Fake Fiancée for Dad’s Best Friend by Gena Snow

Chapter 2

Alex

 

 

 

 

Women are amazing creatures, although sometimes they’re a pain in the ass.

I’m at a loss for words when I realize the beautiful girl in front of me, next to my best friend John, is Vivian, the little girl I used to know.

How has the tiny caterpillar turned into a gorgeous butterfly overnight? Well, maybe not overnight because I haven’t seen her for four years. Obviously, she’s hidden in a cocoon somewhere, and I miss the transformation process. The bright green eyes are about the only feature I remember. The rest—including the feminine curves, the confident demeanor, and the sweet scent, is all new.

When I hug her soft body, my dick jolts despite my willpower—this is inappropriate. Not in front of John!

“Shall we have dinner first? I’ve got lasagna and pasta,” I speak cheerfully to hide my embarrassment.

“Good idea,” John says. “I’m hungry.”

I open the two large lunch boxes while Vivian helps her dad put out plates and wine glasses.

“We could order a pizza if it isn’t enough. I didn’t know Vivi would be here,” I say to them.

Vivian turns to look at the food. “You’ve got enough to feed an army! Don’t worry about me. I’m not that hungry.”

“Are you sure?” I wriggle my eyebrows. “If I remember correctly, you once ate an entire pepperoni pizza for dinner.”

Pink creeps onto her cheeks as she giggles, revealing her girlish nature. “Thanks for remembering my ravenous appetite, but let me remind you it was just an eight-inch.”

It’s the second time she blushes in just five minutes. I gaze at her pink face and neck, wondering how deep the blush extends.

Needless to say, I have trouble keeping my eyes off Vivian over dinner. I barely know what my favorite eggplant lasagna tastes. I talk more than I eat, and I keep asking her about her college life. Vivian inherited her dad’s artistic talent and passion for fashion design.

“Graduated last week,” she says with a smile after swallowing down a bite.

Damn. I could’ve brought her a graduation gift.

“What’re you going to do next? Have you found a job?”

“Not yet. I’m going to grad school for a MA in fashion arts first.”

I frown. I’m a practical person, and I don’t care much for postgraduate degrees, especially not in a creative profession such as fashion design that relies more on artistic inspiration and practice rather than analysis and theories. But I could be wrong, and I don’t want to dampen Vivian’s enthusiasm.

“Vivian has been accepted to five schools,” John says proudly and goes on to list the names.

I raise an eyebrow. “Which one do you want to go to?”

“She’s going to Pierson,” John says. “Right here in Brooklyn.”

Vivian, though, doesn’t confirm.

“Is it true?” I ask her.

“I don’t know,” she says. “I’m still thinking. I want to go to Paris, but they don’t offer me a scholarship.”

I frown again. Paris?

“Pumpkin, forget about Paris,” John says. “You can sightsee there one day, but what’s the point to live there?”

Vivian pouts slightly. “It’s a beautiful city.”

Seeing her apparent regret, I ask, “How much is the tuition?”

“Twenty thousand dollars for a two-year program.”

“It isn’t much! I’m sure your dad can afford it,” I blurt but regret in an instant because I might sound like a snob.

Thankfully John doesn’t mind. “I could. But what’s the point? The schools here are as good, and they are free. Besides, she gets to stay home.”

I agree with my friend. Going to a school in Paris seems like throwing money away. Besides, it’s far. I won’t get to see her for another two years.

“Well, Vivian,” I say. “Listen to your dad and just stay in New York. I guarantee you a job at my company whenever you’re ready.”

Her green eyes brighten. “Really? Ohmigod. Thank you so much, Alex!”

I’m quite flattered by the look because I’m sure her dad has no problem finding her a job either.

“That’s generous of you, Alex,” John says.

“Actually,” Vivian says with a bit of hesitation. “I’m looking for a summer internship for now. Do you think…?”

“Absolutely,” I say. “I’ll be glad to have you.”

“Thanks! I’ll start on Monday!”

“Vivian!” John chides his daughter. “You still need to go through the interview process first.”

I chuckle, pleased by Vivian’s eagerness to work for me. “No problem. Come to my office on Monday, and I’ll give you an interview and set you up for a position.”

Vivian squeals like the little girl I remember, and then unexpectedly, she hugs me and stamps a kiss on my cheek. “You’re the best, Alex!”

I’m used to the gesture because she did it quite often before. But now, after not seeing her for so many years and feeling her soft curves against me, my blood rushes south, and my manhood hardens in my pants.

I clear my throat and force more chuckles.

