments like this. “I thought the dark roast was easier for the baristas.”

  “No reason to try and force me to drink only dark roast,” I say. “And to try and get me to switch from sugar to splenda – we definitely fought over that. What kind of guy makes his girlfriend go on a diet?”

  Leo bursts out laughing, and a thrill of excitement warms my stomach. It feels good to make someone so stern and serious laugh. I want to do it again.

  His laughter dies down, but the smile remains as he looks me dead in the eye. “I would never even suggest you go on a diet.”

  To my horror, I feel my cheeks go bright red. I thought I was long past blushing. I’ve done so many bold things with so many people, I’ve performed so often, that I was certain my body didn’t know how to blush anymore. But, apparently I do.

  “Say things like that at the party,” I say with my eyes still downcast. “They’ll believe we’re together for sure.”

  I look out the window and see that we’re almost there. I smooth my hands over my skirt. It’s showtime.

  I should be mentally preparing to morph into the sweet and peppy girlfriend, but instead I can’t stop thinking about the question that’s been plaguing me since this whole thing began.

  I look at Leo. He’s gazing out the window, one large hand placed on his knee. His dark dress pants show just the hint of his strong legs, and he looks positively devastating in black and white. No need for an elaborate jacket or bright colors. Leo knows to stick to simplicity for his style.

  “Leo, why do you need a fake girlfriend for this?” I force the question out before I lose my courage.

  Leo turns to me with raised brows. I know it’s not my place to ask such a personal question. I’m just there to play a part, but I’ve always had a strong sense of curiosity.

  “I mean, I’m 27, I have friends and family that are starting to get married,” I say. “And yes, it can suck to show up alone and have to field questions from nosy people about why you’re still a spinster, but it’s not that bad. Plus, I’m pretty sure it’s much easier for guys to show up single anyway.”

  Leo nods in acknowledgement to my point.

  “Some of my friends are competitive,” Leo says. “Not really Jacob, but others, and lately, they’ve been teasing me I guess. About how I’m too committed to my job, how I’m boring and bland.”

  He stares down at his hands and heaves his shoulders in a sigh. I hold absolutely still. I didn’t even expect him to answer, but now that he’s begun an explanation, I want to hear more. I don’t even crack a joke about how he kinda is bland, even though I’m tempted.

  “I just wanted to show them that I can be fun, and I can find a cool girlfriend.” He gives me a sad little smile. “It’s pathetic, I know.”

  I widen my eyes. It’s hard to believe that this tall and composed man has any sort of insecurities. But I guess we all have our weak points. And Leo is clearly susceptible to criticism. I soften towards him. Yes, he probably is too obsessed with his job, and he is probably overreacting to his friends’ teasing, but I don’t miss his comment about me being cool. I’m a sucker for flattery, after all.

  I lean forward and place my hand on his. I give his hand a brief squeeze and then let go.

  “It’s not pathetic,” I say. “Maybe a little devious and overly competitive, but not pathetic.”

  The car pulls up to a stop. Leo takes another deep breath and meets my eye. “You ready?”

  “Absolutely,” I say. “Let’s go put on a show.”

  7

  The bridal shower is exactly what I expected. Tasteful and elegant, and held in the private upstairs part of a nice downtown restaurant.

  Leo and I walk in side by side, and almost as soon as we enter, I realize how weird it is that we’re not holding hands. I’m not about to grab his hand though, since I’ve been bombarded by a wave of nerves.

  This isn’t at all like a play or a performance. My friends were right. This is weird and crazy, and these are actual people. They’re fluttering around and greeting each other, and they all have real names and real lives, and I’m just a total imposter. I look up at Leo and wonder how on earth he’s staying so calm.

  Then he offers me his arm. It’s strangely formal, but it suits him. So, I smile and slip my hand onto his arm, and he leads me into the room.

  “Leo!” A handsome guy with reddish blonde hair waves.

  Jacob. The groom. I recognize him from the photos. Maybe Leo’s over-the-top email wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

  Leo gives Jacob a brief hug, and then turns to me.

  “This is Marianne,” Leo says.

  Jacob’s grin is so wide I think his face might split in two.

  “Leo told us he was seeing someone.” Jacob shakes my hand with enthusiasm. “We’ve all been so excited to meet this mysterious lady.”

  “Oh, trust me,” I say with a smile. “I’m not that mysterious, sorry to disappoint.”

  Jacob’s grin only gets wider as he glances up at Leo with delight. Leo is standing tall with something that resembles pride. Jacob probably thinks Leo is proud of his charming new girlfriend, but I know the only thing Leo is proud of is his deceptive scheme.

  “You’ve gotta meet Mel,” Jacob says. “Leo, can I steal your date while you grab drinks?”

  Leo’s smile fades, and I can see the panic set in on his face. It won’t matter how good of an actress I am, if he’s an awful actor. I need to keep my hand on the rudder to get us both through this.

  “Of course, I’d love to meet her, I’ve heard so many good things,” I say quickly before turning to Leo. “I’ll have a white wine please.”

  I give his arm a final squeeze, which will look cute and couple-like to Jacob and will tell Leo to wipe the look of total fear off his face as I glide away with Jacob.

  It takes me about fifteen seconds to find my footing.

  Melanie is surrounded by a bevy of other women, but she gives me a big smile whe
n Jacob introduces me.

  She’s tall and blonde, and while I’m sure she doesn’t meet all of Leo’s criteria laid out in the email, I’m willing to bet she comes close. She exudes confidence from her head to her toe. Her makeup is perfect, her dress is on point, and she’s friendly and well-spoken. Everything about her screams: I am a woman who has got my life together.

  She gives me a hug right away. “Oh my god, we have been trying to set Leo up for so long, you have to tell us how you snagged him?”

  I laugh. “You make him sound so hard-to-get.”

  “Oh, he’s just so committed to his job, as I’m sure you’ve already figured out,” Melanie says. “How long have you been together?”

  “It’ll be six months at the end of July,” I say. “We got set up by one of his co-workers who went to college with me, so I was prepared for the whole investment banker lifestyle. I was wary of it, but prepared.”

  Melanie giggles and gives my forearm a gentle squeeze. I decide that I like her. We could never be best friends, but she’s definitely good company. A small worm of guilt creeps into my stomach at the thought of how I’m deceiving her.

  This whole week, I’ve been assuming that Leo’s friends would be awful and shallow, and they wouldn’t care either way about Leo’s date. It makes me feel a bit gross now that I see how excited they are for Leo. Maybe they have been teasing him for being so long a single, but it clearly came from a caring place.

  Melanie introduces me to a few of her friends, and then asks me a few more questions. Nothing tricky. Just where I went to college and what I do. I follow Leo’s mandate and say I work in marketing, but then I quickly ask Melanie a question about her job before she can grill me for details.

  As Melanie is telling me how excited she is for the wedding, Leo appears at my elbow. He hands me a glass of wine and then, after a brief hesitation, places his hand gently on my back. Nice and high, which makes me smile. He is classy, I’ll give him that.

  “Well, I’ve got to go say hi to some relatives,” Melanie says. “But you guys are at the table next to us for dinner, so I’m sure I’ll see you later!”