Page 3 of Faking With You

“And to think this time last year you hated the man,” I joke.

“Yeah, well, a lot’s changed in the last year. What did you end up writing on your new year’s manifestation paper?” she asks, her mocking tone about manifestation coming through. I’m still not sure how I feel about this whole thing, but I also don’t want to risk it by putting the words out in the universe. I want to see how the next year plays out.

“Liv said not to tell, and you know that girl will suss it out if we spill.” I can mentally see Hannah rolling her eyes. “When do you guys go back to work?” I ask, and she sighs.

“We go back on Wednesday. Grayson’s happy to be going back to day shifts at the hospital.”

Silence fills the line, but it’s not awkward. The girls are the only people I’m okay sitting on the phone in silence with. If it’s anyone else, my skin crawls and my brain immediately starts looking at ways to fill the empty space.

“What’s the comfort show of the moment?” she asks, reminding me of just how much she knows me.

“Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”

“Ohhhh, which season?”

We fall into easy conversation about the show, queuing it up to watch at the same time before she says Grayson’s home and we end the call.

My mind wanders back to last night, to the kiss with Mac. My fingers dust over my lips as the memory replays over and over in my mind.

CHAPTER 3

Mac

When my father calls back, I know there’s no escaping his call again without hearing about it later.

“Hello,” I answer.

“Oh good, Mackenzie.” The use of my full first name makes my entire body tighten.

“What can I do for you?” I answer.

“Well, I thought we should talk about my retirement.”

I fall onto my couch, pinching the bridge of my nose. As much as I’ve always wanted to take over my father’s real estate company that spans three continents and several countries, I know there’s going to be a huge list of stipulations and conditions in order for me to earn the position.

“I see,” is all I manage to say.

“As you know, I’m retiring at the end of June. I’d like to be able to appoint you as my replacement at my retirement party. In order to do that, I need to know you’re serious. I want to see you settling down. No more of this bachelor lifestyle.”

I shake my head even though he can’t see me. How does he not realize that he’s the reason I live my life the way I do? Seeingthe way he was with mom is what made me decide to stay single. They separated when I was still a teenager. Mom left the city, and Father ended up shipping me off to boarding schools, too busy to handle me.

“And how am I supposed to do that in six months?” I ask.

“Show that you’re making an effort. Find a girlfriend, bring her to the party.”

He says the words as though it’s the easiest thing in the world to just find a girlfriend. I dated in my early twenties, but I never found someone who truly interested me. I wasn’t going to devote all that time to someone I didn’t see a future with so I eventually gave up.

“If you can’t give a woman the kind of attention that relationship requires, how can I believe you can show the company the proper attention?”

A chuckle rises out of me. “You’d think it would be the other way around, if I had a girlfriend, you’d be too worried I’d be spending more time with her than on work.”

“I had your mother and you while I was building this company. You find ways to manage your time and prioritize. You learn that both deserve your attention.”

I grunt. Look at how well that turned out for him; he’s been divorced for nearly two and half decades and his son spent his teen years hundreds of miles away for ten months a year.

“Mackenzie, you’re failing yourself if you don’t try. You can’t spend the rest of your life alone in your flat.”

I think that sounds perfect. I don’t have the patience or desire to deal with people, let alone someone who’s going to need so much from me.