Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36007 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 180(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36007 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 180(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
“I blame this on those romance novels you found in that thrift store for a quarter apiece.” A smile plays on her lips. We’d been fifteen when we read our first one. We’d quickly gone back to the thrift store for more.
She and I could lie around all weekend and read. Rae has always been a bit more of a diehard reader than I am. I don’t think she could go one day without reading. Even if it’s only a few pages. It’s something that helps her forget about the rest of the world and helps with her anxiety.
“Wait. Do you have to share a bed?” I quickly explained to her what Vincent said about that. She gives me a skeptical look. “Wait. Does that mean he’ll be getting it from somewhere else and you can’t date for the next five years?” She’s back to wearing that angry look.
“I—Oh. I don’t know.” I hadn’t thought that far ahead.
“I think he keeps mistresses,” she says, catching me completely off guard.
“Why do you say that?” The thought makes my stomach sour. I shouldn’t even care, but I can’t help it. I need to keep reminding myself that this is a deal, it’s not some happily ever after that I read in my romance novels.
“While we were waiting for you to get here, I might have done some googling. There is a lot about him out there to read, but everything is about his company or the charity work his family does. He actually seems like a good guy from what I read. I guess this place almost went under before he took the reins. A ton of people would have lost their jobs, but Vincent stepped in for his father and took over. There was this whole article about it. How he turned everything around.”
I open my mouth about to tell her that Vincent’s father hadn’t been doing well at that time so he’d rushed home from college to step in, but I stop myself. That feels personal and something Vincent told me, and clearly hadn’t been mentioned in that interview, so I quickly say something else. Crap, I already am way in over my head if I’m protecting him. Especially, if I’m keeping things from Rae. “Why does that make you think he has mistresses?” That jealousy I shouldn’t have flares up inside of me again.
“Just 'cause there wasn’t anything about his dating life, and a few of the articles and interviews actually said Vincent is tight-lipped about his personal romantic life. That he never answers questions about it. And he’s never seen at events with anyone. They even tried to give him some bachelor of the year award and he said no. Also, he turned down being in some charity auction for a date and just donated money to not have to be in it.” None of the things she’s pointed out support her line of thinking, so I’m not following.
“I still don’t know why that makes you think he has mistresses.”
“Well, he is a man, and a good-looking one at that. You think he’s just not getting laid?” Again, that jealousy rears its ugly head.
“But he said I can’t date or be involved with another man. It could blow our cover.”
“'Cause you’d likely get caught. He clearly knows how to cover his tracks. The second I stepped into that conference room to have that little chat about Travis and how Vincent could make it all go away, he had me signing an NDA.”
“I don’t think I signed one.” It hadn’t been in the papers I’d gone over with Carson, his lawyer. Does he trust me already? The thought warms me.
“Probably because you’re married or something.” Rae shrugs, drowning my warm feelings in a cold splash of water.
“Those articles say anything else I should know?” Rae taps her finger against her lips, thinking on it for a moment.
“I don’t think so. He seems close to his parents. Like I said, he appears to be a good guy.”
“Did they give you any clue as to why he even needs a fake wife?” I still don’t understand why Vincent requested me. I guess the opportunity presented itself, and he took it. But why not ask Rae? She would have been the obvious choice. I mean, Travis is her brother, and she’s more than willing to do anything to save him. So many things still don’t make sense to me.
“Yeah, no clue why he needs a wife. I was wondering that too. In a few of the interviews, his mom would make little comments about wanting him to get married and give her grandbabies. Maybe his family has been pressuring him, and he doesn’t want to settle down in real life but figured this would buy him some time.”
My stomach dips at the mention of babies. I’m way too young to have baby fever. Rae has had it her whole life. Whenever she sees babies, she melts. I don’t know why all of a sudden, the mention of it is making my stomach feel funny.