Page 25 of Fake It For Glory

Christian leaned back, swirling the ice in his glass as he thought for a moment. “She’s unpredictable, and she gives me a bit more than I bargained for sometimes. But you know what? I kind of like it. It’s like trying to solve a puzzle with no edges, no corners. She’s just so different. She’s not like any of the women I’ve ever met here in the city. She can ride horses and dance her ass off. She looks hot in her faded jeans with no makeup and even hotter when she dresses up at night.”

I raised an eyebrow, amused. “You like the challenge, don’t you?”

He grinned, his eyes filled with a mix of amusement and fondness. “Exactly. I can’t figure her out, and I don’t even know if I want to. It keeps things interesting, keeps me on my toes. I’ve never met anyone quite like her.”

“Maybe I need to head to Montana and see if I can find me one of those women.”

“I don’t know if you can handle a cowgirl,” he said, laughing.

As I listened to him talk about the whirlwind romance, I couldn’t help but be happy for him and a little jealous. Life was full of surprises, and it sounded like he was in for one wild ride with this rowdy chick from Montana. He was right though. I didn’t think I could handle someone like that.

“What about you?” he asked.

“What about me?”

“Got a woman yet?”

“Not exactly,” I said. “But I’ve got something to tell you.”

“Uh oh, why does this sound bad?”

“It’s not bad,” I said. “At least I hope it doesn’t get bad. Have you ever heard of the Faux’s Agency?”

“The what?”

“Faux’s,” I said again and kept my voice down. “It’s an escort agency.”

His eyes widened. “Seriously? You hired a hooker?”

“No! That’s not what it is. They’re escorts.”

“Hookers, ladies of the night, whatever name they go by, it’s all the same,” he said. “I’m not knocking it, but I’m just surprised that’s what you’ve resorted to. I know a few women that would be happy to go out with you.”

“It’s not that kind of escort,” I said again. “They are professional dates. They just pretend to be your girlfriend or whatever. There is no sex involved. It’s nothing but business.”

“Okay,” he said, nodding. “If you say so. What about it?”

“I went ahead and hired a girl to play my girlfriend.”

His eyes widened, and he nearly choked on his drink. “Wait, what? You hired a fake girlfriend? Why in the world would you do that?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at his reaction. “Because I don’t have the time or energy to find a real girlfriend,” I said. “Hattie convinced me to do it. She said my image is shit, and if I soften it, things will be better. I’m getting ready to launch that new tech. I’ve got all kinds of events I’m scheduled to attend. Hattie wants me to look like a normal person.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You don’t look normal?”

“She said I look like a cyborg,” I muttered.

Christian burst into laughter. “When do I get to meet this fake girlfriend of yours?”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “If I have any say in it? Never.”

He blinked in surprise. “What do you mean, never? Why not?”

“Because I don’t want to subject her to the chaos of meeting my friends and work people. She already met Hattie. That’s enough. It’s all just an experiment, remember? I’m only doing this to make me look more approachable.”

Christian leaned back, shaking his head in disbelief. “You, my friend, are certifiably crazy. What if this lady runs to the tabloids and tells them you’re paying her to pretend to be your girlfriend.”

“She signed a contract saying she won’t,” I said. “We both did.”