Page 40 of Fake Rocks
“It’s not that,” I began. “Um, I don’t know if you saw any of the pictures from the charity dinner.”
“Annie did. She found some lovely ones of you in your suit, kept going on about how handsome you looked. Talked about getting them printed and framed.”
I winced. I could definitely see her doing that.
“She wasn’t sure about Saff’s outfit though, said it made her look a bit cheap.”
Great, I’m about to tell him Saff and I might be making a real go of a relationship and my aunt already thinks she’s trashy.
“Um, do you think you could bring me some clothes when you come tomorrow?”
“Sure. I guess you haven’t had chance to wash your work stuff from Friday yet.”
“Yeah, there is that. But I’m probably going to be staying over a few nights this week too.”
“Oh, right. Got a few appearances to do as part of the relationship contract?”
There was my out. I could tell him that. Say Saff needed me this week to go to parties, gigs and events with her to keep up her new image. I wouldn’t have to tell him and Aunt Annie anything. At least until I knew what was happening between the two of us for sure. Silently, I thanked him for the excuse.
“Yeah, that’s right. She’s got things lined up on and off this week so it’s easier for me to stay here.” I breathed a sigh of relief. Right now, it was a better story than the truth, although I was getting way too comfortable with this lying thing.
“No probs. Do you know what you need?”
I reeled off a list of things he could bring over. It wasn’t hard, considering I didn’t exactly have much stuff to begin with.
“Got it. Now, can you speak to your aunt? She’s been dying to know what your dinner was like.”
There was a pause while he handed the phone over to Aunt Annie. I thought I heard him tell her of my plans for the week and she tutted in response. But I could have imagined it.
“Tris! You looked so smart in your suit.”
She praised me as though I were a teenager going to my first Prom or something. I was pleased she couldn’t see me roll my eyes.
“Aunt Annie, I’m not eighteen anymore.”
She sighed. “No. You’re a grown man who can make his own decisions.”
“I sense a but?”
“Are you sure about this fake relationship thing? Couldn’t you find a nice girl and take her out to the pub instead?”
I wanted to remind her Uncle Col was benefitting from this arrangement as well, but now probably wasn’t the right time.
“Saff is a nice girl.”
Aunt Annie sniffed. “Seeing the pictures of her the other night doesn’t make me think that. Why does she need to wear a collar? She’s not a dog.”
“It’s the image she’s created. Underneath the facade, she’s really not what you think.”
I had a flashback to Saff in her black satin underwear and fishnets. It certainly wasn’t appropriate for those images to be floating through my head while I was on the phone to my aunt and I quickly tried to banish them.
“Hmm.” Even over the phone, I could sense Aunt Annie’s disapproval. “Tell me more about the dinner instead,” she said, changing the subject.
Moving the conversation on was safer. I regaled her with stories from the evening, who we’d met, what we’d eaten and what we’d bid on. We hadn’t come away with any of the auction items, despite Saff’s over the top bids. She assured me Jonas would be happy to pay if she had won.
“Ah, it sounds like such a lovely evening,” sighed Aunt Annie when I’d finished.
“It was.” Although I couldn’t deny the evening had got even better once Saff and I got back to the hotel.
