Page 77 of Play Fake
We both turn to look at her—me with heat in my eyes and Ford with absolute confusion in his.
Ford clears his throat. “How do you fit into this?” he asks her.
“She’s my wife,” I answer.
“Yourwife?” Ford says. Actually, it’s more of a sputter, really. Followed by a cough.
“Jack’s stepmom and primary caretaker, too,” I add.
“What about the kid’s mother?” he asks.
“Long story.” One I don’t particularly want to get into in front of the hotel receptionist.
“Dude, I think we need to get a drink,” he says.
I laugh. “Yeah. Probably long overdue.”
The receptionist gets his attention, and I quietly turn to Ainsley. “I really want to spend time with you two, but would it be okay with you if I grabbed a drink with my brother while you went up to the room?”
“Of course. You don’t even have to ask,” she says. “In fact, just go now. I’ll get us checked in and text you the room number.”
“You wouldn’t mind?” I ask. She shakes her head, and I lean in and press my lips to hers. “You’re the best.”
Ford catches me kissing her, and he looks incredibly confused.
I can’t help my laugh as I slap him on the shoulder—on purpose, of course. “Let’s hit the bar, yeah?”
“You fucker,” he mutters as he grabs his shoulder in pain.
We head toward the bar and find a table near the back that offers a little bit of privacy. Once we both have a glass of whiskey, he finally looks at me and winces a little.
“So when did you get married?”
“A little under a month ago,” I say.
He squints at me a little. “Why?”
“It’s complicated. You want the whole story?”
He sips his whiskey. “Why the fuck not?”
I chuckle. “Well, this woman I slept with a while back showed up with a kid on July first. I ran into Ains the same day, quite literally, and she agreed to nanny for me. One thing led to another. I was warned I needed to look a bit more wholesome, and she was escaping this reality show nightmare, and we both stood to gain a lot with a marriage contract.”
“Ah. So it’s fake. Convenient.” He nods as if that makes sense.
“Yeah, it started that way, and then before I left for camp, we had this night, and—”
He holds up a hand to interrupt me. “You had a night? You sound like a chick now.”
I roll my eyes. “I fucked her good and hard. Is that better?”
“How hard we talking?”
“Fuck off. The point is that it started with a contract, but I’m not sure the end of the contract spells the end of our marriage. At least not the way I was so sure that’s what it meant only a few weeks ago. Things feel like they’re changing. I like having her at my place. And the kid…” I trail off as I try to put into words what it feels like to suddenly be an actual father. I blow out a breath. “He’s incredible.”
“How old is he?”
“Eight months tomorrow.”
