Page 43 of Kicking it with my Fake Fiancé
“That’s a lot in one day,” Jared said pointedly.
Charlie shrugged. “We have less than two months. We’ve got a lot to do. Buckle up, sweethearts.”
By the time we’d made it through tuxes and cake tastings, I was exhausted and overwhelmed and truthfully wishing for some alone time with Jared. Charlie directed us to the final appointment of the day, an evening dance lesson at Radiant Rhythms Dance Academy. The instructor, who met us at the front desk, was a woman with deep red hair in curls down to her shoulders, green eyes, and a smile for days. She also seemed as patient as humanly possible, considering I had two left feet, and Jared probably had four.
“Hi, I’m Mariah. So excited to work with the two of you.” She turned to Charlie. “What do you need from me?”
“We’ll do our best to stay out of your way. We’ll probably ask you to do several takes at times, so bear with us. Otherwise, just… act natural.”
Mariah nodded and smiled again. “Of course. Right this way, gentlemen.” She led us into a small studio, Charlie and Heidi close behind. As soon as Charlie had figured out the best place to put Heidi and they had settled, Mariah turned back to us. “Do you have a first dance song picked out?” I hadn’t even thought about that. Instead of saying anything, I looked to Jared, who looked just as wide-eyed and panicked as I felt as he shook his head. She offered us a gentle smile. “It’s okay. I think I’ve got just the thing. We’ll listen to it once or twice, and then start choreographing it, if that sounds good.” She went to the corner, where a sound system was set up, and selected a song.
I wasn’t familiar with the song, but Jared seemed to know it, nodding along as it played. “That’s a good one,” he murmured, and turned to me with open arms. “Dance?”
I looked at Mariah, my eyes wide, and she gave me a little nod. I stepped into his embrace, heat creeping up my throat self-consciously as he pulled me in close against his body, warmth radiating off him, his scent making me swoon a little. One of Jared’s strong hands pressed into the space just below my shoulder blades and held me tight, his other hand taking mine. After a moment, he began swaying me to the music, taking small steps and gently guiding me around the room.
I took a deep breath, my chest pressing into Jared’s, and let him lead. After another moment, I rested my face against his and sighed, eyes fluttering closed. With Jared holding me, deep down I knew I was safe, cared for, that I had nothing to worry about. The touch didn’t turn sexual, but instead was something sweet and pure and right. My heart soared as he held me, and when the song ended, I didn’t want to open my eyes, didn’t want to acknowledge anyone else in the room. I wanted the moment to last forever. Unfortunately, that wasn’t what had to happen. I forced my eyes open and sought Jared’s gaze immediately. His smile was sweet and loving. He turned to Mariah.
“How was that?”
Even Mariah looked touched. She was beaming, and her voice was thick with emotion. “You guys are perfect together. You’re going to make my job easy.”
The lesson lasted around two hours, with the multiple takes and angles that Charlie wanted. Eventually, Charlie dismissed Mariah and gave us a curt nod. “I think that will be enough for tonight.”
“What’s the plan next?” Jared asked cautiously.
“Now we just have to get it scheduled. I’ll be in touch.”
“Thanks,” Jared said, and with that, he took my hand and led me to the car. The moment the door closed behind us he turned to me, dark brown eyes blazing. “Are you okay? That was a lot today.”
I nodded. “Ja. Thank you.” I squeezed his hand. “Really. It was a lot but… being with you helped.” Wordlessly, he leaned in and kissed me tenderly. I raised my eyebrows. “What was that for?”
“It’s just… I really fucking love you and knowing that Charlie wants to cause trouble with us, it makes the feral, protective part of me come out. I want to take care of you and keep you safe. I spent all afternoon worried she’d pull some other fucking stunt.”
I gave him a tiny smile and nodded. “Jeg elsker deg også. Now, let’s go home?”
“Yeah. Let’s go home.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Jared
Mynextstepwascalling my manager, and I wasted no time dialing his number the next morning, stepping out of our bedroom while Matty slept, so I didn’t disturb him. The phone rang twice before Paul answered. “Jared, hey, I was just thinking about calling you.”
“Hm. Well, you first then.” I paced around our living room, picking up trinkets and setting them down again, tidying up idly, and generally burning energy.
“I hear you got the great news about the tour.” Even over the phone I could hear Paul’s smug tone, the smirk on his face.
My stomach churned, not with regret or anxiety, but with rage. I fought to keep my tone level and even. “Yeah, I got the news.”
“That’s perfect. It’s really coming together for you, isn’t it? This tour is just the first step. As soon as the show airs, your career is really going to skyrocket. Just like I knew it would.”
I gritted my teeth and took a slow breath before responding. He never had much faith in me, so the whole thing was a lie. “Yeah, so here’s the thing. I’m not going.”
Paul was silent for a second. “What do you mean, you’re not going?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. I’m not going on tour with Young Spades. Please pass along my thanks, but unfortunately, I’m needed at home.”
He scoffed, a little half-laugh sound. “Jared, be reasonable. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Another offer like this won’t come again.”
