Page 59 of Things We Fake
She scoffed. “I wish. My mom freaked out when I suggested it for my fifth birthday.”
I stroked my chin thoughtfully. “Hmm… Now I have a dilemma. Do I get you an actual pig, which might violate the building’s pet policy and make your mother hate me, or settle for the shiny, hypoallergenic kind?”
Her eyes widened and she tried to pull me toward the exit. But it was too late. I was already calling Stuart back over and taking out my credit card.
“We’ll take the pig too.” I grinned. “A symbol of prosperity and good fortune.”
“Absolutely not!” Sue whisper-shouted. “It’s ridiculous. I don’t need a pig from Tiffany’s.”
“But you want one.” I leaned down, my voice low and smooth. “You lit up like you do when you smell chocolate. That pig’s coming home with us.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but I held up a finger.
“Come on, Sue, you’ve already let me buy you a ring. The pig will be easier, I promise.”
The charm was boxed up in a tiny pouch and handed over with the same reverence as the ring. I held the door open for her, my chest bursting with happiness.I didn’t believe in buying a woman’s love. That’s not what this was about. I had a visceral need to buy her things, to see her wear them and know I did that. Maybe it was just a primitive way of branding my territory, but seeing that ring on her finger made me glow on the inside.
“What time do you usually call home?” I asked.
“Around six.”
“Perfect. We have enough time to grab a quick drink at that Irish pub near Broadway.”
Sue hesitated, her fingers tightening around the Tiffany bag. “Are you always going to expect everything to go your way?”
I blinked, taken aback.
She looked miserable and guilty. I was dumbstruck, my chest suddenly tight as I stared at her, no clue what I’d done wrong.
“I’m sorry, Cam.” She shook her head. “It’s just… this is happening too fast. I feel like I climbed into a train and realized too late that it’s being driven by Santa on steroids. I’m not used to getting expensive gifts, and honestly, I’m not comfortable with any of this.”
I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, searching her face, searching for words. I could see now how overwhelmed she was and felt so bad I wanted to punch myself.
“Sue, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to push too hard. I get tunnel vision when I’m trying to fix a problem, and you’ve been swept up in it.”
“You thinkthiswill fix everything?” She held up her hand, the sapphire sparkling in the sunlight on cue.
I looked at my shoes. There was spot of dust on the right one, but the need to wipe it was dim now. My priority was Susanne.
I looked into her eyes. “It won’t fix everything. But it tells the world we’re serious. It protects your job, your reputation, and it gives us a solid story to sell. I told you I’d make sure no one could touch you, and I meant it.”
She let out a slow breath and looped her arm through mine.
I accepted her touch, grateful to feel her warmth once more.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m not great at winging it. I like structure, plans, five-year goals... not impromptu engagements and pretending to be swept off my feet. I just hope we can pull this off without anyone getting hurt.”
“We will.” I covered her hand on my arm with mine. “I promise, no matter what happens, I will never hurt you.”
She didn’t answer. She didn’t look like she believed me. And she didn’t seem to realize she was a bigger threat to me. Because for me this had stopped being fake. And that scared the shit out of me.
Chapter Nineteen
Sue
Cam settled comfortably next to me on the couch, one arm slung casually across the backrest. Meanwhile, my heart was doing the cha-cha. On the coffee table, two cans of beer sat half-empty—one of them had been my attempt at courage in a can. It hadn’t worked.
“You’re going to break that thing,” Cam teased, nodding toward my white-knuckled grip on the tablet. His voice was calm, soothing, as he reached out to brush a strand of hair away from my face. “Relax. Meeting the family’s supposed to be fun.”
