Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 59265 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59265 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
This was dangerous.
Not because anyone else would believe we were a couple. That was the whole point. But because I almost did. At least for the few seconds that I stood there with his arm around me and his eyes on mine.
“And one more looking at me.” We obliged. “And a smile!”
“That’s the car,” I said when I heard the doorbell. “Literally saved by the bell,” I murmured to Owen. “Please call if you have any questions. Anything. Or if you need—”
“I’ve got this. You go before you’re late.”
I wanted to go give my baby a million kisses.
But she was right; I didn’t want to be late.
“Where’s Tuna tonight?” I asked as he held open the door for me.
“Home. He had an extra-long run with me earlier, so he’s knocked out for a good, long while. He’ll be just fine.” He closed the door and came around to sit beside me. “So, is there anything I should know as your significant other?”
“Well, I think you know a lot about me in passing,” I said, then, with a smirk, “You might be the longest relationship I’ve ever had.”
“Your broken house worked in your favor just this once.”
“Okay. I need to confess something,” I said, wincing.
“Sure.”
“I may have allowed my work to believe I am in a serious relationship with, well…”
“Adelaide’s father.”
“Yes.”
“Because you didn’t want any comments about being a single mother. Or to have your boss think you would somehow be less reliable than your counterparts because you don’t have someone at home to pick up the slack.”
“That’s exactly it. They already had some… thoughts about women at the company who got pregnant. And those were women with partners. And I needed to have my stability for my daughter. So I… came up with a story.”
Saying it out loud made the whole thing seem even more ridiculous.
I’d spent months maintaining a lie that had seemed so simple when I’d first told it. I had a partner. We were happy. We were excited about our baby. End of story.
Except now I was sitting beside a man I’d only just realized I was attracted to, preparing to introduce him to the people I’d been lying to.
And he was being remarkably calm about all of it.
“I know it sounds crazy,” I said.
“It sounds like you were scared.”
The simplicity of his answer caught me off guard.
I looked over at him.
“I was.”
“I get that. You gotta do what you gotta do to protect your livelihood. So, what do I need to know about my cover story?”
“I’ve never given details, honestly. I guess some part of me worried this kind of thing could happen. So, if you’re comfortable, you can just be yourself. If not, come up with another identity. But keep your first name.”
“I’m all right with using who I am if you are. Keeps things easier.”
“Perfect.”
“How long have we been seeing each other?”
“Well, obviously longer than it took to make Adelaide. But I figure being vague might be best so I don’t screw that up down the line. I mean, I don’t necessarily plan to lie forever. That wouldn’t be possible with how—”
“Hey, anytime you need a pretend spouse, I’m sure I have the time.”
“That’s sweet. Though, I don’t think you know what you’re signing yourself up for. Not to gossip, but my coworkers aren’t, well—”
“People who would look down on you for having a baby sound pretty awful. Feel free to gossip away about them. They wouldn’t hesitate about you.”
Oof.
That was harsh but also painfully true.
“They’re not very kind. Especially toward and about women. It’s definitely a boy’s club over there.”
“It must piss them off that your clients only want to work with you.”
“It does. They would never admit it, but you can tell. If they can find any fault in me or my performance, they would be quick to get rid of me.”
If they only knew…
Nope.
No.
I wasn’t going to let myself think about that.
That hadn’t only been life-altering; it could easily become career-ruining. And, yes, I had savings. I had a very nice house I could sell and bank the money, move into a smaller place, and get a new job. I had wealthy parents and a rich grandfather. I had people who could take care of me if the worst thing happened.
But my pride didn’t want that.
I wanted to be able to keep the home I’d fallen in love with, raise my daughter in it, create memories there. I wanted to keep building my investment portfolio, afford private schools when the time came.
Would I love to leave my company eventually? Of course. But right now, I needed stability. So the truth could not come out.
Owen was going to help with that. Whether he knew it or not.
“One day, you will open your own firm. Until then, you can still dream and plan.”
“Once I am getting enough sleep again.”