Page 19 of Boyfriend Maintenance

I roll my eyes but can’t help smiling. She always hated Craig. Isn’t it obvious judging by her nickname for him?

When I look back at Jake, he’s glaring at her.

“Are you ready?” he grumbles.

“Yes! See ya, Bex.” I wave to her as I close the door behind me.

Jake is still glaring and all bristly when we get to the elevator. He pushes the lobby button then turns to me. “Who’s Craig?”

“Oh, just my ex. Nothing to worry about.” I wave him off.

“You didn’t say anything about making an ex jealous. That was not part of the deal. I’m not going to be part of a lovers’ quarrel.” His body is angled toward me and he looks mad with a mix of disappointed.

My shoulders sag at his words and I let out a sigh. “Craig and I broke up years ago. I broke up with him. My heart wasn’t in it. His parents are old family friends of mine. They set us up years ago. When I found out that he had been invited to all these wedding parties, I realized that he and my parents would be relentless in their attempts at getting us back together. That’s what created my need for having a plus one. I’m not interestedatallin Craig, he actually drives me nuts. Bex’s nickname for him is legit. He’s cringeworthy. Some of the shit that comes out of his mouth is just …” I shake my head. “I just can’t deal with him.”

Thankfully, I can tell Jake believes me because his anger melts away from his body during my explanation, but he still sports a hefty scowl.

“So, do you think you can replace that scowl with a smile? You look so much hotter with the smile.” I give him my own smile and tilt my head to the side, trying to get any kind of reaction.

His eyebrow twitches and he shifts his lips to the side. Then the tiniest little smile breaks through.

“You think I’m hot?”

“Duh, I wouldn’t have asked you to be my fake boyfriend if I didn’t. It was the number one requirement.”

“Ah, well clearly I made the grade.” He plays along, and for that I’m grateful. The last thing I need is to take a grouchy boyfriend, fake or not, into the lion’s den with me.

By the time we get to the NoMad Hotel Rooftop, Jake’s back to his normal, easygoing self. The one I got to know at lunch the other day. He also exudes confidence because he isn’t putting off any kind of vibe that he’s anxious. Unlike him, it’s clear that I’m a nervous Nellie. If he’s uneasy about being at a swanky venue in an upscale part of town, he doesn’t show it at all. If anything, he seems to fit in perfectly. Which, I guess is what we were going for with the clothes makeover.

Standing in the elevator taking us up to The Rooftop, the grill and bar my parents rented out for the engagement party tonight, I shift my weight from one hip to the other and I can’t seem to keep still.

His hand covers mine, preventing me from twisting them together. “Stop fidgeting. You’re fine. We are going to rock this.”

“I know, it's just that I get some anxiety when it comes to being around my parents.” At lunch, I told him that I didn’t have a great relationship with my father and stepmother, instead of the truth, which is that it’s much more of anonexistentrelationship. I told him that they are just very narrow-minded and hard to please. There’s always a possibility that they bring up my self-proclaimed exile, if they do, I’ll deal with it. But truthfully, I don’t owe him an explanation. This thing between us isn’t a real relationship. If it were, then absolutely, honesty is key.

“I get it. But you’ve got me. I’m here for a reason, Emmy, so it’s all good.” He’s smiling at me, making me feel all tingly, and when the elevator pings our arrival, I realize I’m smiling back and there’s definitely something flowing between the two of us.

I’ve never been to the NoMad Hotel’s Rooftop, but upon seeing it for the first time I can tell why my parents picked it. It’s everything you would expect from a traditional high-society venue for a party like this. There are several high-top tables set up near the bar area. The granite bar top and white cloth-draped tables only allow seating for around forty people. There are more like sixty here though, but since the terrace provides more lounge-like seating and a dance floor, there’s standing room for nearly a hundred. There isn’t a DJ, but music is playing, and some attendees are even dancing.

Jake lets out a low whistle as we pause and take in the place. I nod in agreement.

“Swanky much?” I mumble.

He chuckles.

I scan the area for the key players. My father, Kitty, Craig, and Levi. Hoping to find my brother first, I catch the eye of Kitty instead.

I take a deep breath. “Incoming.”

Jake reaches over and grabs my hand. “Bring it on.”

Chapter 10

Jake

A tall,older woman walks toward us. From far away, she looks almost regal, but as she gets closer, I can tell that this is a woman who puts a lot of effort into her appearance in order to make herself look superior. With Emmy’s warning, I’m guessing this is her stepmother. I squeeze Emmy’s hand to show my support right as the woman stops in front of us.

I don’t know Emmy well, but I can feel the shift in the air around her. It surprises me a bit that I can sense this change, but even more so that I don’t much like that she’s feeling stressed. There is a part of me—a verysmallpart—that feels the need to protect her.

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