 

After dinner, Vivian excuses herself to unpack, leaving John and me in the living room.

“So,” John asks. “What brings you here? Why can’t you wait for another day?”

That reminds me of the purpose of my visit. I begged him to skip his wife’s family gathering for me.

“Well, I need help,” I say, feeling embarrassed by my request. “I need a date…actually, I need someone to pretend to be my fiancée next weekend.”

“What?” John looks amused.

“You see, last summer, my mom made me promise I would let her find me a wife if I couldn’t find someone within a year.”

John chuckles. “You’re not serious… What would she do? Surely she wouldn’t force you into a marriage with anyone you aren’t interested in?”

“That was what I thought, and I didn’t take my promise seriously until lately. She keeps pressing me for an answer, and yesterday, she told me she had a candidate in mind if I couldn’t find anyone myself.”

“Sounds like she really wants you to settle. Why not give it a try? Meet with this woman, and who knows? It might work!” John says with a shrug.

I shake my head. “The thing is, I know who she has in mind.”

John blinks for a moment and says. “No way. Trisha? I thought Karen couldn’t stand her.”

“She couldn’t. But she thinks she was responsible for our breakup, although I told her she wasn’t. She keeps trying to get us back.” 

“So what are you gonna do? And how could I help you?”

I take a big gulp of the beer. “Remember you tried to hook me up with Annie, your wife’s sister? Is she still available? Do you think you could talk her into pretending to be my fiancée? All we have to do is show up at my parents’ house for a weekend. It isn’t a long-term solution, but it could shut my mom up for a while.  I could pay Annie for her time.”

John scratches his head. “Well, I believe Annie is seeing someone now, but I can still ask her. When are you going to see your parents?”

“I’m flying on Friday. A week from now.”

“Good. There’s still time. You know what? There’re some dating services like this online where you can pay someone to be your date, but they charge you, of course.”

“No kidding? I haven’t heard about it.”

“I ran across it before I met Lisa. It’s call Faking Service, or something like that,” John pulls out his phone and starts searching. A moment later, he pushes the phone in front of me. “Here. See for yourself.”

I look at the screen. “Fake Dates?” I laugh.  Unbelievable. You can find anything online nowadays.

I check their prices right away. “Fake girlfriend/boyfriend: $100 per hour. Fake fiancée/fiancé: $150 per hour. Fake wife/husband: $200 per hour. Terms and conditions: formal touching or kissing only.”

“Why the differences in prices?” I ask John.

He shrugs. “I have no idea. I guess the deeper the relationship, the harder it is pretend because it requires more getting to know you?”

I do a quick calculation. “So if I hired someone for a weekend, say, from Friday afternoon to Sunday Afternoon, forty-eight hours, I’ll have to pay at least five thousand dollars.”

“That’s a lot of money—to me,” John says. “But it’s not a problem for you.”

“No,” I say, shaking my head and skimming the webpage for more information. Professionals with training in acting. Reliable and responsible. “Sounds good. I’ll give them a call first thing tomorrow. Thanks, buddy, I owe you one!”

John shrugs. “No worries. The dinner takes care of it. So I don’t have to ask Annie?”

“No. to tell the truth. I don’t feel comfortable troubling you with that because it’s sort of a scam.”

I haven’t finished my sentence when I hear Vivian’s voice behind us. “I’ll do it!”

John and I turn simultaneously to look at her. “Do what?” John asks.

“I’ll be Alex’s pretend fiancée.”

John’s mouth falls open, and so does mine.

“Don’t be silly, sweetheart,” John admonishes. “You’re too young. Still a child. Nobody will believe it.”

“I’m not a child!” Vivian raises her chin indignantly. “I turned twenty-two last month, Dad!”

I agree silently. Even without knowing her age, she looks every inch a woman, a lovely woman. I want to say that to John but swallow back my thoughts when I see his face. He seems serious without a trace of a smile. John is a gentle fellow, but when it comes to his daughter, he’s fiercely protective.

So I say to Vivian instead, “Vivian, I appreciate your offer, but no, I need someone more mature to convince my mom.”

Vivian bites her lip and stands silently for a moment, and then says to me. “Fine. I won’t be your fiancée, but can I at least tag along? I’ve never been to California!”

My impulse is to welcome her, but John speaks before I do. “I don’t think so,” he says sternly. “You’ll be a third wheel.”

“But there won’t be a real couple,” Vivian argues. “So I won’t be a third wheel, will I?”

John glances at me, and I shrug. “Sure. It’s not a problem at all, Vivian. You can come along.”

