Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 85135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
She doesn’t say anything, and I go on, filling the silence. “It would be easy to go back to my routine of locuming and traveling, but I think if I start doing something different, I might find momentum and I’d be more likely to put more time and effort into…”
“Your business idea?”
“Exactly.”
“So this would push you out of your old habits and allow new ones to form?” she asks, articulating my thoughts way more eloquently than I did.
“Maybe,” I say. “My locum job is almost up, and I’d usually start booking flights and planning my next adventure. But my gut tells me it’s not the right thing to do. But it is the easy thing to do—bury the business idea until after the trip or until next year or until the year after that. I want to force myself out of my normal. I don’t want to wake up with regrets. Fake-dating you until you’ve finished your album promotion suits me almost as much as it suits you.”
I reach for her phone on the coffee table in front of us. “Come on. Phone this Tommy bloke and let’s do this.”
“I think you should sleep on it.”
“I think you should stop worrying. What’s the worst that can happen?”
She laughs, and it’s filled with exuberance and freedom. It’s not a laugh I’ve heard from her before but it suits her.
I grin, keeping my gaze locked on hers. “We both know this is a short-term thing. No love. No commitment.” I like Vivian. I like that she’s independent and ambitious and comes to London on her own without telling anyone because she wants some time by herself. It’s ballsy, and I really like that. Also, she’s done so much with her life. She’s seen so much, traveled the world, met presidents and prime misters. She’s squeezed out so much for someone so young and that’s kind of intoxicating.
Neither of us wants to date anyone, but I’m not ready to let her sail off into the world without knowing her a little better.
And if anyone was to ask Coral, being a fake boyfriend is about all I have qualifications for anyway.
TWELVE
Vivian
Beau chuckles and I can tell he’s taking Tommy’s very American welcome in his stride. “Very nice to see you,” he says. “I’m Beau Cove.”
“Delicious, darling. Very excited about this. Especially now that I’ve seen you, Beau. You’re gorgeous. Let’s get Felicity on.”
I turn to Beau and give him an are-you-sure-about-this look. He smiles at me and slides his hand under mine.
“Really?” I ask.
He shrugs but he doesn’t let go.
“You guys are so cute,” Felicity practically screams as she comes online. “Where have you been hiding this guy?”
“Okay, calm down everyone. Beau is British and you’re going to freak him out if you keep going like this.”
“I’m British, darling,” Felicity says. “Just haven’t been back to the old country in thirty years.”
Beau chuckles and sweeps his thumb over mine. “Good to meet you, Felicity.”
“We’re both very grateful that you’ve agreed to do this,” Tommy says. “I suggest we take the negotiations around the contract offline. If you have a lawyer, you can put me in touch. Really, today is just to say hi and for Felicity to give us some ideas of how we take you public.”
“Thanks, Tommy,” Felicity says. “Good news is that I’ve had the paper who bought the pap shot of the two of you in the park hold off publishing tonight on the basis that we’ll give them a little something before either of you is spotted together again. So I’m going to go with… People close to Vivian say she’s enjoying some downtime in London with close friends.”
I look at Beau. Does he think this is completely ludicrous? Because if he does, I totally get it. From a non-celebrity’s perspective, this must look beyond weird.
“Are you happy with that?” Felicity asks.
I glance across at Beau. It’s partly because I want to make sure he is happy, but also because it’s habit. Usually, Matt would have taken the lead in these kinds of conversations. I look back at the screen, because Matt’s not here and Beau isn’t going to be steering my career like Matt did. That’s never going to happen again. “That sounds fine.”
“And then we’ll tell the same publication about the two of you going to dinner. Are you happy to do that tomorrow night?” Felicity asks.
“Beau?” I ask. “This is all happening very quickly. Does that work for you? Do you have plans tomorrow night?”
He turns to speak directly at me, ignoring Tommy and Felicity. “Nothing but a bowl of soup with my brother. I’d much prefer going to dinner with you.”
I try not to smile, but it’s hard. He’s just so focused on me—or it seems that way. It’s refreshing. Matt and I were together so long that I can’t remember if he ever flirted with me or whether we’d kind of left flirting to slowly drift off, discarded during the course of our relationship. It feels good to be so…noticed by Beau. To feel like right here, next to me, is the only place he wants to be. Even if we’re both committed to remaining single.