Page 4 of The Uncomplicated Café
“Sorry, Gretchen,” he said crisply. “No can do.”
“Excuse me?” Her green eyes narrowed. She wasn’t used to hearingno.
“I know we agreed to let you call the shots, but we’re going to have to pass this time. Why don’t we come up with something else?”
“Why don’t we come up with something else?” Gretchen repeated, her tone incredulous with a touch ofdo-you-know-who-you’re-talking-to?She flashed an icy, ominous smirk that would’ve made Jayce shiver if it weren’t so hot under the blazing sun. “Have you taken a look at my client list lately?”
“It’s very impressive.”
“And what about my contract? The contractyousigned,” she added pointedly. “Have you had a gander at that recently?”
“I’m familiar with the terms.”
“Then you know there is nowe. You’ve reached your level of fame because ofmyguidance. I make stars. It’s what I do. And I’m pretty darn good at it. It’s why you pay me the big bucks. And it’s why you’re going to trust me this time, just like all the times before. Right?” She’d sweetened her tone, but her smile still gave off supervillain vibes. She could be ruthless when she didn’t get her way. He might be able to handle being on Gretchen’s bad side, but what about Stacey?
He shot his co-star another glance. She’d gone from pale to putrid green. A dead ringer for how she’d looked on yesterday’s sailing excursion right before she’d spewed her lunch all over the side of the yacht.
To make matters worse, Gretchen pinned her with her most persuasive smile. “Stacey, darling. You see the wisdom in my proposal, don’t you? Please convince your shortsighted co-star that this is what’s best for your career. Forbothof your careers.”
Stacey’s mouth fell open. She mirrored a limp fish gasping for air. “I—I—I—”
Great. She was stuck in a single syllable panic loop. He needed to do something, but what? Gretchen wouldn’t back down easily.
“I can’t fake an engagement with Stacey,” he announced before he’d formulated a coherent plan.
“And why not?” Gretchen crossed her arms with athis-better-be-goodglare.
“Well, because, I—”Come on, man. Come up with something. There’s got to be a reasonable explanation in your brain somewhere. “Because I’m already engaged,” he blurted, then instantly winced. So much for reasonable—more like irrational. Idiotic. Irredeemably asinine.What were you thinking?
“You’re engaged?” Gretchen’s tone dripped with skepticism.
“Yep. Have been for a while now. To a girl back home.”Great. Just keep digging the hole deeper, dummy. Oh, the foolish things we do for friends.
Stacey gaped at him, looking both shocked and grateful.
Gretchen scowled. “And why am I just now hearing about this?”
“She’s a small-town girl. Not one for the limelight. She asked me to keep it on the down-low.” Okay, so he’d stolen Stacey and Rob’s story, but this way, they wouldn’t have to go through with the fake engagement fiasco and Gretchen wouldn’t find out the truth until after his friends tied the knot.
“And does your blushing bride-to-be have a name?”
“A name?”
“Yes, a name is the form of identification written on a birth certificate.” Gretchen may not know how to conjure a sincere smile to save her life, but she could teach a master class in snark.
“Yes, she has a name. It’s—”Shoot.He should’ve anticipated this question.Pick a name. Any name. Don’t overthink it. “CeCe. CeCe Dupree.”
Drat. Okay, so he should’ve thought about it alittle. For more than five seconds, at least. Instead, he’d said the first name that came to mind—the one namealwayson his mind.
Jayce bit back a groan.CeCe’s going to kill me.
Although, they’d had a fake wedding once already. In kindergarten. She’d worn a dandelion crown, and he’d borrowed his dad’s tie, which he’d tucked into the collar of his T-shirt because he had no clue how to tie one. They’d invited all their favorite stuffed animals to the ceremony and celebrated with Oreos and juice boxes afterward. They’d had a blast.
Maybe he could appeal to her sense of nostalgia? Or her inner romantic? After all, didn’t all women love weddings?
Chapter Three
ABBY
