Fake Fiancée for Dad’s Best Friend by Gena Snow
Chapter 29
Alex
“This should be it,” the taxi driver stops in front of an ancient building on Quai Voltaire, a historic street in Paris, along the Seine River.
I pay him and steps out of the car and walk toward the gate painted blue. I’ve seen the picture of the building, and it doesn’t look as old as this. I cringe as I ring the bell. There are many cars parking parallel to the street and quite a number of people walking along the river across to it. It doesn’t look as safe as I thought. I frown and push the door buzzer button, but no one answers. I haven’t texted or called Vivian to tell her I’m coming to Paris because I wanted to surprise her.
Seeing a coffee shop not far from the apartment, I go over there, order a drink and sit down at a sidewalk table where I can observe the apartment's entrance. Where is Vivian? I know her schedule. It’s three o’clock and she should be home. Most of her classes are in the mornings, and she usually comes home at around noon. I’ve transferred twice the amount of money we agreed on to her bank account so she wouldn’t have to work while studying. My motive is partly selfish. I want her to be able to finish school soon and return to New York.
I’m halfway through my coffee when a silver Peugeot squeezes into the one parking spot left in front of the apartment building, and the doors open. A good-looking, lanky young man steps out of the driver’s side, and I recognize him right away. Amanda Lee’s son. What’s he doing here? I don’t have to wonder for long because a young woman with a ponytail gets out of the passenger side. Vivian. My heart leaps when I see her. She’s in a long-sleeve, floral blouse over jeans. I want to stand up and go to her right away, but I’m crippled by jealousy and suspicion. Why are they together? I watch the two of them go to the back of the car, laughing as they carry out grocery bags.
So they’ve gone shopping together, like a couple. I clench my fist.
“Let me carry that one. It’s heavy with the wines,” Cody says to Vivian. I hate him even though he’s considerate.
“I got it!” Vivian insists, taking the bags to the apartment gate.
From the expression on the young man’s face, I have no doubt he wants more than friendship from her. How could he not? Vivian is beautiful, brilliant, and sweet. I watch Vivian opens the gate with her key, and the two of them go inside.
I can hardly stand it any longer. I have no doubt they’re living together. The apartment has two bedrooms. She may be renting one out to him, or he simply comes over to stay with her. Neither possibility has crossed my mind before, and neither is tolerable to me.
The joy I envisioned seeing her just a moment ago vanishes without a trace. I’ve flown seven hours across the Atlantic to prove I’m a fool. What made me think Vivian would take our fake marriage seriously as I did? Why did I believe her when she said there was nothing between Cody and her?
Seeing a Taxi driving by, I have the impulse to stop it. I need to get out of here, go back to the airport. But my rational self takes control of me and I take a deep breath. Calm down, Alex. It might not be what it seems. Maybe the lad is here to help Vivian with grocery shopping. She doesn’t have a car, so it must be inconvenient. I suggested leasing her a car, but she said it would be challenging to drive in the city. Now I regret not insisting on it.
Vivian soon comes back down to take another bag from the trunk.
I’m still fighting my urge to go up to her when the waitress asks me, in English, “Would you like anything else, sir?”
“No, I’m fine, thanks,” I say.
And then Vivian turns my way sharply as if she recognizes my voice from so many steps away.
She gasps and freezes for a moment before she cries out, “Alex!”
Leaving her groceries in the car, she rushes to me. “What are you doing here?” she asks with a delightful smile.
I shrug and do my best to look nonchalant. “I’m here for Fashion Week. I thought I would drop by to check on my fake wife.”
She laughs at my humor. “You should’ve told me! How long have you been waiting?”
“Just long enough for a cup of nice coffee.”
“You want to come up to my apartment?”
“Sure,” I say with another shrug as if it weren’t the sole purpose of my trip.
I pay my bill and follow Vivian to the gate, just when the lanky young man comes out.
“Cody,” Vivian says to him. “Meet Alex, my dad’s friend. He’s here for Fashion Week. He owns Trend. I worked for him this summer.”
