Fake It Real Good Read online

  “Ashley, come sit down for a minute,” my favorite couple called out.

  “Two seconds,” I told them and pulled off my apron. I grabbed a glass of water and carried it to the table where Betty and John were sitting. It was the same table they were always seated at. “How are you guys?”

  “You look like you are running yourself ragged,” Betty scolded. “I thought you said you were going to cut back on your hours.”

  “I am,” I said. “I will. Just not right now. I have to get through this semester.”

  John offered a wide smile. “You remind me of my Betty,” he said.

  Betty’s sweet laughter filled the room. “I used to be a real firecracker,” she said. “I was in secretary school when I met John. He kept trying to get me to marry him, but I told him no way. I wanted to be a career woman.”

  “I convinced her to go out with me.” John chuckled.

  “Convinced?” Betty scoffed. “He tricked me.”

  “He tricked you into going out with him?” I asked.

  “Yes, he did,” she said with a shake of her head. “He set me up with my friend’s help.”

  “How so?” I asked with interest.

  “My girlfriend and I were supposed to be meeting at the diner to get milkshakes. I showed up and she was nowhere to be found. John approached me and asked if I was okay. He said he just happened to be getting a burger. I found out later the two of them set the whole thing up.”

  John’s blue eyes that were still very bright and clear despite his advanced years sparkled with laughter. “I got her.”

  “I take it the setup worked,” I said.

  Betty sighed as she sipped her coffee. “He wooed me.”

  I laughed at the sigh of resignation she gave. “How did he woo you?”

  “We had dinner together that night,” she said. “I blame it on the ice cream. He softened me. I found myself actually enjoying myself. Then he asked me if I’d like to take a walk. My goodness, we walked for hours.”

  “Almost all night,” John added.

  “And now look at the two of you,” I said with a wistful smile.

  “Oh no,” Betty said with a shake of her head. “That next day I came to my senses. I just knew I couldn’t be with a man like John. He tried to call on me several times. I didn’t want to see him.”

  “What?” I gasped. “How did you guys get to where you are now?”

  “That woman right there gave me a run for my money.” John laughed. “I was about to give up on her. It took me six months to get her to forgive me and go out with me again. I probably asked her fifty times. She always told me I did it wrong.”

  “If he wanted to court me, he had to do it right,” Betty said with a firm nod. “He thought he was in good with me after tricking me that first night. I was not happy to find out they made a fool out of me. He needed to pay for his crime.”

  I couldn’t help but smile as she talked. “I don’t blame you.”

  “Hey,” John protested. “I knew she was going to like me if she would give me a chance. The woman is stubborn.”

  “And that’s why you love me.” She smiled again.

  John laughed and offered his wife of fifty years a fond smile. “Yes, it is.”

  “You finally got her to go out with you,” I said. “Was it a quick engagement?”

  “I married her three months later,” he said. “I wasn’t going to let her get away again.”

  “Three months!” I exclaimed. “That was fast.”

  “When you know, you know.” Betty laughed.

  “I would say it definitely worked out in the end,” I said. “You guys are very lucky to have found one another.”

  “You’ll find your future soon enough,” Betty encouraged. “Your future husband is out there waiting for you.”

  “From your lips to God’s ears,” I muttered.

  “You work too much,” John said. “You need to get out more.”

  “Thanks, but I like to eat, which means I need to work,” I said dryly.

  “You’re a beautiful woman,” Betty said. “You’ll find him, or he’ll find you.”

  I wished I shared their optimism. My phone rang before I could ask them for some help on how to find my future husband. I pulled it from my back pocket and checked the screen. “I’m sorry, guys, it’s my mom,” I said and slid out of the booth.

  I walked outside. “Hi, mom,” I answered. “What’s up?”

  “Hi, are you busy?”

  Her tone, the way she was talking like she was gritting her teeth, immediately put me on alert. “Mom, what’s wrong?”

  “I’m not feeling well,” she said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m in a lot of pain and I can’t keep anything down,” she said in a small voice.

  “Mom, how long have you been sick?” I asked her.

  “For a while,” she said. “I thought it would get better, but it just seems to be getting worse.”

  “Where are you?” I asked.

  “Home. In bed. I couldn’t get up today.”

  “I’m on my way,” I told her. “You’re going to the hospital.”

  “No, I can’t,” she said. “I can’t afford that. The free clinic said they could get me in.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Mom, they aren’t going to be able to do anything.”

  “Ashley, please,” she said with pain in her voice.

  “Fine, I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” I said.

  I walked back inside and told my boss I was leaving. He was pissed, but I was his best lunch hour waitress. He wasn’t going to fire me. I grabbed my purse and climbed into my old Toyota. Thankfully, there was very little traffic. I made it to mom’s apartment within twenty-two minutes. I let myself in with my key.

  “Mom?” I called out.

  “In here,” she said in a weak voice.

  I rushed into her bedroom. She was sitting on the edge of her bed looking extremely pale. “Mom,” I gasped.

  “I got a little dizzy,” she said. “I just need a minute.”

