Page 64 of Love You, Mean It

“That, and the fact that the entire place feels like you could buy it out of a West Elm catalog.”

“Oooh, sick burn on the bougie home goods store.”

“Not on thestore. On the store as a substitute identity.” Theo grinned. “I’ll take a town full of scrappy deli owners who can turn fabric remnants into fairy dust over a hundred thousand Anthropologie clones any day.”

He reached over to twist the hem of my capelet between his fingers, drawing me ever so slightly nearer as he looked first at the sparkly fabric, then into my eyes. The shadows where we stood had turned his deep and oceanic. There was something stirring there, something that was forming an answering whirlpool at my core. I could feel myself getting sucked into it…

“Sorry to interrupt.” I startled at Ma’s voice just over Theo’s shoulder. She smiled apologetically. “They want us for pictures?”

“Of course.” Theo slid an arm around me fluidly. “Lead the way, Linda.”

We crossed to the dais, dutifully lining up in various formations of his family and mine, with a few highly posed photos of Theo and me tastefully wrapped in each other’s arms thrown in for variety. Fortunately, the watchful gazes of Ted and Marta, the photographer and her assistant, not to mention half the room, kept me from descending into more bourbon-fueled bodily madness at his touch.

“You know, while we have you…” Ted glanced around theroom, and Theo and I moved apart. We’d been holding our chaste-cheek-kiss pose—Look sideways at him, Ellie—for so long I had a minor headache. “Let’s grab a few pictures of the dream team. Sam’s always impeccable, but catching both me and my son looking this nice on the same day is rare,” Ted chuckled.

Before Theo could protest, Ted had maneuvered Sam to us.

“You don’t mind, do you, Ellie?” he said, barely bothering to look at me.

“Of course not.” I found a spot next to Marta as the photographer arranged Ted, Sam, and Theo.

“Get a couple with just the two of them,” Ted said after the first few snaps. “The future of the company and all that.” He threw a tiny smirk my way as he moved to one side. “Theo, put your arm around her. It has to look like we all like each other, after all.”

I took a long sip of my drink as my fake fiancé and his very real ex took photo after photo, every one of them more convincing than anything Theo and I could possibly pull off.

It was so obvious they should wind up together. And now that our engagement was “official,” it was time for me to make sure that was exactly what happened.

“Sorry I’m late, there was an accident on 95.” Sam rolled her eyes hugely as she shrugged off her purse and coat.

“No worries.” I glanced at the kitschy clock over the entrance to the coffee shop, which showed that Sam had arrived precisely four minutes past our planned meeting time. I’d never been here before, mainly because it was on the far side of Marshburg, one of the more charming towns within spitting distance of Milborough, but the sixties décor and home-baked pastries almost made it worth the drive.

“Have you ordered yet? My treat,” she said.

“Oh, umm…I was thinking maybe a scone and a latte, but you don’t need to do that.”

“This whole thing is my ridiculous scheme, a latte is the least I can do. Back in a flash.”

Soon she was settling in across from me, three scones laid out between us.

“I couldn’t decide.”

“I knew I liked you.”

Sam grinned, sipped her drink, then leaned forward, face suddenly serious.

“First off, I hope you know I hadnothingto do with Ted’s little…whatever the fuck that was.” She winced. “I only sent over the contract the day before, I don’t think he even told the board yet.” She sighed heavily, breaking a corner off the cinnamon chip scone. “Beyond tacky. Though I can’t pretend I’m surprised.”

“You’re the one who wants him as a father-in-law.”

Sam scrunched her nose in disgust.

“I suppose we all have to make sacrifices.”

“Either way, don’t worry about it.” I sipped my latte, good enough that it almost made me wish I was willing to travel for life’s little luxuries. “The timing might have been a little…I mean, tacky really is the word for it, but it teed things up pretty well for this.” I gestured between us. “The important part was that he announced the engagement, not that he acted psyched about it, right?”

“Good point,” Sam said. “Jesus, this scone is ridiculous.”

“Maybe I’ll see if they want to partner with the deli. We don’t have a lot of breakfast options.”

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