Page 16 of Fake it With Me

“Okay.” She looked nervous. “Should I know anything? About the people who’ll be there?”

“Just smile and let me do most of the talking. They’re yacht club members, potential clients, and people I do business with. Nothing you need to worry about.”

“Easy for you to say,” she mumbled under her breath.

I finished my coffee. “You’ll be fine. Just be yourself.”

Daisie looked between us, clearly picking up on the tension. “Where are you going?”

“Just a boring grown-up party,” I told her. “Melody’s going to come hang out with you.”

After breakfast, I got Daisie ready for school while Liza disappeared back to her room. We did our usual morning routine and then headed out to my SUV.

The drive to school was only ten minutes, through the winding roads of Cloudhaven that led from the wealthy estates on the water to the small downtown area where the school was located. Daisie was quiet in the back seat. I just knew she had a lot of questions and was trying to articulate them.

“Daddy?” she said as we pulled into the school parking lot.

“Yeah?”

“Is Liza my new mother?”

I almost choked. Guilt crashed through me like a wave. I hadn’t thought this through. Hadn’t considered how confusing this arrangement might be for a seven-year-old who already lost one mother and was desperately looking for someone to fill that void.

“No, sweetheart. Liza’s just a friend. A good friend who’s going to be staying with us for a little while.”

“Just a friend?” Her voice was small, disappointed.

“Yes. Just a friend.”

“Oh.” She was quiet for a moment. “I like her.”

“I’m glad. I like her too.”

I walked her to the entrance, hugged her goodbye, and watched her disappear into the building.

This was supposed to be simple. A business arrangement to help me maintain custody. But nothing involving a child was ever simple, and I should have known that.

The afternoon passed quickly, and before I knew it, it was time to get home and get ready for the party.

I stood in my bedroom in front of the mirror, adjusting my tie. The suit was custom-tailored, Italian wool, the kind of thing you wore when you needed to impress people. I looked like a billionaire yacht builder. Exactly what I was supposed to look like.

I wasn’t looking forward to this. I had been to a hundred events like this one, schmoozing with clients and club members, making small talk about boats and the market and whatever other inane topics rich people discussed. Usually, I could tolerate it. Tonight was a performance. I was about to parade Liza around as proof I had my life together. I was proving to the world I was a stable, relationship-worthy man who definitely deserved to keep custody of his daughter.

“Darek?” Liza’s voice called from down the hall. “I need help.”

I headed to her room, knocking before I entered. The door was open, but the space already felt somehow off-limits, like I was intruding on territory that belonged to her now.

“In here,” she called from the closet.

I found her standing in front of the mirror, wearing a dress that made my brain temporarily stop working. It was dark green, almost the color of deep ocean water. It showed off her shapely, womanly figure. The woman wasn’t one of those rail-thin women that survived on celery. My eyes raked over her and stopped when I saw the zipper was only halfway up her back. I could see the black bra and immediately thought of boobs.

Fuck.

I needed to get my head straight.

Liza was trying unsuccessfully to reach the zipper.

“I can’t get it,” she said, sounding frustrated. “Don’t look.”