Page 23 of Love You, Mean It

“Holy shit, like…amnesia?” Mike’s mouth dropped open again. I nodded and his eyes went wider yet. “Fuck, dude. I see that in the movies, but I’ve neverknownsomeone that happened to.”

“Apparently it’s more common than you’d think,” Theo said with a dramatic sigh.

“Do you have to get knocked on the head again, or…I mean, that doesn’t seem safe. All that stuff you hear about football players and concussions…”

“No, his memory should come back on its own soon,” I said. “Most of it’s already back. There are just a few gaps that still need filling in.” Mike nodded dazedly, still gaping.

“That’s wild. So you’re saying…you forgot your fiancée?”

“No, no, just the proposal.” Theo flashed a pained smile. “Which I’m hoping will come back to me soon. It sounds like I really swept her off her feet.”

“That’s right. We were out in the Berkshires for a little mini-vacation, and Theo rented out an entire inn so my family could be there. It was like something out of a cheesy movie.” I turned a fawning look on Theo, batting my eyelashes for good measure. “But that’s Theo, you know? He loves aspectacle.” Theo’s jaw tightened slightly, but he nodded along.

“Sounds like him alright,” Mike said with a laugh, clapping his meaty hand on Theo’s shoulder. “Well, shit, man. Congratulations. To both of you. Ellie, I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around. And if you don’t like the doors, you just tell me and they’re gone. Happy wife, happy life, that’s what I always say.” He tilted his chin down, poking Theo in the chest as though he were imparting deep, unique wisdom, then headed back down the hallway he’d emerged from. I waited until the doors of the elaborately framed elevator had closed on us to turn on Theo.

“I never said I was in on this ‘fiancée’ scheme.”

His smirk was infuriatingly superior. He swiped a fob over the black pad at the bottom and pressed the 4L button.

“And yet you just told Mike our engagement story. Thanks for making me sound like some Hallmark movie lead, by the way. Rented out the whole inn? Invited your family?” He wrinkled his nose in disgust.

“It seemed like your style.”

“Well, I suppose that’s the story we’re sticking to now.” He sighed. “Too bad you weren’t the one with the bout of amnesia. Then I could gently remind you that I’m not nearly so basic.”

“Okay, back up. Why are you pretending to still have amnesia? And why tell Mike we’re engaged at all?”

“I mentioned the amnesia so we’d have an excuse if we contradicted each other. I thought that would be obvious.” Theo flashed another maddeningly superior expression.

“Is that part of yourbrilliantfake engagement plan? Because it sounds kind of tedious to maintain.”

“Not long term. I just figured we could use it as a stopgap today. From here on out, I’ll remember every glittering moment of our whirlwind romance. Which, by the way,needsto have been fast. No one will buy it otherwise.”

“Trust me, Theo, no one will ‘buy it’ regardless.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. Especially considering how much Mike loves to gossip. Once enough people know the same story, it tends to take on a life of its own.” Somehow his smirk grew even more self-satisfied. How Bella had ever dated this princeling was beyond me.

The doors to the elevator opened, and Theo gestured for me to go first. I emerged in a narrow hallway that eventually let out into a high-ceilinged kitchen in black and white, somehow simultaneously modern and classic, half trendy real estate design blog, half ancestral manor.

But as much as my fingers itched to try out the Wolf range gleaming at the back, my eyes were drawn to the left, where the ceilings opened up to cathedral height. A stone-fronted gas fireplace running from floor to double-high ceiling anchored a seating area, the furniture clustered around a generous Oriental rug in front of it an eclectic mix of clean modern styles and ornate antiques. Everywhere I looked there was some interesting detail—original molding running up a wall, maybe meant to frame out a judge’s bench; elaborate carving along the heavy wooden ceiling beams; double-height windows with intricate paneling that cast tessellated shadows across the honey-colored wood floors. I followed Theo to the seating area and perched on the edge of the couch. He sprawled across the other half, infuriating smirk still in place.

“Well?” I finally said. “I believe you were going to explain why I’d agree to keep up this little farce?”

“I think it’s obvious whyyou’dagree.” He sipped his coffee casually, eyeing me over the top.

“Yes, we both know I’m not psyched on Mangia. But you are.”

“No, I’m not. Mangia’s Ted’s idea.”

“He runs the company. If it’s what he wants, it’s what will happen, right?”

“He’s on the letterhead.” Theo’s gaze darkened. “He hasn’trunanything in years. He just swoops in occasionally to tell us peons to scrap everything we’ve been working on and do whatever bullshit out-of-date idea popped into his head in the infinity pool that afternoon.” Theo sniffed. “I happen to think that building could be put to much better use. But Ted’s made sure I don’t have the authority to make that decision. None of us who actuallyworkthere do.”

That sounded…messy. And familiar. Bella used to have a Boomer boss who operated on much the same “functionally retired but unwilling to let go of the reins” principal. It was a big part of why she eventually left that job.

“What sort of use?”

“Does it matter?”

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