Page 3 of Kicking it with my Fake Fiancé
Cam: Totally. Thanks for doing this for me.
Jared: Actually, there is something you guys can do. Anyone have any ideas for attention-getters? He wants me to create a story around myself. Something that will make people care about me.
Theo: Like what?
Jared: His last client lost everything in a fire apparently.
Bennett: So, burn your house down?
Levi: I don’t think that’s the point, bro. What if you featured the kickball thing? Isn’t there a tournament in California every year? Let’s go kick ass at that.
Jared: Not a bad idea, but what I really need is something that ties back to my music.
Parker: Ooh, go skydiving and play your guitar at the same time. That would be different!
Theo: How about a music marathon? We do a dance marathon at school for a fundraiser, you could play music for 24 hours.
Cam: Or do a flash mob proposal. You could totally pull that off.
Jared: I’m as single as it gets, man.
Bennett: How about a VR event? We can hook you up with some VR tech and you can throw a massive in-game concert.
I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead. This conversation wasn’t going anywhere, and the ideas were either unhelpful or downright ridiculous. Marathons and proposals and skydiving. Not going to happen. Before I could text the guys a polite dismissal and duck out of the conversation altogether, my phone chirped again. When I glanced at it, though, it wasn’t the team.
Matty: Are we still on for tonight?
I couldn’t stop the smile that spread over my face as I checked the time. I hadn’t realized it was almost four in the afternoon, which meant it was nearly ten p.m. in Oslo.
Jared: Be right there.
Matty’s company would be a welcome distraction from the pressures of my music career. He was the one thing I’d always been able to count on. Since I was a teen, Matty had been there for me in one way or another, providing stability, consistency, and unconditional friendship. I couldn’t believe I’d almost forgotten the weekly call that had been a staple in my life since high school. I set my phone aside and logged on to the second video call of the day—though the one with Matt was undeniably much more interesting.
Chapter Two
Matty
Matty
I ran my fingers through my freshly cut short hair and grinned at my laptop’s camera. “Good to see you didn’t forget about me.”
Jared scrubbed his hands over his face, his dark brown eyes apologetic. “I am so sorry, man.”
I shrugged one shoulder. “It’s okay. I know you love me anyway.”
That brought a smile to Jared’s face. “Like you’re my own brother.” He hesitated a moment before tilting his head slightly, a lock of dark brown hair falling across his forehead. “Speaking of, how’s Kas?”
I tried not to roll my eyes, despite my fond smile. My brother Kasper had always had a tense relationship with Jared. Whenever they were in the same room—which wasn’t often, considering we lived 4,000 miles apart—Jared wasted no time in needling Kasper, and Kas gave it right back. Even still, Jared cared about Kas, because he was—for better or worse—a part of my family.
“Kasper is good. Did I tell you that Ingrid is pregnant?”
Jared’s eyes lit up. “No! That’s awesome. You’re going to be an uncle.”
I nodded. “Ja.I’m excited, too. You’ll have to come visit after the baby is born.” I’d been trying to get Jared to visit me in Oslo for over a decade, but something always got in the way. Maybe that time would bethetime.
“Thatwouldbe awesome.”
Rather than give him time to ask about my now-ex girlfriend Linnea, which Jared would certainly do if I left the conversation open, I pivoted. “And how about your family?” I asked cautiously. Jared didn’t often mention his family and I didn’t like pressing on bruises.