Cody stares at me with hostility for a moment, and then he puts out a hand. “Hi, Mr. Anderson. It’s nice to meet you.”
The hostility in his eyes confirms my suspicion about their relationship. I dislike him even more, but I shake hands with him cordially. “It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for helping Vivian.”
“You’re welcome,” he says, still not smiling. “Vivian is like a sister to me. Whoever hurts her had better be prepared for my Iron Fists.” He clenches his fists as if to intimidate me.
“Cody!” Vivian hisses at him.
As soon as we’re alone, I narrow my eyes at Vivian. “Is he living here with you?”
“No!” she says quickly, blushing. “His apartment is too noisy and he…err he’s looking for a new one. So, he stays here temporarily.”
“You should’ve asked me first,” I say grumpily. “You’re my wife, and you’re letting another man stay with you!”
Her mouth opens. “B-but our marriage isn’t….”
“I know,” I say, grabbing her hand and pulling her to me. “But we’re still married.”
She doesn’t speak but gazing at me with those dreamy eyes and biting her lip.
I pull her to me and claim those lips that I’ve missed so much when I hear Cody clears his throat. Vivian pushes me away with burning cheeks.
I turn to glare at the young man, not bothered to hide my annoyance. To my surprise, he glares back defiantly.
When he doesn’t speak, I ask, “What do you want, Cody?”
He clenches his jaw before speaking. “I would like to ask you the same question. What do you want from Vivian? She told me it’s all over between you. Why are you still chasing her?”
I glance at Vivian, but she avoids looking at me. Technically, it is over between us, but I refuse to acknowledge the fact, at least not in front of Cody.
“She misled you,” I say. “We’re still married.”
“It’s fake,” he points out.
“It isn’t,” I say. “Not to me.”
Cody looks puzzled for a moment, and then his face hardens again. “You’re an ass. You want to take advantage of her using your fake marriage, going as far as knocking her up…”
“Cody!” Vivian hisses again.
My jaw falls. “What did you just say?”
The lad presses his lips tightly and doesn’t answer my question. I look at Vivian and recall we skipped the condom the night of our wedding. “Are you pregnant?”
“I…” Vivian buries her face in her hands. “I don’t know yet! I’m going to find out now.”
She quickly goes to rummage in a grocery bag and pulls out a pregnancy test kit. When she heads to the bathroom, both Cody and I follow her.
“Stop!” she says. “I don’t need your help.”
We halt at the door simultaneously, letting her go in there alone.
I glare at Cody again, annoyed that Vivian trusts him and shares everything with him and that he finds out about her possible pregnancy first. I blame myself for not coming to see her sooner.
And then I think about what if Vivian is pregnant. I can’t let her alone here in a foreign country, especially not next to a young man who’s dying to protect her. I’ll have to take her back to New York.
The longest five minutes later, the door opens, and Vivian meets my eyes with the hardest expression to read.
“Well?” I ask.
“What’s the result?” Cody blurts.
“I think it’s positive,” Vivian says.
“What do you mean, you think?” I rush into the restroom and pick up the tube lying on the table. Cody stands right behind me. It shows two lines, and according to the instructions, it means… she’s pregnant.
I push Cody away and reach for Vivian. I clasp her into my arms and kiss her. “I love you, baby!”
She doesn’t say anything, but I hear sniffling. I pull away and brush her tears with a thumb. “Are you okay? Why’re you crying?”
“I am,” she says a moment later. “I love you, too!”
Cody sneaks out of the bathroom and says to us, “Vivian, I’m gonna go back to my apartment.”
“Are you sure?” Vivian calls him back. “You don’t have to.”
“Thanks, but I don’t want to be a third wheel,” he says with a smile. Before he gets to the front door, however, he turns to speak to me with a warning look. “You’d better take care of her, old man. Otherwise, you’d regret it!”
I roll my eyes. What an insolent young man. “Off you go, Cody. Thanks for what you’ve done for Vivian!”
And then I glance at my watch. “We’d better go, too. The show is about to begin.”
“What show?” Vivian asks with wide eyes.
“You’ll find out in just a minute,” I say.
