Page 6 of Play Fake
“Back to my place. Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
Oh, God. I’m going back to Dex Bradley’s place with him? Like this?
This isnothow I imagined running into my best friend’s hot, pro football-playing older brother.
I’ve managed to get the tears under control at this point, so I launch into my story. “Ivy talked me into going on this new reality show that ends with weddings. Oh, God, Dex, this is so mortifying. I just saidI do, and the guy I was about to marry said he didn’t, and I took off running. The producers are probably searching the streets for me since they own this dress and I do not, but I can’t face them. I can’t answer questions in a corner about how I feel. I quit my job to do this. I’ve spent the last four weeks getting to know someone who seemed genuine but turned out not to be. What do I do now?”
I don’t know why I lay the entire truth on him. I guess because I don’t know anybody in this town except for him. I actually forgot he was here.
We don’tknoweach other. Not really. I’m eleven years his junior, and he sort of came and went when he pleased by the time Ivy and I met. He was in his twenties when Ivy and I were in high school. He didn’t give a crap about the teenager his sister was friends with. And I’m sure he still doesn’t, yet here I am, throwing my entire life story at him.
“Fuck ’em,” he mutters.
“Huh?”
“Fuck those producers. Fuck that guy that said no to you.” He shrugs. “Not in the literal sense. Don’t go have sex with them. But fuck them over the way they fucked you over. Lay low for a few days, and it’ll blow over.” He gazes out the window as he talks. “Everything always does, right?”
He seems lost in thought as he says the words, and I’m not sure what to say to that.
“Lay low where?” I ask instead.
He looks over at me almost like he forgot I was here, and he sort of narrows his eyes at me. He studies me for a few beats, and I feel my cheeks heat at his dark, mysterious eyes on me. He tilts his head, and then he asks, “How would you like a temporary job while I figure some things out? You can lay low at my place.”
My brows push together. “What kind of job?”
“How are you with kids?”
I lift a shoulder. “Pretty good. I actually considered early childhood education as a major, but when I saw how much money preschool teachers ma—”
“Fine. You’re hired,” he says, interrupting me.
I clear my throat. “I’m sorry. What?”
“You’re hired,” he says, enunciating the words as if I didn’t hear him the first time.
“No, I heard you. What’s the job?”
The car pulls to a stop out in front of a large complex.
“I’ll show you,” he says. He gets out and holds out a hand to help me out of the back of the car.
He greets the doorman, who doesn’t gawk at me even though I’m in a wedding dress, and he presses a button on the elevator. We head up to the top floor, and when we get out, he opens the door to his place.
It’s a pretty sweet setup, but it’s hard to focus on his penthouse suite when all I can focus on is the gorgeous woman crying as she hugs a baby tightly to her chest.
I have no clue what’s going on, but the woman sniffles and tries to pull herself together when she spots us.
“Oh, um…sorry. I thought I had a little more time.” Her eyes fall to me, and unlike the doorman, she gawks. “Who is she?”
“A runaway bride,” Dex deadpans, and I can’t help but laugh.
“I’m Ainsley.I’m Dex’s sis—”
“She’s my girlfriend.” He interrupts me before I get the chance to say I’m his sister’s friend and that I just happened to run into Dex when I was running away from my wedding.
I thought those words sounded absolutely frickin’ ridiculous. Butshe’s my girlfriendsomehow steals the show.
My jaw drops and my stomach flips as he walks over and slips his arm around my waist.