  “You don’t look good,” I said. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”

  I expected her to argue with me. “That’s probably a good idea,” she said in a small voice.

  Those few words sent icy chills down my spine. My mother was the fiercest, strongest woman I knew. For her to admit defeat meant things were bad. Really bad. The fear was chased by a sense of calm. I needed to be strong for her. “Let me help you with your shoes,” I said and dropped to my knees in front of her.

  I helped her to my car and headed for the hospital. “What’s been going on?” I asked.

  “I thought I had the flu, but it just keeps getting worse,” I said.

  “You’re vomiting?”

  “I’m everything,” she said with a sigh. “Something isn’t right. I’ll spare you the details, but my body is very angry. Things are not right.”

  “We’ll get you to a doctor and get you fixed up,” I promised her.

  She leaned her head against the window with her arms wrapped around her middle. I had never seen her sick before. She got the occasional cold, but she never really got sick. This scared me. My mom was my superhero. She couldn’t possibly go down. I pulled into the emergency room parking area. Thankfully, it seemed to be fairly slow on a Monday afternoon. I knew it would be expensive to take her here, but she needed help now, not in a month when the free clinic would have an actual doctor there to see her.

  I helped her out of the car. She seemed to be deteriorating right before my eyes. She had walked to my car on her own, but now, I was practically carrying her. I refused to panic. She needed me to be calm and strong. She’d always been my rock. It was my time to be her rock.

  “Sit right here,” I said and helped her into a chair. “I’ll get you checked in.”

  I sat beside her and helped fill out the paperwork while she struggled to stay upright in her chair. Something told me things were bad. Really bad.

  3

  Aton

  The cab dropped us off at the restaurant I often took clients to. I had a standing lunch reservation. We were quickly seated at my usual table and ordered the lunch special. “What’s going on?” I asked Cameron.

  I was direct because I didn’t have time to beat around the bush. My time was money. Cameron knew that which told me whatever sent him to my office in the middle of the workday was important.

  “I haven’t seen you in a few weeks,” he said. “Most people take weekends off. You don’t. What have you been doing these past few weeks?”

  “Working,” I said. “We’ve been trying to grow our business, so I’m reaching out to potential clients all around the world. I have to keep strange hours to talk to people in China, Japan, and everywhere else.”

  He shook his head. “Don’t you have enough clients?” he asked. “Why are you even dealing with that side of the business? I thought you were the bigshot COO.”

  “I am, but I bring in the big fish,” I said with a laugh. “Clients need to feel like they are getting the red-carpet treatment. I put out the feelers, sell them the company, and someone else usually handles the leg work.”

  “I guess you won,” he said with a laugh.

  “Won? Who was I competing against?”

  “Dad,” he said. “You told him you were going to make something of yourself without his power and money. You did it. Good job.”

  “Very funny,” I said dryly. “I wasn’t trying to win. I wanted to prove it to myself.”

  “Sure, keep telling yourself that,” he said.

  “How are the parents?” I asked without really giving a shit. They didn’t care for me and my wicked ways. Cameron was the darling of the Holland clan. He was daddy’s boy, all shiny and obedient. I just co
uldn’t seem to fall into the Holland mold and that pissed the parents off.

  “They are good,” he said with a nod. “They’d like to see you.”

  “I doubt that.” I smirked.

  “I came by because I wanted to talk to you about something else,” he said.

  “What’s going on?” I asked with concern. My little brother was the only family I had in my opinion. He was the only person I trusted, beyond Finn. He didn’t just show up at my office for no reason.

  “I’m going to do it,” he said.

  “What are you going to do?”

  He beamed. “She said yes.”

  “Who said yes to what?” I asked. I wasn’t interested in games. I hated wasting time. Unlike Cameron who lived off the family money, I actually had a job and responsibilities.

  “Mia!” he exclaimed. “We’re getting married!”

  That was not what I expected to hear. “You’re getting married?” I repeated. “Really?”

  “I told you I was going to do it,” he said with a huge smile. “I finally did it.”

  “Wow. Congratulations.”

  I was stunned into being speechless. My little brother getting married was a big deal. I supposed I always thought I would be the first. Then again, I had no intention of being saddled with a wife. It wasn’t all that shocking he was following the path mom and dad wanted for both of us. Once again, Cameron proved he was the more dutiful son. He’d go on to have two kids and provide an heir to the throne. He would once again be elevated to perfect-son status.

  “Thanks,” he said. “I figured I better pop the question before she found someone who did. I didn’t want to go through the hassle of finding another woman I was compatible with.”

  “And you love her?” I questioned.

  “Absolutely!”

  “Good,” I said with a nod. “I’m happy for you.”

  “Thanks,” he said.

  “Whatever you need, I’m here for you,” I told him.

  “Good, because I want you to be my best man,” he said.

  “Really?”

  He smirked. “Who else would I have?”

  “True. I am the best man.”

  “I always worry about your self-confidence,” he teased.

  “Do you guys know when you’re going to do it?” I asked him. I assumed this was going to be one of those things that stretched on forever.

  “We don’t have an exact date but within three months.”

