Page 17 of Magic & Matchmaking
I swallowed. “I just mean when we’re putting on a show. You know, courting? Taking walks together? Doing everything one does when they’re in a relationship?”
“Now that’s an interesting idea.” Morty clapped her hands together. “Emma, I think Riven might be onto something.”
“You can’t be serious.” Emma looked from her father to Morty, mouth agape. “You both think this is a good idea?”
Morty shrugged. “Well, I suppose you could come back here to work. The snake pit needs cleaning.”
Emma’s face paled. She’d never wanted to work at the Arcane Creatures Emporium. She only came back here after the incident. The one that changed everything for us, for me.
I took her hand, bringing her focus back to me. Some of the color returned to her face, and her gaze dipped down to her pale hand folded into mine. She swallowed and looked back up, her blue eyes so vibrant.
“We can help each other,” I said. “I’m going to be spending time with you anyway. So let me do this for you.”
Emma chewed the inside of her cheek, her silence eating away at me. Fake dating Emma would be dangerous, and I’d have to constantly remind myself it was pretend. Yet some part of me couldn’t help but be thrilled at the prospect of calling her mine, even if it wasn’t real. A more protective part of me also wanted to keep her safe. That tea shop could seriously injure her if it wanted to, and I couldn’t—wouldn’t—allow that to happen. I needed to make sure she was safe and happy before I left again. So I could do this for her. If she’d let me.
Emma shrugged helplessly. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll be your fake girlfriend.”
Relief flooded me. Morty squealed, while Mr. Thorne shot an unsure glance between the two of us.
“Wonderful.” Morty rushed forward and wrapped her arms around both of us, bringing us in tight. “This will fix the problem in no time, and the tea shop will accept you as its new owner. So glad we got this figured out.”
Emma and I stared at each other, and I had no idea what was going on in that mind of hers.
“So what do we do now?” she asked.
I actually had no idea. Should we waltz into the shop and announce our relationship? Should we be more subtle about it? Holding hands? Kissing?
The thought of my lips on hers shot heat straight through me. “I’m not really sure.”
Morty gave us a knowing look. “I’ve got an idea.”
Emmaand I emerged from Mr. Thorne’s office holding hands. The girls began squealing as soon as they saw me, but their squeals quickly died as their gazes trailed down to our interlocked fingers.
I squeezed Emma’s hand tighter. She still looked shocked over this entire situation, her mouth ajar, her eyes shifting back and forth, hand limp in mine. I hoped she wasn’t already regretting this.
“Wait a minute. I thought Riven Shiu was single,” one of the girls whined to the others.
I tipped my head at them. “I believe some of you know my girlfriend, Emma Thorne?”
The girls’ faces deflated, and I felt a little sorry for them. I liked my fans. Most of them were sweet and kind and appropriate. But there were always the ones that took it too far. That grabbed me, got in my personal space, invaded my privacy. I didn’t actually know if fake dating Emma would solve any of that, but it was the only thing I could think of to say when she’d asked why I would do this. Because I couldn’t admit the real truth: that if I couldn’t really date her, then I’d fake date her.
Fuck. That was pathetic. If everyone knew the famous bard Riven Shiu was hopelessly in love with his best friend, they wouldn’t believe it. I might have had a persona as a charming playboy bard, but I’d never been able to shake these feelings for Emma. No matter how many women I bedded, how far I traveled, the minute I came back here, all those feelings rushed back like they always did. I’d do this final thing, and then I would move on for good. I had to.
We pushed through the girls, half of them with their mouths open, the other half with wrinkled noses, but every single one of them with disappointment written across their faces.
“Do you really think this will work?” Emma whispered out the side of her mouth.
It should’ve felt odd holding her hand, but it didn’t. It felt natural, like it was something we should’ve been doing all along.
“I guess we’ll find out,” I said.
Chapter Nine
EMMA
Eager witches lined up outside the door to Steeped in Love. The fifth bell rang from the bell tower, indicating it was evening time. The sun sank in the sky, and I straightened my shoulders from behind the counter. Riven’s hand found mine, and it filled me with a sense of calm.
Morty’s plan had worked. As soon as those girls saw Riven and me holding hands, they’d immediately done what teenage girls do best: gossip. Word spread, and by the end of the day, everyone in Thistlegrove knew that Riven Shiu and Emma Thorne were in a relationship.