 

 

I stay at John’s house until Lisa and their newborn baby are home.

I envy the bastard. He does better than me when it comes to tying the knot. Sure, I’ve got better luck with women, but most of them are attracted to my fame and money. None of them would stay with me in sickness and poverty.  John married his high school sweetheart while in college. Even though that marriage didn’t last, he and Vivian’s mom had years of blissful life together. At age forty, he started another family with a fantastic woman. Lisa is ten years younger than John, sweet and beautiful. Their one-year-old baby Noah is adorable.

“Do you want to hold him?” Lisa asks me, obviously seeing my coveting expression.

I don’t have to be asked twice.  I gingerly reach out for the cute little bundle and cradle it, making sure his head rests comfortably on my arm. Holy moly. I chuckle when the baby’s clear brown eyes fix on me curiously and warily. “Hi, Noah! Remember me? I’m Alex,” I whisper to him in a high-pitched voice I seldom use. When his face suddenly relaxes and turns into a smile, my heart melts. 

I hold Noah until he frowns and shifts. Seeing Lisa’s worried look, I hand him back reluctantly. God. I would give anything to have a baby of my own. I’m a billionaire, but I don’t have what billions of poorer guys have: a family. The thought depresses me, but there isn’t much I can do about it. My poor mother must be desperate for grandchildren as well. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be taking such an extreme measure. I feel a twinge of guilt for my plan to deceive her, but again I can’t let her meddle with my life, especially over such a personal matter.

I say goodbye to John and walk to my car.

However, before I open my car door, I hear a voice calling me, “Alex, please wait!”

I turn and see Vivian running toward me.

My heart races at the sight of her. She’s showered and changed into a dress that hugs her feminine curves. Her slightly damp hair smells of coconut. My cock struggles to jump out of my pants, and I silently commend it to stay put.

“What is it, Vivian?” I ask when she stands next to me.

“Can I speak to you, please?”

“Sure.”

“Please don’t call the website,” she says.

I take a minute to understand what she means. “Why?”

“Because I need the money. Five thousand is enough to pay for the first installment of tuition at AFAP, the school in Paris.”

“What?”

“You are going to pay that much for the fake date service, right? I heard it when you did the calculation.” She blushes a bit.

“Yes,” I say, not at all annoyed at her eavesdropping. “But you heard your dad. He doesn’t want you to.”

“We don’t have to let him know.”

I blink as I realize what she means. “You mean we’ll lie to him?” I ask incredulously.

“Uh-huh,” she nods as she gazes at me with her innocent eyes. “You’re going to lie to your parents anyway. What differences does it make?”

Damn. She has a point. But I feel like a jerk. Lying is an adult’s privilege. I’m not supposed to lure a child into doing the same, even though Vivian isn’t exactly a child. She’s still young and innocent.

As I hesitate, the girl continues. “Please. I want to go to Paris for the MFA, and I don’t want to burden my dad anymore. He has a new family to raise. You know?”

I’m touched by her consideration. “If you need money, Vivian, I can loan you…”

“No, I don’t need charity. I want to earn it.”

“Okay, then work for me as an intern.”

“I will, and that’s for the rest of the tuition. The first installment is due in two weeks if I want to matriculate in the fall. Please, Alex. Help me. All I need to do is to spend a weekend with you at your parents’ house. I get to see California in the meantime.”

I’m tempted. “But I can’t do that to your dad.”

The feisty girl doesn’t give up. She blows a puff of air with frustration and says, “You’re a famous person. You can’t just randomly pick someone online. What if they turned out to be gold-digger? What if they used it to blackmail you?”

Hell. She’s right. I’m lost for words. I can’t find a good reason to discourage her other than her dad’s objection. In fact, I want her to go with me. Hell. The whole thing isn’t even an ordeal anymore if she’s my fake fiancée. It’ll be fun like she said. “Are you sure you want to do this?” My mouth feels dry.

She nods with enthusiasm. “I am!”

“Okay, then. I guess you’re in.”

“Yes! Thank you so much, Alex!” she hugs me again.

I stroke her back this time, and to my surprise, she shivers. When she pulls away, her cheeks are flushed.

“No problem, Vivian. But give it some thought and let me know if you change your mind. I don’t want you to regret it later. You’re coming for an interview tomorrow, right?”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, but I won’t change my mind!” she says firmly, eyes sparkling with excitement.

The girl is undoubtedly passionate about fashion and Paris. I like that. “Okay, then. I’ll see you tomorrow.”