  I choked on the drink in my mouth. “What? Are you serious?”

  “We don’t want to wait,” he said. “We both want this.”

  “You’re worried she’s going to come to her senses and leave you,” I said with a laugh. “She’s going to realize she cannot be a part of the Holland clan. Has mom met her?”

  “Of course,” he said.

  “And Mia still wants to marry you knowing she’s inheriting mom?” I asked.

  “Mom likes her,” he said.

  “This is Mia, the oil tycoon’s daughter, or is this a new one?” I questioned. My brother did like to play the field a bit. Every wealthy papa was looking to marry into the Holland family. Wealthy and not so wealthy. Cameron was the second son, but it wasn’t a secret I wasn’t exactly the apple of my parents’ eyes. Cameron would inherit the bulk of the estate and I was totally fine with that.

  “He’s not a tycoon,” he corrected. “But yes, the same one. We’ve been seeing each other off and on for two years. The last six months, we’ve been exclusive.”

  “And you’re sure you are absolutely ready to do this?” I asked. “I’m not trying to discourage you, but divorce is expensive.”

  “We’re ready and you know there will be prenups on both sides,” he said. “I’m not worried about that. I’m thirty-one. I’m too old to be out there trying to chase women. I’m ready to settle down. We’re looking at some apartments in the city. She doesn’t want the suburb thing.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “You’re giving up your bachelor pad?”

  “I kind of have to,” he said. “She doesn’t want to live in the place that has been home to some pretty unsavory activities.”

  “Do you want me to sell it for you?” I asked. It was a test.

  “Not yet,” he answered.

  I nodded with understanding. He was still hesitant. I didn’t blame him. I was not the guy to lecture anyone about making commitments. “Do you need some help finding a new place with her?”

  He shrugged. “Probably. She’s supposed to be telling me what she wants.”

  “Aren’t you going to have a say in where you live?”

  “Yes, but her mom was flying in and they were going to go dress shopping and plan our future, including where we live.”

  “You’re not selling me on this.” I laughed.

  “No, no,” he assured me. “I want this. I want her to be happy. She can shop around and find her dream home. I don’t really care where I live.”

  “Alright, well, if she needs a good agent, I’ll hook you guys up with someone in the office. It doesn’t have to be me.”

  “Ah, because you don’t deal with petty apartments,” he teased. “You only deal with the big deals.”

  “I haven’t done residential real estate in a long time, but I’ve still got it,” I told him.

  He sipped his drink and had that look that told me there was something more on his mind. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Um, I don’t want you to be mad,” he said.

  “Why in the hell would I be mad at you for getting married?” I asked. “I’m happy for you. I want you to be happy.”

  “Not that,” he said. “I told mom you were in a serious relationship and would probably be getting married soon.”

  There was a weird sense of calm that rolled over me. “You did what?”

  “You know she’s going to be all over you,” he said. “She’s going to want to know if you’re dating anyone and when you’re going to get married. She’s going to be all about you and your future. I want you there. I need you there. I need them focused on me and my wedding. Mia wants to be the queen. You can’t rain on her parade.”

  “I wouldn’t rain on her parade,” I scoffed. “Why in the hell would I do that? Trust me, I don’t want any attention.”

  “Which is why I told mom you were involved,” he said. “I figured that would keep them from focusing on you.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Whatever,” I said. “If that’s what keeps her off my ass, fine.”

  “So, do you have someone you can bring?” he asked.

  “Why?”

  “Because I told her you were dating someone,” he said.

  “So?” I shot back. “You can tell her the sky is purple for all I care. That doesn’t mean I’m going to go out and paint it purple.”

  “You have to bring someone or she’s going to know we’re lying,” he said.

  “You lied,” I said and pointed a finger at him. “I’m not taking anyone to meet the family.”

  “I’m not saying you actually have to marry the person,” he argued. “We just need to make sure she believes it and doesn’t start asking a lot of questions.”

  “Cameron, you do know I don’t have a girlfriend, right? You made that part up.”

  “I can find you someone,” he said. “Mia’s got some pretty friends.”

  “You are not setting me up,” I said with a shake of my head.

  “It doesn’t have to be a real date,” he said. “You can’t show up single. She’s going to know. You have to help me out, please. I want this day to be perfect for Mia. She likes mom. I want them to be friends. If mom’s attention is pulled away from Mia’s day, it’s going to kill her. It’s going to be all hands on deck to get this wedding planned in a couple of months.”

  I sighed and looked at my little brother begging me. It wasn’t like I could say no. He needed this win. I knew he’d been living in my shadow from the moment he was born. He was the spare. I had removed myself from the equation, but my status as firstborn was still an issue for him. I knew that and couldn’t leave him hanging at a time he actually needed me.

  “I’ll find my own date,” I told him. “I don’t want mom’s attention. She’s all yours.”

  “Thanks,” he said with relief. “I’m sorry to be a pain in the ass.”

  “You’re not a pain in the ass,” I told him. “It’s fine. I can get a date. Hopefully mom doesn’t grill the woman.”

  “Maybe you should let her know ahead of time,” he suggested.