Page 36 of Salty, Spiced, and a Little Bit Nice

He led me inside, and my eyes widened at the opulence. Marble floors stretched as far as the eyes could see, and the dining room walls were draped with strings of curtain lights, giving it an ethereal, otherworldly feel. Two long tables stood in the middle of the room, full of plates upon plates of food, all made brighter by the chandelier above. The place practically shimmered with glitz and glamor.

Plucking two champagne flutes from a passing waiter, Alec handed one to me, then downed his in one swift guzzle. He tapped his fingers on the empty flute, eyes darting around the room as he slowly exhaled, and I realized he was nervous.

“Hey, we got this.” I rubbed his arms, soothing him. “I got your back, okay?”

“Alec!” A melodic voice called from behind us. He tensed and tightened his hold on me, as if I were a buoy keeping him afloat. Fixing a bright smile on his face, he turned around and briefly disentangled his hands from mine to hug a beautiful brunette, who was probably in her late thirties. She was impeccably dressed in an elegant, lacy white dress, had legs for days, generously dimpled cheeks, and exquisite ocean-blue eyes with lashes I would kill for.

Alec must be out of his mind, because Jacqui Goodwin was drop-dead gorgeous.

“Glad you could make it.” The woman beamed at Alec. “Where’s Rob?”

“He couldn’t be here tonight. He sends his apologies.”

“Too bad. Maybe next time.” She switched her attention to me, those blue eyes curiously assessing. “You must be Ellie. I’ve been hearing so much about you.”

Hearing so much about me?I shook her hand, keeping a smile plastered on my face.

“Thank you for having us, Ms. Goodwin. Your home is lovely.”

“Call me Jacqui. It’s so nice to finally meet you. This one,” she gestured at Alec, “wouldn’t shut up about you. Now I know why he’s been turning down my dinner invites.”

I didn’t know how to reply, so I only smiled wider, probably looking like a madwoman. Nobody had warned me that being a fake girlfriend would be complicated. What was I supposed to do next? Pretend to be offended because she’d been hitting on my boyfriend? Act as if it wasn’t a big deal and laugh it off?

When this whole thing was over, I should write a handbook about it. Or start a business: a fake-relationship-planner-slash-coach, to guide newbie pretend couples, so they could avoid the pitfalls and awkwardness of being a fake partner.

“Have you met Phil?” Jacqui gestured to the tall, bearded man next to her. “Phil is the founder of Anderson Real Estate. You’ve probably seen some of their offices around.”

“We spoke on the phone,” I said. “I’m the one who leased the shop at the back of the Plaza, next to the yarn store.”

“I remember,” Phil said. “It’s one of the best locations in the entire city. Close to the Plaza, to downtown, to the Waterfront. You were lucky to snap it up when it became vacant.”

“That’s what I told her.” Alec grinned at me.

“I’ve known Phil for a long time. We’ve worked with Anderson Real Estate for nearly ten years. One of the best in the business.” At this, Jacqui sent Phil a pointed look. “I’m a firm believer that we should work in an area that focuses on our strengths.I wouldn’t know where to start marketing a property for sale. That’syourarea of expertise. Right, Phil?”

That’s weird.I wasn’t an expert in real estate, but her harsh tone, followed by the way Phil’s posture turned stiff, gave off a strange vibe that had nothing to do with properties or marketing.

“Sure.” Phil gave her a tense smile before turning his attention to Alec. “Anyway, heard you’ll be joining forces with GPG.”

“Hopefully, yes.”

“You struck gold, son. Couldn’t find a better partner anywhere else. And I’ve heard so many wonderful things about Mackenzie Constructions. Three years in a row!” He directed his next sentence at me. “You must be so proud.”

“Oh, yes.” I pasted a bright smile on my face, although I hadzeroidea what he was talking about, realizing I’d made a newbie fake girlfriend blunder: I knew everything there was to know about Alec, except his company. How could I recite his SAT scores but know next to nothing about his business?

I mentally added a line on my To-Do List:Look up Mackenzie Constructions.

“So,” Jacqui grabbed a champagne flute and took a sip, her eyes full of speculation, “how did you two meet?”

Okay, so she was a straight shooter. Maybe that was one of the qualities that helped her be so successful from such a young age. I should probably take notes so I could follow in her formidable footsteps.

Alec was the first to transform into his role of The Adoring Boyfriend Character. “Ellie is my best friend’s younger sister. She’s been following me around like a lovesick puppy since I was twelve, always trying to impress me and get my attention. Remember, babe?”

“Lovesick puppy?” I smiled at him through gritted teeth. “Aww, that’s cute, but that’s not how I remember it, darling.”

“Pretty sure it was, sweetheart.” He gave me a (fake) lovingsmile, as if the two of us were sharing a secret joke. “You even followed me into my college lecture once, didn’t you?”

“I was there to see Eric, honeybunch, not you.”

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